In the Jurisdictional Exception Rule, the term "law" includes which of the following?

• A. All of these answers (court-made laws, legislative laws, administrative rules and ordinances)
• B. Federal statutes only
• C. Local ordinances only
• D. Court decisions only

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that the term “law” under the Jurisdictional Exception Rule is broad and inclusive. In a jurisdiction, legal authority comes from multiple sources, all of which bind the appraiser. This includes not only federal statutes, but also court-made law (case law) and administrative rules and ordinances issued by agencies or local governments. Because all of these types can impose legally binding requirements on appraisal practice in a given area, the rule treats “law” as encompassing all of them rather than picking just one source. That’s why the best choice says all of these: court-made laws, legislative laws, and administrative rules and ordinances. It would be incorrect to limit “law” to any single source like federal statutes, local ordinances, or court decisions alone, since each jurisdiction may draw on multiple forms of law.