18-1.007. Appraiser Eligibility and Selection

(1) Approved Appraiser List – Eligibility and Selection.

(a)              The Chief Appraiser shall maintain on the Department’s website, at http://www.dep.state.fl.us/lands/appraisal/pdfs/Approved_AppraiserList_Application_04192013.pdf, information for interested appraisers to apply for placement on the approved appraiser list.

(b) An appraiser shall be considered eligible and will be placed on the list when he has complied with all the following criteria:

1. The appraiser has applied to the Bureau of Appraisal to be placed on the list of approved appraisers.

2. The appraiser meets the eligibility requirements of Section 253.025 or 259.041, F.S., and this chapter.

3. The appraiser is an appraiser certified by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

4. The appraiser demonstrates a level of general appraisal competence through past appraisal experience. An acceptable level of general appraisal competence and quality shall be demonstrated by the submission of an appraisal report(s) that includes sales comparison, cost, and income approaches prepared for a business client within the previous two years.

5. The appraiser identifies any specialty property types, as outlined in the Supplemental Standards, for which he professes appraisal expertise and competence, and submits one appraisal report demonstrating such competence and expertise for one of the specialty property types.

(c) The Chief Appraiser will request that the appraiser submit biennial reaffirmation of interest in and update his documentation in order to remain on the list of approved appraisers.

(d) Removal of the appraiser’s name from the list of approved appraisers shall be made at the appraiser’s request, by failure to submit biennial reaffirmation of interest or updated documentation after notice, for unsatisfactory performance, for disciplinary action given by the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board (FREAB), or for material non-compliance with contract terms. If an appraiser’s name is removed from the list pursuant to this rule, he must comply with the requirements of this rule to be placed back on the list of approved appraisers and if disciplined by the FREAB, supply evidence that he has fulfilled all requirements of the disciplinary action.

(2) Multiple Year Appraiser Contracts Eligibility and Selection. For cost and time efficiency regarding future appraisal services, appraisers will be selected and placed under multi-year contracts. Selection procedures shall be as follows:

(a) Only appraisers whose name appears on the list of approved appraisers will be invited to submit proposals to perform appraisal services under a multiple year contract arrangement.

(b) Invitations to submit proposals for multiple year contracts shall be issued by the Division of State Lands, Bureau of Appraisal, Department of Environmental Protection, 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard, Mail Station 110, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3000. The Bureau of Appraisal shall be the sole point of contact.

(c) When the Bureau of Appraisal has received proposals and after the invitation closing date, the appraisers’ proposals will be evaluated for the purpose of awarding future multi-year contracts according to the following criteria listed in order of importance and scored based on a point system maintained by the Bureau of Appraisal:

1. Quality of previous work, if any, performed as a result of appraisal assignments through the Division. This includes evaluating appraisals on the basis of documentation and reasoning; accuracy and clarity of the report; methodology, techniques and support; responsiveness to review questions; the appraiser’s understanding of the nature and scope of the appraisal assignment. The maximum points for this quality of previous work category is 25.

2. Professional appraisal-related education or teaching experience. For each appraisal course or seminar credit hour attended or taught during the prior two years, one-tenth point is awarded up to a maximum of 12 points for 120 classroom hours.

3. Other pertinent factors and specialized requirements outlined in the request for proposal, such as the appraiser’s quality assurance process and ability to prioritize Division assignments.

(d) Selection shall be made by an appraiser selection committee composed of the Director, the Chief Appraiser and the Chief of the Division’s Bureau of Land Acquisition, or their designated representatives.

(e) The Chief Appraiser shall provide a summary and recommendation to the appraiser selection committee of the various proposals submitted.

(f) When selecting appraisers for multiple year contracts, the committee shall consider the various factors set forth in the request for proposal, the appraiser’s submitted proposal and the standards and criteria of this rule.

(3) Specific Project Appraiser Bid Solicitation and Selection. When an agency proposing an acquisition has determined that appraisal services are required, the agency shall contact the Division’s Bureau of Appraisal and request that such services be obtained. Through competitive bidding, multiple bids will be sought with the objective of obtaining the best possible services efficiently and at the most reasonable cost.

(a) Appraisers to be solicited for bids will be from those under multiple year contract or those on the approved appraiser list with competency in the area of specialization required by the proposed appraisal assignment. The solicitation will include selection criteria to be used in making the final selection of the appraiser to be awarded the appraisal services required.

(b) Appraisers will be required to comply with Section 259.041(7)(c) or 253.025(5)(b), F.S., and submit an affidavit substantiating that they have no vested or fiduciary interest in any property for which appraisal services will be awarded.

(4) For increased time and cost efficiency, for recurring needs for additional appraisal services in a specific project area or for a specific parcel, use of the same appraisers used for these previous services is allowed.

(5) Appraisal reviews are appraisal services that will be conducted for each assignment by qualified review appraisers. Appraisal review reports shall be submitted to the Chief Appraiser or his designee for approval.

(a) For acquisition parcels with values greater than $500,000 an appraisal review will be developed and reported according to the Supplemental Standards, this chapter, and the specific requirements of the assignment. For acquisition parcels with values of $500,000 or less, a cursory review by the Bureau of Appraisal or appraisal review will be conducted for assurance that requirements of the assignment were met.

(b) For all non-acquisition appraisal services such as for disposition, leases and easements, a review will be completed for assurance that the requirements of the assignment were met.

(6) Appraisers to be solicited for appraisal review assignments, as identified in paragraph (5)(a), above, will be from those on the approved appraiser list, under a multiple year contract and who possess competency for review work.

Rulemaking Authority 253.03, 259.041 FS. Law Implemented 259.041 FS. History–New 6-16-86, Amended 1-29-90, 10-30-91, 4-14-08, 6-15-10, 3-2-16.