Helping my mom through the SS/Medicare process the past year or so, since she's in no place to handle it alone. It's been such a massive hassle (for multiple reasons), but I think I've just about had it.
Waited over an hour and a half in my local SSA office, since I can never get through on the phone, just to have a few questions answered regarding the status of two requests: one for reconsideration, another for equitable relief, both filed back in February (in regards to a huge billing error on SSA's end—it's a long story; happy to explain if anyone thinks it's relevant in this scenario).
Number finally got called, went up to the window, was in the middle of explaining why I was there but was abruptly told that, unless my mother is present (at the time she was home sick, as she almost always is) they could not talk to me about anything. I tried to explain that I've actually managed to speak to multiple people about this issue (and others) over the past few months on my mother's behalf, but the agent reiterated they couldn't speak to me and needed to speak to her instead. No elaboration. Just a blank expression.
And then they shut the blinds on me, mid-sentence, as I was trying to ask follow-up questions.
I was flabbergasted. Felt like a punch to the stomach. Granted, in this interaction, I did let my frustration show but not to the extent that I felt I was rude or disruptive—just that I was more than a little incredulous, since (again) I've already interfaced with various people, including those at this same local office, without my mother present on the phone or in person. I have all her information (SSN + Medicare cards) with her consent, and though it's never come to it, I would've been happy to put her on speaker so she could verify that I was acting on her behalf.
I just walked out, not knowing what else to do. It's not like there was anybody else to talk to (apart from the security guards). And I wasn't about to take another number and waste more time there.
Can anyone tell me if I'd be justified in filing some kind of complaint? If that's feasible, how would I do that? I understand that SSA agents are overworked and underpaid and have to deal with a lot of crap from people, but I truly don't believe their response was the slightest bit warranted.
OR am I completely off-base? Even though it felt so incredibly rude and unprofessional, can agents just dismiss people like that? AITA?

I was banned from Hinge and Tinder the same day in May 2022. My guess was I was deleting and recreating my Tinder too often so I could get the initial boost you get from a new account.
I was bored on Sunday and sent an appeal to hinge saying idk why this number is banned I just got it and I need this app to find a wife. I decided to check this sub and saw the posts about BBB and thought why not. I wasn't sure if I could at first because I'm based in Canada but I filed a complaint with them and just pulled a random US zipcode off google cause they only allow US zipcodes. I copied the exact complaint from another poster on here (shout out to them) and just added my ban date.
Hi, I was banned from hinge in May 2022, I tried to access the app but I couldn't as the message said i was banned. I tried to appeal with hinge and I got response, "Our team has reviewed your appeal request and confirmed that you are in violation of our Terms of Service and our Community Guidelines. Therefore your account will remain banned. This decision is informed and final and subsequent appeals will not be considered." I'm uncertain about the specific reasons for my removal and which community guidelines I may have unknowingly violated. It seems that the actions taken against my account did not provide an opportunity for me to defend myself or gain insights into any potential mistakes. I kindly request a reconsideration of my removal, with the hope of being reinstated on the platform. I genuinely enjoyed using Hinge to connect with new people and explore meaningful connections, and I would appreciate the opportunity to continue doing so. Thank you for your time and consideration.
I got a response from Hinge through BBB today(Tuesday) and they actually said I will continue being banned and to not send them anymore appeals and they will not explain why they banned me. I was bummed and logged into my other email to see I had an email from Hinge and it was a response to my appeal I made prior to the BBB complaint stating
"In our efforts to keep Hinge safe and respectful we try to review every case carefully and objectively, and we appreciate your patience during this process. We have reviewed your appeal request and have re-authorized your access to Hinge. You're all set to log back into your profile! "
I can't confirm 100% if the unban was from BBB but I think they don't want to admit their wrongdoing to the BBB and would rather just unban me so I stop filing complaints. So for those of you who got denied through BBB maybe check if you've unknowingly been unbanned or try to submit and appeal with hinge alongside filing a complaint.
Also important to note I checked Tinder and I am still banned there but I am reaching out to Tinder support to show them my Hinge unban and since bans are across all MG apps the same should be true about unbans.
Good luck guys!

