ASA Signs Government Relations Agreement with Leading Rural Property Mgmnt. & Appraisal Org

RESTON, Va. - April 7, 2015 - PRLog -- The American Society of Appraisers (ASA) announce the signing of an agreement with the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers® (ASFMRA®) to support ASFMRA government relations activities on a national and state level.

Details of the agreement outline the services ASA will provide, including: the monitoring of appraisal-related issues with various federal agencies and federal bodies with jurisdiction over such issues; lobbying efforts involving valuation issues; organizational liaison and staff support; and membership communication.

“ASA is committed to representing and protecting the interests of members and the appraisal profession, including organizations like ASFMRA, before law and policy makers through impactful government relations,” said CEO, Jim Hirt. Hirt continued saying, “This partnership acknowledges the Society’s commitment and leverages shared expertise and cost-savings.”

Government Relations Director, John Russell, echoed Mr. Hirt’s comments adding, “ASA’s government relations efforts are well-respected within the appraisal profession, as well as the Society’s experience on a wide range of advocacy issues.”

ASFMRA’s Executive Vice President and CEO, Brian Stockman affirmed both Mr. Hirt’s and Mr. Russell’s remarks, “This relationship will further enhance ASFRMA’s and ASA’s advocacy efforts and we look forward to working together to support the needs of our members.”

Given ASA’s multidisciplinary makeup, the Society’s government relations team has worked on a wide range of valuation-related issues, including:

• The modernization of real property appraisal regulation under Title XI of FIRREA, as part of Title XIV of the Dodd-Frank Act;
• The protection of appraiser due process as a part of Internal Revenue Service proceedings under IRC Section 6695A’s valuation misstatement provisions;
• Pushing back against efforts to treat appraisers as fiduciaries when performing employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) related valuations; and
• Working to strengthen and improve appraisal provisions regarding SBA going concern valuations.

In addition to the new government relations agreement with ASFMRA, ASA has a similar agreement in place with the National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers (NAIFA).

American Society of Appraisers
The American Society of Appraisers is a world renowned and respected international organization devoted to the appraisal profession. As the oldest and only major appraisal organization representing all appraisal specialists, ASA is devoted to providing the highest possible standards in all areas of ethics, professionalism, education and designation criteria. For more information about the American Society of Appraisers, the ASA designation program for appraisers or the Society’s free “Find an Appraiser” Referral System, visit http://www.appraisers.org or call (800) 272-8258.

The American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA)
ASFMRA is the largest professional society for rural property land experts.  Founded in 1929, ASFMRA provides members with the resources, information, and leadership that enable them to provide valuable services to the agricultural community. The focus of the ASFMRA is providing education and networking opportunities for a professional group of members providing farm and ranch management, rural and real property appraising, review appraisal, and agricultural consulting services to the private and public sectors and to the governmental and lending communities. For more information about ASFMRA visit http://www.asfmra.org.