Disciplinary actions: Appraisers

For details about many of these disciplinary actions, please see Search business and professional licenses.

May 2012

Kyle Reavis — Spokane

• Findings: Failed to include listing history of the subject property, and failed to maintain a complete workfile containing pertinent information that was relied upon to prepare the appraisal report for the subject property.
• Actions: License suspended for 1 year, stayed (not imposed) for 1 year, and fined $2,500.

April 2012

Linda Sue Almaden — Port Angeles

• Finding:
  • Appraised commercial property she wasn’t licensed to appraise.
  • Identified subject property as vacant land in an appraisal report, however the subject was improved property.
  • Failed to include a scope of work.
  • Failed to include a definition of value.
  • Failed to include a signed certification.
  • Failed to maintain a complete workfile.
  • Failed to use appropriate comparables or make accurate adjustments.
  • Failed to support an opinion of value for an outbuilding.
• Action: License suspended for 2 years, with all but 6 months stayed (not imposed) for 3 years (actual suspension: April 5, 2012–October 5, 2012), and ordered to take a Residential Report Writing course and 15 hour USPAP course.

March 2012

Gregg Eilers — Kirkland

• Finding:
  • Signed name and license number to an appraisal report he didn’t complete.
  • Failed to report receiving significant assistance from another appraiser to complete an appraisal report.
  • Failed to personally inspect the subject property, yet certified he personally inspected the subject property.
• Action: License suspended for 1 year, stayed (not imposed) for 2 years, and fined $500.

Mary Fulton — Ocean Shores

• Finding:
  • Incorrectly reported the legal description and site size of the subject property.
  • Appraisal report contained conflicting zoning information.
  • Made inconsistent adjustments for age and conditions of comparable sales.
  • Used inappropriate comparables sales to prepare an appraisal for the subject property.
  • Incorrectly reported the sales price of a comparable sale.
  • Failed to maintain a complete work file.
• Action:
  • License suspended for 1 year, stayed (not imposed) for 3 years.
  • Ordered to complete a real estate appraisal report writing class.
  • Fined $2,500.

February 2012

James J. Crawford — Federal Way

• Finding:
  • Failed to accurately report waterfront amenity of subject property.
  • Failed to provide support for corrections made in the cost approach.
  • Used comparable sales that closed after the effective date of the appraisal report.
  • Failed to disclose that 2 of the comparables were bank-owned properties.
  • Failed to make adjustments for saltwater frontage of a comparable.
  • Failed to make adjustments for differences in site sizes and utilities of comparables.
  • Failed to make adjustments for dock amenities of comparables
  • Incorrectly reported comparable as possessing waterfront view when it didn’t.
  • Failed to make adjustments for the superior quality of construction of comparables.
  • Failed to provide us with requested documents.
  • Violations occurred during a probationary period.
• Action: License suspended for 2 years.

Margaret Lai — Sammamish

• Finding:
  • Failed to update improvement section of the appraisal to accurately report physical characteristics of the property.
  • Failed to accurately allocate square footage between above and below grade living space of a comparable sale.
  • Failed to report a comparable sale had air conditioning and a tennis court.
  • Failed to report the distance of a comparable sale from the subject.
  • Failed to support adjustments for concessions, time, site, quality of construction and age.
  • Incorrectly reported some data with regard to physical characteristics of subject and comparables, and made adjustments based on opinion and experience rather that data.
• Actions: License suspended for 12 months, stayed (not imposed) for 12 months, and fined $3,000.

January 2012

Todd Vecchio — Seattle

• Finding:
  • Appraiser trainee acted as and provided appraisal services to clients without being supervised by a licensed appraiser.
  • Appraiser trainee used electronic signature of a licensed appraiser without permission of licensed appraiser.
  • Failed to cooperate with our investigation.
  • Interfered with our investigation.
• Action: License revoked for 5 years.

December 2011

Ernest Canton — Lynnwood

• Finding: Provided a workfile from another appraiser to a 3rd appraiser to prepare and sign an appraisal based on unverified information and data.
• Action: Officially reprimanded, and not allowed to provide professional appraisal assistance to another appraiser for 3 years.

Robert Drinkard — Bellevue

• Finding:
  • Failed to disclose lack of geographical competency.
  • Incorrectly reported tax amount for subject property.
  • Failed to accurately describe the subject property windows and foundation.
  • Failed to support his land value conclusion.
  • Failed to make accurate adjustments for quality and conditions of comparable sales.
  • Failed to support the combination of the “site” and “view” adjustments.
• Action:
  • License suspended 1 year, stayed (not imposed) for 3 years.
  • Ordered to complete a 15-hour USPAP course.
  • Fined $1,500.