It will be a cold day in hell when LTB treats deadbeat tenant like this. Anyone that ends up with more than 35K in arrears needs to get away from LTB trash and get their justice in proper court that will treat them with fairness and dignity to the process. Here we see all the "rights" dissolve in the light of a judge and not a LTB lackey
https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onscdc/doc/2024/2024onsc2536/2024onsc2536.html?resultIndex=4&resultId=a3deeb6dc59149f9bf60f4b71d534f5f&searchId=2024-05-13T15%3A09%3A52%3A761%2Ffc362c6027fa479aa0b42762adc39dc9&searchUrlHash=AAAAAQAcZXZpY3Rpb24gdGVuYW50IGFwcGVhbCBib2FyZAAAAAAB
[5]()] Fearing that Mr. Green might be trying to use the court’s process (particularly the stay pending appeal) just to remain in his unit for free while the appeal is heard, I set terms for him to pay his rent when due and to pay his arrears as conditions of maintaining the stay of proceedings.
~Breach of the previous order~

1. The Tenant did not dispute that he failed to meet a condition specified in the order issued by the LTB on December 19, 2023 with respect to application LTB-L-054274-23. The Tenant failed to pay the lawful rent for December 2023 on or before December 29, 2023.

[[15]()] The most telling point is that this tenant does not pay rent. Even while agreeing that he must keep his rent current during this appeal, Mr. Green has not paid April’s rent. Rent was due April 16, 2024. I directed that he pay it by April 19, 2024 at noon. He requested an extension of time to pay April rent from last Friday to Monday the 22^nd as it would be “more feasible” for him. I have yet to hold a further case conference or to amend the directions. Yet, here it is Wednesday, May 1, 2024, and Mr. Green has still not paid his April rent.
[[16]()] I note as well that the tenant’s notice of appeal raises no issue of law that can succeed in invalidating his eviction in light of his admitted arrears. He sought reconsideration based on his hope to receive money to start paying down his arrears and his view that he had nowhere else to go.
[[17]()] Mr. Green breached the payment schedule to which he agreed before the board. Under that agreement he was ordered evicted without further notice to him. He paid no rent while challenging the eviction order. He paid no rent through the reconsideration process. Now he has failed to pay on the date that I ordered and even by the extended date that he sought. His personal circumstances are unfortunate. But no amount of procedural unfairness at the hearing at which Mr. Green sought to set aside the board’s eviction order will form a basis to require the landlord to keep providing him exclusive possession of her property for free.
[[18]()] I therefore quash the appeal in accordance with the landlord’s motion. The appeal cannot possibly succeed and I am satisfied that it is not brought in good faith. With the appeal quashed, the landlord is no longer stayed form enforcing the board’s orders.

[[19]()] If the appeal continued, I would lift the stay in any event. It is utterly unfair for Mr. Green to continue to have the benefit of the court’s stay of the eviction order without keeping his rent current and paying down his admitted arrears. This is an example of a tenant gaming the system. Such inequity cannot be tolerated.

Following my PIP assessment (4pts for living, 10pts for Mobility), I have requested and received a copy of my assessment report.
Whilst it broadly captures what was said during the assessment, several activities have been dismissed on the basis that I work:
"The SOH shows they are employed, works full time...this suggests sufficient motivation"
"ADHD medications helps focus up until 5pm"
I don't work as a chef so how can this be used as a justification that I can prepare and cook a meal unaided?
The point about medication is true to the extent that it allows me to concentrate on my work until 5pm. The majority of the time I have little capacity for other activities hence the reason for the PIP application.
In terms of a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) would this be the areas to challenge? With an MR do you challenge the whole award or just areas you disagree with. The mobility pts appear correct and I don't want to challenge them.
Any guidance is much appreciated.

