Who Writes These Things, Anyway?

The contracts and documents you see in your standard forms library are the result of a long, multi-layered process.

That process begins with you: members who call the PAR Legal Hotline with questions that expose certain issues we might address through forms changes or who submit specific suggestions for changes through our online feedback form. It then continues with… you, the members who volunteer their time and expertise to a task force, who do the nitty-gritty work of reviewing and rewriting the forms based on all those suggestions and their own experience. If being part of the production process interests you, there are two task forces currently looking for more volunteers.

PAR is forming a short-term rental forms task force to consider the idea of whether the PAR standard forms library needs to create forms for use in short-term rental transactions. To be clear, the purpose of this task force is not to write forms (at least not yet), but to weigh the benefits of adding such forms to the library. A second task force will be working on our current oil, gas and mineral rights forms, updating them as needed now that they have had a few years of use in the market. If you would like to be part of either of those groups, or you have questions about participating, please send me an email and let me know.

This year hasn’t been quite as eventful with regard to the number of forms that have been updated or added to the library, but there have been a few important rewrites, such as those made to the Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement (Form SPD) and the Appraisal Contingency Addendum (Form ACA). Next year may be remarkable as well, with the findings of the above-mentioned task forced reported to the Standard Forms Committee and possible revisions to the exclusive listing contracts covering FIRPTA and NAR’s Clear Cooperation Policy.

All proposed changes to the forms library will be presented to the Feedback Panel and/or Standard Forms Committee during PAR’s Business Meetings. The meetings are free to attend and open to any member who wishes to see what issues and forms are being considered by the committee and make comments or suggestions. The Winter Business Meetings will be held Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 at the Hilton Harrisburg. Registration will open Dec. 20.