Section 3: Certified Appraiser Process
Anchor: #i1004897General
The ROW Program Office will:
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- maintain a list of Department Certified Appraisers, contracted, and staff appraisers, including their license and certification status; Anchor: #FICSVVXA
- provide legal and technical assistance and support to ROW PD; Anchor: #JICGCQEP
- maintain communication with contract appraisers; Anchor: #PMVALIFF
- maintain current contact information for Department Certified Appraisers and PREAS contract appraisers; Anchor: #CJGDLSNO
- process payments; Anchor: #GUFLENSD
- act as the office of record for all contracts, work authorizations, appraisal reports, and payments with supporting documentation; and Anchor: #YKSIWPEY
- issue work authorizations to TxDOT staff members for Contract Appraisers.
Legal Guidance
All appraisers will encounter legal issues involved in the appraisal process and procedures. Care must be exercised to see that legal opinions are clearly defined and resolved. Appraisers should contact TxDOT ROW PD when such problems are first encountered. ROW PD personnel may provide the appraiser with copies of case law so the appraiser can develop their own opinion. ROW PD personnel may need to request legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General or the ROW Program Office legal staff. It may be desirable to obtain legal advice for matters concerning general and special benefits, compensable damages, extent of the larger parcel, personal property versus real property, valuations of dedications, and encroachments.
Anchor: #i1039048Creating a Work Authorization
ROW PD recommends a PREAS contract appraiser for appointment to an appraisal assignment by submitting a completed work authorization to the ROW Program Office, after checking with the ROW Program Office for the availability of funds under the appraiser's PREAS contract. The ROW Program Office will assign an Oracle® PeopleSoft PO number to the work authorization. The ROW Program Office will use Docusign® to circulate the work authorization for signatures. After the work authorization is completely executed, all parties will receive an executed copy of the work authorization. The ROW Program Office is the office of permanent record for all real property transactions generated in the right of way process. The execution date of the work authorization is the date the work authorization is signed by TxDOT's representative with signatory authority.
The preparation and execution of work authorization must precede any work by the appraiser on the parcel involved; otherwise, the appraiser will not be entitled to payment.
Anchor: #i1039180Receipt of Appraisal
Upon receipt of an acceptable appraisal report, and its accompanying invoice, ROW PD shall:
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- date-stamp the invoice the actual date the invoice received by ROW District Office (which starts the 30-day prompt payment process, see Texas Government Code, Chapter 2251.001(a)); Anchor: #KUBPIYKH
- enter its contents into TxC ( ROW-A-10 Tabulation of Values) as appropriate; and Anchor: #TFLWVAUB
- generate the payment request through TxC.
The payment request will then be processed by the ROW Program Office.
Should the appraisal report be deemed unacceptable by the review appraiser, the review appraiser will document the deficiencies and request that the original appraiser rectify the deficiencies. The original appraiser shall make the appropriate corrections and resubmit the report to ROW PD. In the event of an address or telephone change for an appraiser, the ROW PD office using that appraiser will send such change notification electronically to the ROW Program Office.