Section 43-39A-11. Fees for examination, activation, and renewal; reactivation of lapsed or inactive appraiser classifications; other fees; extensions for appraisers suffering uninsured losses in disaster areas

   (a) To pay its share of the expense of the maintenance and operation of the office of the commission and the enforcement of this chapter, the board shall establish reasonable fees in accordance with Code Section 43-39A-4 and in accordance with its rule-making authority. No fee or portion of a fee required under this chapter which is paid to the board shall be refunded. Each appraiser shall be responsible for paying his or her own fees.

(b) If the board administers an examination, at the time an application for examination is submitted, the board shall collect from the applicant a fee for the examination and an investigation fee if necessary. If an applicant fails to pass an examination, upon filing a new application and paying an additional fee, the applicant may take another examination as soon as scheduling permits.

(c) Prior to the issuance of an original appraiser classification, each applicant shall pay an activation fee in advance as established by the board.

(d) All appraiser classifications shall be renewed periodically as determined by the board in its rules and regulations, and the board shall charge a fee for any such appraiser classification renewed. The time for renewal of an appraiser classification and the number of years for which it may be renewed shall be in the discretion of the board. All fees shall be deposited into the state treasury for the expenses of the board. This Code section shall not obviate any other fees or conditions required to maintain such appraiser classification in accordance with this chapter. An appraiser classification not renewed in accordance with this subsection shall be lapsed.

(e) Applications and fees must be filed personally in the board's offices during regular business hours or may be mailed to the board's offices in a letter postmarked by the United States Postal Service. The board, through its rules and regulations, may establish standards for the filing of applications and fees by electronic means or by courier services.

(f) Any resident appraiser whose appraiser classification lapses for failure to pay a renewal fee may reactivate that appraiser classification within two years of the date of its lapsing by paying the total amount of all renewal fees and late charges which would have been due during the period when the appraiser classification was lapsed plus a reactivation fee. If any resident appraiser allows an appraiser classification to lapse for a period longer than two years due solely to a failure to pay a renewal fee, the resident appraiser may have that appraiser classification reinstated by paying the total amount of all renewal fees and late charges which would have been due during the period when the appraiser classification was lapsed plus a reactivation fee and by successfully completing any educational course or courses which the board may require. Any resident appraiser whose appraiser classification has lapsed for longer than five years and who seeks to have that appraiser classification reinstated shall requalify as an original applicant as set forth in Code Section 43-39A-8. Any nonresident appraiser whose appraiser classification lapses for failure to pay a renewal fee may reactivate that appraiser classification by paying the fee required of an original applicant if such nonresident appraiser has maintained an active classification in his or her state of residence during the period that his or her classification lapsed. The board may refuse to renew an appraiser classification if the appraiser has continued to perform real estate appraisal activities following the lapsing of that appraiser classification.

(g) Any appraiser who does not wish to be actively engaged in real estate appraisal activity may continue an appraiser classification by making a written request within 30 days of ceasing work that the appraiser classification be placed on inactive status. Any appraiser whose appraiser classification has been placed on an inactive status may not engage in real estate appraisal activity. To reactivate an appraiser classification held on inactive status, an appraiser must make application to the board prior to resuming real estate appraisal activity. Any appraiser who seeks to reactivate an appraiser classification which has been placed on inactive status shall be required to meet any continuing education requirement which the appraiser might have otherwise been required to meet during the period when the appraiser's appraiser classification was placed on inactive status. The education requirement for activating an appraiser classification on inactive status shall not apply to an appraiser who meets the continuing education requirement of subsection (b) of Code Section 43-39A-8 in each renewal period that such appraiser is on inactive status nor to an appraiser who has maintained an active appraiser classification in another state that has continuing education requirements while such appraiser's classification was on inactive status in Georgia.

(h) Any appraiser who places an appraiser classification on inactive status shall be required to pay the renewal fee provided for in subsection (d) of this Code section. Whenever any appraiser on inactive status fails to pay the required fee, the appraiser classification shall be lapsed. If an appraiser on inactive status changes address, the appraiser shall notify the board of the new address, in writing, within 30 days.

(i) Any check which is presented to the board as payment for any fee which the board is permitted to charge under this chapter and which is returned unpaid may be cause for denial of an appraiser classification or for imposing any sanction permitted by this chapter.

(j) Any school approved to offer required education courses under this chapter, except units of the University System of Georgia, and any instructor approved to teach any of such courses shall pay an original application fee and renewal fee as established by the board. If such an approval lapses, the school may reinstate the approval by paying the total amount of all renewal fees and late charges which would have been due during the period the approval was lapsed plus a reactivation fee.

(k) A reasonable fee, not to exceed the renewal fee charged for an appraiser classification, may be imposed by the board on any applicant or appraiser who:

   (1) Fails to notify the board in writing within 30 days of a change of address;

   (2) Fails to respond within 30 days to a written inquiry from the board requesting further information on any application the applicant or appraiser has filed with the board; or

   (3) Submits to the board a check that is returned unpaid.

(l) The board is authorized to collect and forward to the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council the annual registry fee required for appraisers who perform or seek to perform appraisals in federally related transactions as set forth in 12 U.S.C. Section 3338 and to submit to the Appraisal Subcommittee, no less than annually, a roster listing real estate appraisers who have appraiser classifications suitable for inclusion in the federal registry.

(m) Whenever an appraiser who resides in a county designated as a disaster area by state or federal authorities suffers uninsured major damage or loss to such appraiser's residence or place of business, the board may extend such appraiser's renewal period for up to two years without further payment of any fee by the appraiser upon satisfactory proof of the appraiser's uninsured major damage or loss. The board is further authorized to make appropriate adjustments in deadline dates mandated by this chapter for applications filed by applicants and appraisers located in counties designated as disaster areas by state or federal authorities.

(n) The board may through the establishment of rules or regulations require that an applicant for registration as a real estate appraisal management company provide proof of financial responsibility in the form of a surety bond, cash or property bond, or trust or escrow account to secure faithful performance of the standards required of an appraisal management company under this chapter.

Code 1981, § 43-39A-11, enacted by Ga. L. 1990, p. 1701, § 1; Ga. L. 1991, p. 266, § 5; Ga. L. 1992, p. 1402, § 1; Ga. L. 1995, p. 1216, § 1; Ga. L. 1996, p. 194, § 2; Ga. L. 1997, p. 405, § 2; Ga. L. 1998, p. 196, § 1; Ga. L. 2007, p. 483, § 3/SB 114; Ga. L. 2010, p. 765, § 5/HB 1050.