Montana § 37-54-501 - Appraisal Management Company Registration

§ 37-54-501. Appraisal Management Company Registration

Appraisal management company registration. (1) (a) It is unlawful for a person to directly or indirectly engage in or attempt to engage in business as an appraisal management company or to advertise or hold itself out as engaging in or conducting business as an appraisal management company in this state without first obtaining a registration issued by the board. (b) An applicant for registration as an appraisal management company in this state shall submit an application to the board on forms prescribed by the department. (c) If a registration process is not in effect on October 1, 2011, an appraisal management company already conducting business in this state may continue to conduct business in accordance with this chapter until 120 days after a registration process becomes available. Upon expiration of the 120-day period, the appraisal management company must be registered as required by this chapter in order to continue to provide or offer to provide appraisal management services in this state. (2) An application for the registration required by subsection (1) must include the following information: (a) the name of the person seeking registration and the fictitious name or names, if any, under which the person does business in any state; (b) the business address of the person seeking registration; (c) the phone contact information of the person seeking registration; (d) if the appraisal management company is not a corporation domiciled in this state, the name and contact information for the company's designated contact for service of process in this state; (e) the name, address, and contact information for one controlling person within the appraisal management company; (f) a certification that the person has a system and process in place to verify that an individual holds a license in good standing in this state pursuant to 37-54-202 if a license or certification is required to perform appraisal assignments; (g) a certification that the person requires appraisers completing appraisal assignments at its request to comply with the uniform standards of professional appraisal practice, including the requirements for geographic and product competence; (h) a certification that the person has a system in place to verify that only licensed or certified appraisers are used for federally related transactions; (i) a certification that the person has a system in place to require that appraisals are conducted independently and free from inappropriate influence and coercion as required by the appraisal independence standards established under section 129E of the Truth in Lending Act of 1968, 15 U.S.C. 1601, et seq., including the requirement that the fee appraisers be compensated at a customary and reasonable rate when the appraisal management company is providing services for a consumer credit transaction secured by the principal dwelling of a consumer; (j) a certification that the person maintains a detailed record of each service request that it receives and the appraiser that performs the appraisal service for the appraisal management company; (k) an irrevocable uniform consent to service of process; and (l) any other information required by the board that is reasonably necessary to implement this chapter. (3) An application for renewal of a registration must include information substantially similar to that required for the initial registration in subsection (2), as determined by the board. (4) Renewals of registered appraisal management companies must be in accordance with 37-1-141 . The department shall provide notice to an appraisal management company prior to the renewal date.