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SB87 • 2026

Civil procedure; statute of limitations in civil actions against real estate appraisers established, statute of limitations for complaints to Board of Real Estate Appraisers established

Civil procedure; statute of limitations in civil actions against real estate appraisers established, statute of limitations for complaints to Board of Real Estate Appraisers established

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Albritton
Last action
2026-03-05
Official status
Read Second Time in Second House
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does not provide specific details about how exceptions for fraudulent behavior will be enforced or interpreted, leaving some uncertainty.

Statute of Limitations for Real Estate Appraiser Actions

This bill sets a three-year time limit to file civil lawsuits against real estate appraisers and a five-year limit for complaints to the Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Board.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a statute of limitations requiring that any civil action based on a real estate appraisal must be filed within three years after discovering an issue or five years from when the appraisal was completed, whichever is earlier.
  • Establishes a five-year limit for filing complaints with the Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Board against appraisers.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Real estate appraisers who are or were licensed, certified, or registered under Chapter 27A of Title 34 in Alabama.
  • People who want to file civil lawsuits against real estate appraisers based on their appraisals.
  • The Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Board and its members.

Terms To Know

Statute of Limitations
A legal time limit within which a lawsuit must be filed after an incident occurs or is discovered.
Civil Action
A lawsuit brought to court in order to get compensation for damages suffered by the plaintiff.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if a complaint is filed after the five-year limit.
  • It remains unclear how the exceptions for fraudulent behavior will be enforced and interpreted.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

PSACJRR-1

Judiciary

Reported Out of Committee Second House

Plain English: PSACJRR-1 03/04/2026 VSM (H) HSE 2025-2678 House Judiciary Reported Substitute for SB87 Page 1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT Relating to commencement of actions; to add Section 6-2-42 to the Code of Alabama 1975; to establish a statute of limitations for actions based upon a real estate appraisal; to amend Section 34-27A-20, Code of Alabama 1975, to establish a statute of limitations for filing a complaint with the Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Board against an appraiser; and to make nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update the existing code language to the current style.

  • PSACJRR-1 03/04/2026 VSM (H) HSE 2025-2678 House Judiciary Reported Substitute for SB87 Page 1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT Relating to commencement of actions; to add Section 6-2-42 to the Code of Alabama 1975; to establish a statute of limitations for actions based upon a real estate appraisal; to amend Section 34-27A-20, Code of Alabama 1975, to establish a statute of limitations for filing a complaint with the Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Board against an appraiser; and to make nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update the existing code language to the current style.
  • BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA: Section 1.
  • Section 6-2-42 is added to the Code of Alabama 1975, to read as follows: §6-2-42 (a) A civil action based on a real estate appraisal completed by a person who is or was licensed, certified, or registered under Chapter 27A of Title 34, on the date of the appraisal must be commenced against the appraiser no more than three years from a person's discovery of the act or omission giving rise to the action but no more than five years after the date the appraisal was completed.
  • (b) This section is inapplicable to any action arising 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 PSACJRR-1 03/04/2026 VSM (H) HSE 2025-2678 House Judiciary Reported Substitute for SB87 Page 2 (b) This section is inapplicable to any action arising from a real estate appraisal where the real estate appraiser fraudulently inflated the value of the property or colluded with others to fraudulently inflate the value of the property.
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
ZQ1Z6KW-1

R 568 • Albritton

Adopted

Plain English: ZQ1Z6KW-1 : 2/2/2026 : VSM 1ST JUDICIARY AMENDMENT TO SB87 OFFERED BY SENATOR ALBRITTON Page 1 Replace line 136 on page 5 with the following: five years before the complaint was submitted.

  • ZQ1Z6KW-1 : 2/2/2026 : VSM 1ST JUDICIARY AMENDMENT TO SB87 OFFERED BY SENATOR ALBRITTON Page 1 Replace line 136 on page 5 with the following: five years before the complaint was submitted.
  • 1 2 3 4 5 6
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-05 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  2. 2026-03-04 House

    Reported Out of Committee Second House

  3. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 569 (Yeas 33, Nays 0)

  4. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Albritton motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 568 (Yeas 33, Nays 0)

  5. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 33, Nays 0)

  6. 2026-02-24 House

    Pending Committee Action in Second House

  7. 2026-02-24 House

    Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Judiciary

  8. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Engrossed

  9. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Judiciary 1st Amendment Offered

  10. 2026-02-03 Senate

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  11. 2026-02-03 Senate

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  12. 2026-02-03 Senate

    Judiciary 1st Amendment

  13. 2026-01-13 Senate

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  14. 2026-01-13 Senate

    Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary

Official Summary Text

Civil procedure; statute of limitations in civil actions against real estate appraisers established, statute of limitations for complaints to Board of Real Estate Appraisers established

