Section 40-60-340 - Exclusions from registration requirementsThe following are excluded from the registration requirements of an appraisal management company:
(1) a person or entity that exclusively employs appraisers on an employer and employee basis for the performance of appraisals;(2) a department or unit within a financial institution subject to direct regulation by an agency of the United States Government or an agency of this State and that receives a request for the performance of an appraisal from one employee of the financial institution, and another employee of the same financial institution assigns the request for the appraisal to an appraiser that is a certified or licensed appraiser. However, an appraisal management company that is a subsidiary owned or controlled by a financial institution may not be considered a department or unit within a financial institution to which the provisions of this chapter do not apply;(3) a person that enters into an agreement, whether written or otherwise, with an appraiser for the performance of an appraisal, and upon the completion of the appraisal, the report of the appraiser performing the appraisal is signed by both the appraiser who completed the appraisal and the appraiser who requested the completion of the appraisal. However, an appraisal management company may not avoid the requirements of this chapter by requiring an employee of the appraisal management company who is an appraiser to sign an appraisal that is completed by an appraiser who is part of the appraisal panel of the appraisal management company;(4) an appraisal management company that maintains an appraiser panel that consists of:(a) fifteen or fewer certified or licensed appraisers who are independent contractors in this State, or(b) a total of twenty-four or fewer certified or licensed appraisers who are independent contractors in two or more states; and(5) a federally regulated appraisal management company that is owned and controlled by an insured depository institution as defined in 12 U.S.C. Section 1813 and regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, except that each appraisal management company exempt from registration pursuant to this subsection shall comply with the requirements of Section 40-60-360(C).Amended by 2024 S.C. Acts, Act No. 196 (HB 3278),s 18, eff. 5/21/2024.Added by 2017 S.C. Acts, Act No. 32 (SB 279), s 1, eff. 5/11/2017. 2017 Act No. 32, Section 5, provides as follows:
"SECTION 5. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor. In the event that a registration process is unavailable upon the effective date of this act, an appraisal management company already conducting business in this State may continue to conduct business until one hundred twenty days after a registration process becomes available."