Max McNett — Liberty Lake

• Finding:
  • Aided and abetted unlicensed activity by using unlicensed/unregistered auxiliary staff to provide significant appraisal assistance.
  • Failed to describe the extent of significant real property appraisal assistance.
  • Failed to disclose a conflict of interest.
• Action: License revoked for 5 years.

November 2011

Bradley M. Hill — Vancouver

• Finding:
  • Failed to support a value conclusion based on hypothetical setting.
  • Failed to provide evidence or analysis to support the hypothetical valuation.
  • Failed to make appropriate adjustments.
• Action: License suspended for 3 months, stayed (not imposed) for 6 months, and fined $1,000.

Dana Palmer — Fox Island

• Finding:
  • Failed to accurately identify neighborhood attributes including boundaries, description, and location.
  • Failed to accurately describe the subject property, including the type of foundation, type of siding, and condition of outbuildings.
  • Failed to describe and make accurate adjustments for comparable sales.
  • Failed to maintain a complete workfile.
• Action:
  • Ordered to complete a Sales Comparison course.
  • License suspended 1 year, stayed 3 years (not imposed).
  • Fined $2,500.

August 2011

William Thomas Davis — Yakima

• Finding:
  • Failed to make accurate adjustments for comparables outbuildings, superior conditions, and superior neighborhoods.
  • Failed to report a canal that formed a boundary on the subject property.
  • Failed to disclose a heavily trafficked interstate near the subject property.
  • Failed to disclose a 170 unit mobile home park across the street from the subject property.
  • Failed to report deferred maintenance for the subject property
  • Failed to personally inspect the subject property as certified as the Supervisory Appraiser.
• Action: License suspended for 1 year (stayed for 3 years), and fined $2,500.

David Dean — Edmonds

• Finding: Failed to cooperate, respond, or fulfill our requests during our investigation.
• Action: Suspended for 1 year or until he cooperates, whichever is longer.

Robert Johnson — Sumner

• Finding: Failed to cooperate, respond, or fulfill our requests during our investigation.
• Action: Suspended for 1 year or until he cooperates, whichever is longer.

Henry L. Kieneker — Woodinville

• Finding: Failed to personally inspect properties as certified on approximately 68 appraisal reports he signed as Supervisory Appraiser.
• Action: License suspended 1 year, with all but 60 days (7/31/11–9/29/11) stayed for 3 years, not allowed to supervise trainees for 3 years, and fined $3,000.

July 2011

Lorna Van Buskirk — Ocean Shores

• Finding:
  • Failed to accurately identify and/or describe subject property, including amenities, predominant occupancy, zoning, fuel source, topography, land value and highest and best use
  • Failed to utilize appropriate comparable sales to develop an accurate opinion of value
• Action: License suspended for 1 year (stayed for 3 years), fined $1,500.

Patricia Prokop — Gig Harbor

• Finding:
  • Failed to provide proof of analysis and supporting data in the workfile.
  • Made adjustments in the appraisal report that contradict data contained in the workfile.
  • Used inappropriate comparables.
  • Failed to make accurate and/or consistent adjustments regarding comparable sales.
  • Failed to accurately describe subject property site conditions.
  • Failed to provide the Department with requested documents.
• Action: License revoked for 3 years.

Winona Smith — Longview

• Finding:
  • Failed to accurately describe site size of subject property
  • Failed to accurately value waterfront property
  • Failed to consider impact of comparable sale being a short sale
  • Failed to make adjustments regarding shop and site size of a comparable sale
• Action: License suspended 1 year (stayed 3 years), ordered to complete a Appraising Waterfront Property Class, and fined $1,500.

Duane Tremain — Snohomish

• Finding: Digital signatures were used on numerous appraisals as supervisory appraiser that were the subject of a Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, and failed to adequately supervise activities of the appraisers that prepared the appraisals.
• Action: License revoked 2 years, and fined $1,000.

June 2011

Kevin Burnside — Sequim

• Finding: Failed to cooperate with our investigation and provide a complete appraiser workfile to us.
• Action: License suspended until we receive the material requested.

Michael Means — Silverdale

• Finding:
  • Submitted 2 reports to the client with same effective date and different values with no supporting data.
  • Failed to accurately describe the subject property.
  • Failed to maintain a complete workfile.
  • Failed to accurately describe the condition of the neighborhood of the subject property.
• Action: Ordered to complete a Report Writing Course, license suspended 1 year (stayed 3 years), and fined $1,500.