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SB87 ENGROSSED
Page 0
SB87
TBSC495-2
By Senator Albritton
RFD: Judiciary
First Read: 13-Jan-26
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SB87 Engrossed
Page 1
First Read: 13-Jan-26
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to commencement of actions; to add Section
6-2-42 to the Code of Alabama 1975; to establish a statute of
limitations for actions based upon a real estate appraisal; to
amend Section 34-27A-20, Code of Alabama 1975, to establish a
statute of limitations for filing a complaint with the Alabama
Real Estate Appraisers Board against an appraiser; and to make
nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update the existing
code language to the current style.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Section 6-2-42 is added to the Code of
Alabama 1975, to read as follows:
§6-2-42
(a) A civil action based on a real estate appraisal
completed by a person who is or was licensed, certified, or
registered under Chapter 27A of Title 34, on the date of the
appraisal must be commenced against the appraiser no more than
three years from a person's discovery of the act or omission
giving rise to the action but no more than five years after
the date the appraisal was completed.
(b) This section is inapplicable to any action arising
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SB87 Engrossed
Page 2
(b) This section is inapplicable to any action arising
from a real estate appraisal where the real estate appraiser
fraudulently inflated the value of the property or colluded
with others to fraudulently inflate the value of the property.
Section 2. Section 34-27A-20, Code of Alabama 1975, is
amended to read as follows:
"§34-27A-20
(a) The board may investigate the actions of a licensed
real property appraiser on complaint or on its own motion,
and, either when a complaint is filed against the appraiser or
by initiating an investigation on its own. Based upon their
findings, the board may: (i) revoke or suspend the appraiser's
license ,; (ii) levy fines as provided in subsection (c) ,;
(iii) require completion of education courses ,; or discipline
by public and no more than iv) issue public and private
reprimands, with a limit of two private reprimands per
licensed real property appraiser for any of the following acts
or omissions:
(1) Procuring Obtaining or attempting to procure obtain
a license or certificate pursuant to this article by knowingly
making a false statement, submitting false information,
refusing to provide complete information in response to a
question in an application for a license, or through any form
of fraud or misrepresentation.
(2) Failing to meet the minimum qualifications
established by this article.
(3) Paying money other than authorized by this article
to any member or employee of the board to procure obtain a
license under this article.
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SB87 Engrossed
Page 3
license under this article.
(4) A conviction, including a conviction based upon a
plea of guilty or nolo contendere, of a crime which is
substantially related to the qualifications, functions, and
duties of a person developing real estate appraisals and
communicating real estate appraisals to others, or a
conviction involving moral turpitude.
(5) An act or omission involving dishonesty, fraud, or
misrepresentation with the intent to substantially benefit the
certificate holder or another person substantially , or with
the intent to substantially injure another person.
(6) Violation of any of the standards for the
development or communication of real estate appraisals as
provided in this section.
(7) Failure or refusal without good cause to exercise
reasonable diligence in developing an appraisal, preparing an
appraisal, in preparing an appraisal report, or in
communicating an appraisal.
(8) Negligence or incompetence in developing an
appraisal, in preparing an appraisal report, or in
communicating an appraisal.
(9) Willfully disregarding or violating this article or
the regulations of the board for the administration and
enforcement of this article.
(10) Accepting an appraisal assignment, as defined in
Section 34-27A-24, when the employment itself is contingent
upon (i) the appraiser reporting a predetermined estimate,
analysis, or opinion, or (ii) where the fee to be paid is
contingent upon the opinion, conclusions, or valuation
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SB87 Engrossed
Page 4
contingent upon the opinion, conclusions, or valuation
reached, or upon (iii) the consequences resulting from the
appraisal assignment.
(11) Violating the confidential nature of governmental
records to which he or she gained access through employment or
engagement as an appraiser by a governmental agency.
(12) Entry of a final civil judgment against the person
on grounds of fraud, misrepresentation, or deceit in the
making of any appraisal of real property.
(13) Presenting to the board, as payment for a fee or
fine, a check that is returned unpaid.
(14) Failing to keep for at least five years, a
complete record or file of appraisal or specialized
assignments regulated under this article, in accordance with
Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice and
Section 34-27A-26.
(15) Failing within a reasonable time to provide
information within a reasonable time or providing false
information in response to a request by the board during an
investigation or after a formal complaint has been filed.
(16) Failing to pay by required deadlines, fees or
fines levied by the board by required deadlines .
(17) Failing to notify the board within a reasonable
time of the filing of any civil action related to the
appraisal practice or of any criminal prosecution filed
against the appraiser.
(b) The board shall not consider a complaint for
disciplinary action against a real estate appraiser if the
complaint relates to an appraisal that was completed more than
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SB87 Engrossed
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complaint relates to an appraisal that was completed more than
five years before the complaint was submitted.
(c) In a disciplinary proceeding based upon a civil
judgment, the real property appraiser shall be afforded an
opportunity allowed to present matters in mitigation and
extenuation, but may not collaterally attack the civil
judgment.
(c) (d) In addition to the disciplinary powers granted
in subsection (a), the board may levy administrative fines of
not more than five hundred dollars ($500) for each serious
violations violation of this article or the rules and
regulations of the board of not more than $500 for each
violation ."
Section 3. This act shall become effective on June 1,
2026.
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SB87 Engrossed
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2026.
Senate
Read for the first time and referred
to the Senate committee on Judiciary
................13-Jan-26
Read for the second time and placed
on the calendar:
1 amendment
................03-Feb-26
Read for the third time and passed
as amended
Yeas 33
Nays 0
Abstains 0
................24-Feb-26
Patrick Harris,
Secretary.
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