ASA Has Lost Tourch With Its Older Members

The American Society of Appraisers (ASA) recently "reverted" my membership after nearly 25 years from a designated ASA member to a an Accredited Member (AM).  Why?  It's money of course.  I have taken many courses but if ASA does not receive their blood money for "reaccreditation" then you as a member are now automatically reverted.  ASA doesn't even want to deal with their members, they have set it all up through a third-party vendor.  I guess it's to hell with the past members, they simply don't care.

The organization (ASA) has no provisions or breaks for senior members, I guess that if you are lucky enough to live until you reach the age of 75 they give you some break just before you die.  But for those of us in our mid to late 60's its just assumed that we are as active as if we were 25.  No break for us, pay the fees or get out, that's the message.

When membership to the organization becomes all about money that's what you can expect, just a billing person contacting you to tell you that you have a choice, you can either pay the late fees now or it's goodbye forever.  It's an ultimatum, pay or get out.  When this happened there is nothing left of the old organization, it simply become just a billing mill with the power to crush members and push them out.

So you may be more qualified as an appraiser after many years of experience an payments to support ASA but if you don't pay them their fees and fines . . you get the picture I don't need to say it in any other ways.  It's disappointing to past members like me who appraise part-time and really want to stay affiliated with ASA.  I guess there just isn't a way to remain loyal to an organization that just doesn't really care.

Good luck ASA, I hope your new reversion and termination policy works for you, but I don't think the members caught in the grider will have great things to say.

Update:  No I don't want RETIREMENT status, I'm still active but doing a much lower volume.  There is a place where some older appraiser are between 100% and 0%!  Waiving the fines is also not a way to resolve this problem.  It's the reaccreditation fee!  It should be part of the membership fee, you shouldn't be a paying member who has to reaccredit seperately, that's just a way to double bill the members.

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