Can a person who does not have his license appraise your house? I was told by the person who was supposed to have been the appraiser, that he was in training. He came by himself walked in and out took some pictures of the back side of my house, a picture or two of my living room and left.
-- DV
A.
Statute 255 ILCS 458/5-5 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes prohibits anyone who is not a licensed real estate appraiser from conducting the business of real estate appraising. The text of the statute reads as follows:
Beginning July 1, 2002, it is unlawful for a person to act or assume to act as a real estate appraiser, to engage in the business of real estate appraisal, to develop a real estate appraisal, to practice as a real estate appraiser, or to advertise or hold himself or herself out to be a real estate appraiser in connection with a federally related transaction without a real estate appraiser license issued under this Act. A person who violates this subsection is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
Beginning July 1, 2002, it is unlawful for a person, other than a person who holds a valid license issued pursuant to this Act as a State certified general real estate appraiser, a State certified residential real estate appraiser, an associate real estate appraiser, or as a State licensed real estate appraiser issued pursuant to a predecessor Act to use these titles or any other title, designation, or abbreviation likely to create the impression that the person is licensed as a real estate appraiser pursuant to this Act. A person who violates this subsection is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
If the person who came to your residence and took photographs of it was merely collecting information for a licensed appraiser, then his action might not have violated the statute because he stated that he was merely in training. However, if the appraiser himself did not personally inspect the property and, instead, relied only on his trainee's impressions and few photographs, he would appear to have failed to perform his professional responsibilities.