Property appraiser, accused of snooping in homeowner’s bedroom, forfeits license

An eastern Iowa real estate appraiser accused of snooping through a homeowner’s bedroom has agreed to surrender his license.

According to the Iowa Real Estate Appraiser Examining Board, Josh Binneboese of JB Appraisal in Davenport obtained authorized, unaccompanied access to a residential property when the owners were absent.

Binneboese was there to conduct an appraisal for which he’d been hired. While in the homeowner’s bedroom, Binneboese allegedly “inspected contents in the room that were not necessary for inspection or appraisal,” according to the board.

The homeowners kept a security camera in their bedroom and the device allegedly captured video of Binneboese’s conduct.

In its public filings, the board has not disclosed when or where the incident took place. Binneboese has been a real estate appraiser since October 2013.

At a disciplinary hearing over the matter, Binneboese allegedly stated his actions were tied to his efforts to locate a carbon monoxide detector. He later agreed to voluntarily surrender his license and agreed to waive any right to seek reinstatement in the future.

The license surrender is treated by the board as a license revocation.

Binneboese declined to comment on the case when contacted by the Iowa Capital Dispatch.

Other board action

Over the past several weeks, the Iowa Real Estate Appraiser Examining Board sanctioned two other Iowans:

— Sheila Bosworth of LeClaire was sanctioned after the board reviewed multiple examples of her work. The review allegedly revealed issues related to competency, methodology, adherence to accepted standards of practice, report writing and understanding. Bosworth has agreed to complete additional training and education in several disciplines related to appraisals, and she has agreed to refrain from acting as a supervisory appraiser or instructor.

— Robert Crane of Washington was sanctioned after the board determined he was holding himself out to be a licensed or certified appraiser in the state of Iowa several months after he had agreed to surrender his license. The board sent Crane a cease-and-desist letter and notified him of its intent to impose a $1,000 civil money penalty.