[Concern] It seems that I did not build a good relationship with Chase even though I bank with them and never miss a single payment. My credit score was always around 750ish in all 3 bureau until recent. I just got a new car loan ($10000) and had a high utilization in one of my card so that my score temporarily dropped to 670ish. After paying off the high utilization card, it bounces back to 730ish.
My friends with similar credit age of mine tend to have higher credit limit in their Chase cards (some with >15000 CL, many of them with at least 6k or 7k) and their CLI request are often approved. Also they received pre-approved notice from Chase either in app or mail even when they bank with BoA and hold Chase card less longer. I never got them. Since I plan to apply for CSP, I really concern whether I am gonna be approved.
[Credit history]
Bank with Chase for 2 years, usually with > $10000 in the account.
Income: > 150k
Oldest card: 1y 10 m
I am at 4/24
Chase cards: - Freedom Flex: 11m (2000 CL -> 4000CL -> 2000CL) - Freedom Unlimited: 10m (2000CL -> 4000CL)
I had CLI for Flex to 4000 in last Dec and I transfered limit from Flex to Unlimited.
😡 I was rejected for both card initially and needed to go through reconsideration to be approved eventually.
😡 Applied for CLI for Unlimited for the recent couple of months. I tried whenever it shows up as an option. All rejected. Reason: CL was recently increased. CLI option only showed up for CFU, never for CFF since my last CFF CLI in last Dec.
Credit score:

• Experian: 738 / 7HP (3mo: 3 from auto and tenant screen , 12mo: 6)
• TransUnion: 735 / 3HP (6mo: 1 from auto, 12mo: 2)
• Equifax: 738 / 1HP (3mo: 1 from auto)

All three bureau scores were 750ish 2mo ago.
[Behavior]
I use these cards very often.
I used to micromanage by paying off most of the balance before closing date. I looked into some threads in reddit and decided to change my behavior to report the whole balance.
Please help me diagnose why Chase seem to not like me.

I got an email on 5/7/24 that a decision has been made on my Army discharge upgrade (request for reconsideration). It instructed to email back permission to accept the files through DoD safelink. On the original decision, they emailed the 3 pass codes to access the decision within a few hours. This time I got a auto reply that they are backed up because of a technical issue and responses will take longer. It's driving me crazy after fighting this for nearly 5 years. Does anyone know of any other way I can check?

Introduction We are the developers of a job portal app that allows employers to post jobs and candidates to create resumes, facilitating direct connections between employers and potential candidates. Unfortunately, our app was recently removed from the Google Play Store, and we are facing challenges in getting it reinstated even after submitting an update. We need advice and suggestions from the community to resolve this issue.
Issue Description Our app was removed from the Google Play Store, and the reason provided (detailed at the end of this post) remains consistent even after our recent update submission. In the update, we revised our privacy policy to clearly state that we do not access the user's contact list; we only access personal contact information necessary for employers to connect with candidates.
Despite a thorough review of our codebase, we confirmed that our app does not request access to the user's contact list, nor does it require such access for any functionality.
Possible Reasons for Removal

1. Code or Third-Party Library Error: There might be an unknown issue in our code or within a third-party library causing the rejection, although our investigations, including checks of the manifest files, have not indicated any request for contact permissions.
2. Misunderstanding of "Contact List": There is a possibility that Google's definition of "Contact List" might differ from ours, leading to this confusion. It might be that personal mobile numbers are being classified differently or something else.
3. Error in Google's Review Process: We are considering the possibility of an error in Google's review process, though we are unsure about this.

Sought Solutions

1. Update Privacy Policy: We could explicitly state in the privacy policy that the app accesses contact list information, but we are uncertain if this will resolve the issue since we do not actually access such data.
2. Code Review and Correction: We might need to conduct another detailed review of our code or consult with a specialist to identify any hidden issues.
3. Appeal the Review Process: We are considering appealing the review decision, hoping for reconsideration or further clarification.

Request for Community Input We are appealing to the community for any insights, similar experiences, or technical advice that could help us address this problem. Any feedback on our current understanding or approach would be immensely valuable.
Following is the Email from Google when app was removed:

Your app is not compliant with the User Data policy.
Your app is uploading users' Contact List information to {URL to our server used for all data post/fetch} without a prominent disclosure.
As per Google Play’s User Data policy, in cases where your app’s access, collection, use, or sharing of personal and sensitive user data may not be within the reasonable expectation of the user of the product or feature in question, you must provide an in-app disclosure of your data access, collection, use, and sharing and seek affirmative user consent.

