Appraisal management companies (AMCs) and appraisal firms with independent contractors in Michigan: it would be wise to pay attention to Michigan House Bills 4390 and 4391. These bills seek to bring California’s famous “ABC test” to contractor classification in Michigan and would create substantial penalties for noncompliance. In particular, HB4390 Read more…
In 2020, a California certified general appraiser filed a lawsuit against Wells Fargo in state court under a special section of the California Labor Code called the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). Essentially, PAGA enables private parties and their attorneys to step into the shoes of the State of California to Read more…
California’s AB 5 – the anti-independent contractor law – was “overturned” for appraisers by a new exemption created under the fix-it bill AB 2257. It went into effect last September, but . . . the problem is that many appraisers and appraisal firms in California misunderstand the exemption it created from Read more…
The Real Deal in New York recently published a story about Cushman & Wakefield, the national real estate firm, having three separate class action lawsuits in which commercial appraisers are asserting claims for unpaid overtime and other damages because the firm (or its subsidiaries) allegedly followed a practice of classifying Read more…
On January 10, 2020 (9:30 a.m. Pacific) I am hosting and presenting a video webinar about Assembly Bill 5. This one is just for individual appraisers. I’ll be covering AB 5 (California’s new “gig worker” law) specifically in relation to individual real estate appraisers and small appraisal firms. The last Read more…
On December 19, 2019, I am presenting a free video webinar about the essential elements of California AB 5 in specific relation to AMCs and their contractual relationships with appraisers and appraisal firms.
Note: Readers can now find cases, laws and articles relating to appraiser independent contractor classification in the “AB 5 Center.” California’s AB 5 and the ABC test are creating new challenges for the retention of appraisers as independent contractors by appraisal management companies (AMCs) and appraisal firms. I don’t expect Read more…
I’ve had many questions from appraisers, appraisal management companies (AMCs) and attorneys about independent contractor classification of appraisers under AB 5, California’s new “gig worker law,” and in relation to my earlier article on the subject. Is the work of independent contractor appraisers outside the “usual course of business” of Read more…
Note: Readers can now find cases, laws and articles relating to appraiser independent contractor classification in the “AB 5 Center.” Appraisal firms and appraisal management companies utilizing independent contractor appraisers in California need to get familiar with Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5) – California’s new “gig worker” law. As was Read more…
Overtime class actions by residential real estate appraisers have ravaged large appraisal firms and management companies for the last six years. The first signs that overtime litigation under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) would become a widespread and significant legal problem for appraisal firms and AMCs came in Read more…