Our next criticism of Missouri’s pending Exam Handbook is its violation of the Four Corners Rule, which requires a document to stand on its own when being interpreted and applied.  Common law precludes parties from going to outside sources when applying the document to different situations.  While the Handbook gives lip service to the Four Corners Rule in Paragraph 13, other sections of the Handbook send examiners to various sections of law, to rules that have never been promulgated, and to other “Board directives” for directions when reviewing seller contracts or records.

The Handbook needs to be the examiner’s procedure bible that stands alone, and without incorporating statutes, rules or Board directives that exist only in a minute from a prior meeting.