Your use case requires a Prominent Disclosure in accordance with this policy.
The in-app Prominent Disclosure:

Must comprehensively disclose how your app collects, uses and shares user data.
To meet policy requirements, it’s recommended that you reference the following example language format for Prominent Disclosure when it’s required: “[This app] collects/transmits/syncs/stores [type of data] to enable [”feature”], [in what scenario].”
Must be within the app itself, displayed in the normal usage of the app and not require the user to navigate into a menu or settings.
Cannot only be placed in a privacy policy or terms of service.
Cannot be included with other disclosures unrelated to personal and sensitive user data collection.
Requests for user consent:
Must be clear and unambiguous.
Must require affirmative user action (for example, tap to accept, tick a check-box).
Must not interpret navigation away from the disclosure (including tapping away or pressing the back or home button) as consent.
Must not use auto-dismissing or expiring messages as a means of obtaining user consent.
Must be granted by the user before your app can begin to collect or access the personal and sensitive user data.

A little back story, I applied in 2018 and was denied 2x never went any further. Then I applied October 2023 with completely new diagnosis’s. They used my records from 2018 & 2019. I was denied of course. I now have an attorney, will they request on my reconsideration for current medical files or is it something I need to provide?
Thanks

A few months ago I was prescribed Zepbound by my NP. It’s on my formulary but I did need to submit for a PA. That got approved pretty quickly by my insurance (BCBS FEP). The issue is that I had to request a Tier Exception because even with the coupon the cost was still $600. My request was denied even though other therapies have been unsuccessful. I have now a submitted a Tier Exception Reconsideration letter and now I’m waiting. Has anyone had to submit a Reconsideration letter for a Tier Exception??

Hi Guys, so there is an update on my previous post
Previous Post - https://www.reddit.com/ukvisa/comments/18legya/naturalisation_application_refused_on_exempt/
Background - my naturalisation application was refused citing absence of any ILR even though as an exempt vignette holder , I did not really need an ILR.
I submitted a reconsideration request so that the home office will reconsider my application refusal. So Home office has reached out with an update and an explanation that the case worker might have mixed up and hence rejected my earlier application.
Home office has now overturned the rejection and my reconsideration application has been successful, and now my application for naturalisation has been approved.
My citizenship ceremony is scheduled on 15th May 2024. Just wanted to give you all an update on my previous post :)
Thank you

So I have been disabled for over 20years. Previously on DLA now PIP. I have always been awarded middle rate care, then standard rate care with PIP. I have progressively got worse and need more care and now mobility needs. I have just had the text to say a decision has been made.
So I called the automated line and it says my next payment is £114 which calculated to just standard rate mobility and they have taken my care off!! This is so significant to my day to day care.
So now do I have to wait 2 weeks for my award letter or can I request a mandatory reconsideration now.
It’s so depressing being disabled and constantly fighting for help. What do I do now?

I’ve seat deposited at my school of choice and really want to attend. They offered me a decent scholarship but I asked for reconsideration. I have two of my own kids in college and would have to maintain a second residence out of state while living apart from my spouse. I knew it was a long shot but still thought it was worth the ask. By all accounts, this school shoots down requests for more pretty fast, but after five weeks, I’ve gotten no response. Do I accept the non-answer or follow-up and ask if they received my request? I just don’t know if I can justify the cost given my age (over 45) and career goals.

Hi all, thought I'd share my experience applying for disability benefits in hopes it would be helpful for another ME/CFS sufferer.
What I applied for: I'm located in the US, and applied for SSDI. There are two federal programs for disability in the US, SSDI and SSI. Some states also have additional disability programs; I have not applied for any of these. I also was not covered by long or short term disability at the time I became unable to work.
Application overview:
- I became unable to work in October 2020, after suffering from milder ME/CFS symptoms for years. I did not apply for SSDI immediately, because I was dreading the application process and also hopeful that my health would improve enough for me to be able to work again.

• Eventually, I realized applying for disability was my best chance at any financial stability. So I did a lot of research and tried to emotionally prepare for the process. I read through the resources at How To Get On and contacted a local disability law firm who helped me submit an application in spring of 2022.
  
• It took quite some time for my application to be reviewed, and based on my research, I expected it to be rejected at first. (Spoiler - it was.) During this time, the Social Security Administration sent me a form to fill out and sent me to a local doctor for an evaluation.
  
