Iowa Code Title XIII. Commerce [Chs. 505-554D] § 543D.18A. Penalties for improper influence of an appraisal assignment

1. A mortgage lender, mortgage broker or originator, real estate broker or salesperson, client, party, appraiser, or any other person with an interest in a real estate transaction or the financing of any loan secured by real estate involving an appraisal assignment shall not improperly influence or attempt to improperly influence the development, reporting, result, or review of a real estate appraisal through coercion, extortion, or bribery, or by the withholding or threatened withholding of payment for an appraisal fee, or the conditioning of the payment of an appraisal fee upon the opinion, conclusion, or valuation to be reached, or a request that the appraiser report a predetermined opinion, conclusion, or valuation, or the desired valuation of any person, or by any other act or practice that impairs or attempts to impair an appraiser's independence, objectivity, and impartiality, as required by section 543D.18, subsections 1 and 2.

2. A violation of this section is an unlawful practice under section 714.16, subsection 2, paragraph “a”.

3. A violation of this section is a ground for discipline against any person holding a certificate of registration under this chapter or another license issued under the laws of the state of Iowa, as license is defined in section 17A.2, subsection 6, if the practice of the profession, occupation, or business regulated by the license relates to real estate transactions or the financing of loans secured by real estate.

4. A person does not violate this section solely by asking an appraiser to consider additional, appropriate property information, or to provide further detail, substantiation, or explanation for the appraiser's value conclusion, or to correct errors in the appraisal report, or by withholding payment of an appraisal fee based on a bona fide dispute regarding the appraiser's compliance with the appraisal standards adopted by the board under this chapter. A person does not violate this section solely by retaining appraisers from panels or lists on a rotating basis, or by supplying an appraiser with information the appraiser is required to analyze under the appraisal standards adopted by the board under this chapter, such as agreements of sale, options, or listings of the property to be valued.