• My initial application was denied, which I expected. Something like 2/3 applications are denied at first, and I had a lot of factors that increased the chances of denial. (In addition to having a disease that's hard to see or measure, I'm relatively young, reasonably educated, and my prior work was sedentary. All this makes it harder to demonstate that I'm unable to find any work that fits within my physical limitations.)The law firm I was working with appealed this denial for reconsideration.
  
• During this time, I pursed additional testing; partly to support my disability claim, partially to hopefully uncover new avenues for treatment. I got a tilt table test that led to a POTS diagnosis, and a 2-day CPET that showed post-exertional malaise and some metabolic/cardiovasulapulmonary abnormalities consistent with CFS.
  
• My appeal was denied, which I was expecting - most appeals are denied. My law firm then requested a hearing with a judge. I was expecting the two previous denials, and really putting all my hopes on the hearing, since my research suggested this was my best chance at approval.
  
• A hearing with a judge was scheduled for spring of 2024, about two years after my initial application. Leading up to the hearing, I was assigned a lawyer by the law firm I'd been working with. They also gave me some prep resources, and gathered my medical records. The hearing took place over the phone and it was pretty short. The judge asked me just a few questions after going over my records, and she said on the record that she was planning to make a favorable decision (which was a HUGE relief.)
  
• About a month after the hearing, I got a letter from the SSA saying the judge had made a fully favorable decision. At this point, there was a final administrative review - I think this step might be more complicated for SSI, since that is a means-tested program but for SSDI it was brief and they didn't ask me for anything.
  
• About two weeks after that, I got a letter stating the amount of my monthly benefit. I expect to receive my first SSDI payment sometime in May. I should also receive backpay at some point - I've heard about 1-2 months after the first check. My disability lawyers will be paid out of a portion of my backpay.
  

Summary: It took about two years from the date of application, and it was a sometimes frustrating, emotionally taxing experience, but I was eventually approved for SSDI. I hope this helps anyone who is thinking about applying for federal disability benefits in the US, and I am happy to answer questions about my experience if anyone has 'em!

Got a letter from Syncrony bank after being declined for the Venmo credit card. I have never been denied before and have excellent credit. So I was very surprised. The letter says they were unable to approve due to Request has identify theft risk factors.
Has anyone seen this before? Can I have Syncrony reconsider? I don’t seem to find a phone number to call for reconsideration. And Venmo does not let me re-apply anymore.

Obviously a heated topic so made a throwaway to ask this question - but I am deciding between a few T15 schools and initially though that Columbia would be a no-brainer since it was the only M7 but have since had a bit of a reconsideration.
I was reading this WSJ article and the below stuck out to me:

In March, there was a "Resistance 101" training scheduled at Columbia with guest speakers including longtime activists with Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, a Vancouver, British Columbia-based group that celebrated the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. The administration twice barred the event, citing some of the organizers' known support of terrorism and promotion of violence. Columbia students hosted the event virtually nonetheless, which prompted Columbia President Minouche Shafik to suspend several of them.
During the session, which lasted nearly two hours, Samidoun coordinator Charlotte Kates encouraged students "to build an international popular cradle of the resistance," according to a recording posted on YouTube.
"There is nothing wrong with being a member of Hamas, being a leader of Hamas, being a fighter in Hamas," Kates said. "These are the people that are on the front lines defending Palestine."
Samidoun didn't respond to emailed requests for comment. The German government banned the group last November after saying it supported terrorism and antisemitism, and incited the use of violence to enforce political interests.

Putting aside debate for the conflict as a whole, I think it is fair to say it would be a challenge to get hired by a mainstream company if you attended a meeting with an organization banned in Germany for support of terrorism. Frankly, if you had a relationship with someone that was active in these meetings I wouldn't be surprised if companies would shy away as well.
Pairing that with the kid that said “Be grateful that I’m not just going out and murdering Zionists” on a student conduct meeting and didn't get expelled, it seems like Columbia has a habit of letting wholly unemployable (again - not trying to wage a whole debate on the conflict here) students off the hook to an extent. Not sure if Columbia is just getting singled out by media but I haven't seen much this egregious coming from elsewhere.
With the understanding that no one has a crystal ball, my concern is frankly that if there are two high profile cases of this there are more to the point where companies may just throw their hands up and avoid Columbia all together because it feels like a landmine of potentially running into students that Columbia should have expelled but did not. Then that multiplies because then there is the possibility that you were in some student group with them and degrees of separation and all that.
Basically, that was all a lot of words to ask if Columbia is just getting a lot of bad press or is actually that bad lol

Hi, fellow ID124s! I made this post to prevent flooding the subreddit and to easily help each other out in addressing inquiries and concerns. Utilize the search bar in the subreddit to check if your question has already been addressed, as well as the DLSU website and handbook.
To current students and alumni, feel free to clarify anything 💚

Important Links

Results Portal
Application Portal
Admissions Website
Types of Scholarship Grants
List of Qualified Applicants for Archer Achievers Scholars for AY2024-2025
List of Student Organizations in DLSU
FAQs on Confirmation, Enrollment, and Scholarships (2022) from OAS
Incoming ID124 Frosh Discord Server: https://discord.gg/6P4Wr8YyY8

FAQs

1. When is the release of DCAT results? May 4, 2024 for regular DCAT. June 2024 for Special DCAT.
2. Where do I find my application/reference number for the DCAT Results Portal? Look up “DLSU - Undergraduate Application Verified Complete” in your email or access the application portal.
3. What is the contact information of the Office of Admissions and Scholarships (OAS)?
Email: [admission.requirements@dlsu.edu.ph](mailto:admission.requirements@dlsu.edu.ph)
Tel No.: (02) 8523-4230 (Direct), (02) 8524-4611 local 166 (Undergraduate), (02) 8524-4611 local 162 (Scholarships)
Office Hours: Mondays to Fridays: 8:00 am – 12 noon; 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm Saturdays: 8:00 am – 12 noon only.
4. Does DLSU grant scholarships? Yes. Refer to this link for available scholarships.
5. How much is the reservation fee payment? PHP 10,000. It is NON-REFUNDABLE.
6. When is the deadline for reservation fee payment? June 7, 2024. Applicants are advised to pay for the reservation fee as soon as possible to secure their slot in their accepted degree program.
7. I failed the DCAT. Can I apply for a reconsideration?
"Yes, please email [admission.requirements@dlsu.edu.ph](mailto:admission.requirements@dlsu.edu.ph) with subject heading: Reconsideration Appeals (ID124). All appeals will be evaluated based on application documents submitted by the applicant and are subject to final approval of the Admissions Committee. Late requests will not be processed." Call OAS (FAQ #3) to clarify if the same instruction applies.
8. Can I physically submit my reconsideration letter or COP letter in Taft? No. Outsiders cannot enter campus.
9. "I got redirected to a different program." or "I want to pursue a different program." Can I apply for Change of Program (COP)? What is the format and process?
Yes. COP requests are NOT guaranteed and are subject to availablity and program requirements. There is no "standard format" required by DLSU. Use TNR, 12pt, 1" margin. Refer to this link for instructions and formal letter content.
10. How many times can I request for COP? Only once before enrollment; otherwise you will undertake shifting during your studies in DLSU.
11. "My COP was denied." or "The COP period is done." What can I do? You can shift after completing two terms of residency in your current program.
11. What is shifting? How to shift? Search in the subreddit. Refer to this link.

TLDR: Selling a house and received a terrible appraisal that forced us to renegotiate and settle for $25k less than previous P&S agreement.
We are currently selling a property and received SIGNIFICANT interest which is not a surprise given the market. We live in a desirable neighborhood in a desirable town for our area.
We listed a little low at $375k to attract more traffic and wound up receiving 9 credible offers. 8 of those offers were over $400k, 3 were over $425k and the accepted offer was willing to escalate up to $442k, but due to the next best offer not being as high, the escalation clause topped out at $435k.
We were very happy with this figure as we have put a LOT of money and sweat equity in this house and the feedback really showed. One of the highlights was our >500 sq ft finished basement which with the level of finish is nicer than the rest of the house, we also made major renovations to the main bathroom, new carpets throughout, new trex deck, new energy efficient mini splits, list goes on and on.
Then comes the appraisal, we made sure to be friendly, answer all questions and provided him with the full list of the recent improvements we made (which were available in the property disclosures). His appraisal came in at $386k, $14k lower than our 8th best qualified offer. I know they aren't supposed to use offers as factors but I feel that shows just how disconnected his appraisal is from the market.
In viewing the appraisal report I do take issue with many of the subjective items: our 1 year old mini split system was an adjustment value of $2k when compared to houses with no AC or secondary heating systems, whereas we were knocked $2k for not having a fireplace against some of the comps. Our finished basement which was $13k in material alone from framing to finished was given a value of $4k when compared to unfinished basement space whereas one comp had a 2 car detached garage that was an $8k adjustment apparently. Worst of all, there was no adjustment for quality or fit and finish.
Now for the objective, all of the comps from our town closed more than 6 months ago, the only recent closing was from a neighboring and less desirable market (not trying to be uppity, I'd live there, but facts are facts when comparing price per square ft of the two towns). And there was no adjustment for the out of town or older comps or neighborhood aspects either. None of the comps were from our neighborhood (although that makes more sense as it is a single family neighborhood that we own one unit of the only duplex in the neighborhood).
We really didnt/dont want to sue, not a litigous person but this is a LOT of money for us. We did reach out and request a reconsideration of value which was shot down because our town just doesn't have a lot of comps because duplexes aren't common.
I have read that for a seller to have a successful suit they would have to prove gross negligence, or recklessness and not sure if reddit had a good barometer for that.
Lastly the $25k I referenced as what we are "losing" is because the buyer agreed to come out of pocket up to $410k to not let the deal fall through as they believe the appraisal is ridiculous as well. We could just as easily be out $49k or have to go to a backup offer and roll the dice on another appraiser.
TIA

TLDR: Selling a house and received a terrible appraisal that forced us to renegotiate and settle for $25k less than previous P&S agreement.
We are currently selling a property and received SIGNIFICANT interest which is not a surprise given the market. We live in a desirable neighborhood in a desirable town for our area.
We listed a little low at $375k to attract more traffic and wound up receiving 9 credible offers. 8 of those offers were over $400k, 3 were over $425k and the accepted offer was willing to escalate up to $442k, but due to the next best offer not being as high, the escalation clause topped out at $435k.
We were very happy with this figure as we have put a LOT of money and sweat equity in this house and the feedback really showed. One of the highlights was our >500 sq ft finished basement which with the level of finish is nicer than the rest of the house, we also made major renovations to the main bathroom, new carpets throughout, new trex deck, new energy efficient mini splits, list goes on and on.
Then comes the appraisal, we made sure to be friendly, answer all questions and provided him with the full list of the recent improvements we made (which were available in the property disclosures). His appraisal came in at $386k, $14k lower than our 8th best qualified offer. I know they aren't supposed to use offers as factors but I feel that shows just how disconnected his appraisal is from the market.
In viewing the appraisal report I do take issue with many of the subjective items: our 1 year old mini split system was an adjustment value of $2k when compared to houses with no AC or secondary heating systems, whereas we were knocked $2k for not having a fireplace against some of the comps. Our finished basement which was $13k in material alone from framing to finished was given a value of $4k when compared to unfinished basement space whereas one comp had a 2 car detached garage that was an $8k adjustment apparently. Worst of all, there was no adjustment for quality or fit and finish.
Now for the objective, all of the comps from our town closed more than 6 months ago, the only recent closing was from a neighboring and less desirable market (not trying to be uppity, I'd live there, but facts are facts when comparing price per square ft of the two towns). And there was no adjustment for the out of town or older comps or neighborhood aspects either. None of the comps were from our neighborhood (although that makes more sense as it is a single family neighborhood that we own one unit of the only duplex in the neighborhood).
We really didnt/dont want to sue, not a litigous person but this is a LOT of money for us. We did reach out and request a reconsideration of value which was shot down because our town just doesn't have a lot of comps because duplexes aren't common.
I have read that for a seller to have a successful suit they would have to prove gross negligence, or recklessness and not sure if reddit had a good barometer for that.
Lastly the $25k I referenced as what we are "losing" is because the buyer agreed to come out of pocket up to $410k to not let the deal fall through as they believe the appraisal is ridiculous as well. We could just as easily be out $49k or have to go to a backup offer and roll the dice on another appraiser.
TIA