The LNU, CZU, and SCU wildfire complexes and the River Fire in the Monterey area are ravaging California. In our area (LNU), many friends and neighbors have been evacuated; across the state, so many people have lost homes and businesses. Our hearts go out to everyone affected and we hope that these fires will be…Read More
Equipment Fire Loss: Compiling a List for Insurance Claims
Compiling a List for Insurance Claims Devastating fires in the Napa, Sonoma and Santa Rosa areas have burned thousands of homes, businesses, and other structures. In the wake of the damage, fire loss claims are inevitable. It’s not always an easy process to assess what’s been lost, especially in the midst of sometimes overwhelming grief…Read More
Equipment Appraisals for Insurance Claims
Equipment appraisals for insurance claims come in two categories: the equipment owner may need an equipment appraisal to engage with the insurance company, or an insurance company may request an equipment appraisal for fulfilling a filed claim. In both of these cases, standard operating procedure is to call the equipment appraiser after the damage has…Read More
Appraisals for Insurance Purposes: Replacement & Reproduction Values
Appraisals for Insurance Reasons? Newly proposed updates to official Definitions of Values from the Machinery and Technical Specialities branch of the ASA include changes to the definitions of Reproduction Cost New & Replacement Cost New as they relate the the insurance industry. Please bear in mind as you read that none of these definitions have been officially accepted and some of the definitions are still being discussed. Read More
Case Study: Equipment Appraisal without Evidence – A Reviewer’s Perspective for Attorneys
In a fire damage litigation case of vehicles and material handling equipment — including a number of specialized reach lift stackers — at a major port, I came on board to review an appraisal report entered into evidence by the insurance company of the firm deemed responsible for the fire. In this case, as in…Read More
ASA elects Jack Young as First ARM Discipline Governor
It’s a huge honor to be elected by my peers as the first discipline governor to represent #ASAARM. The ASA Newsroom created a press release highlighting the positive growth of the Appraisal Review and Management discipline that made this position possible. I’ve provided the entire article in this post. You can read the original article at…Read More
Appraisal Review Standard of Care for Attorneys
The Association of Certified Family Law Specialists published this article in their journal’s Summer 2021 ACFLS Family Law Specialist. Appraisal review is, first and foremost, a standardized process that provides guidelines for assessing the overall quality of an appraisal relative to applicable standards, while concurrently addressing the degree to which that appraisal is credible, logical, and…Read More
Case Study: Functional Obsolescence in Glass Coating Equipment
Functional obsolescence took center stage in a recent property tax appeal situation. In particular, we analyzed how the development of new technology influences the value of older, less advanced equipment–in this case, glass coating machines–and how the resulting loss of value due to functional obsolescence is calculated according to best practices, or valuation standard of…Read More
3 Red Flags in Machinery & Equipment Appraisal Reports
I recently submitted a few examples of Machinery & Equipment Review problems–along with a sample review report–to an overseas valuation organization that’s putting together an in-house manual for its members. What’s interesting to me is that although this organization follows IVS instead of USPAP, is governmentally regulated in a way that ASA equipment appraisers are…Read More
Rest in Peace: Robert Podwalney, FASA & Life Member
Robert Podwalny, FASA and Life Member, passed away on April 16, 2018, at age 74 after a lengthy ordeal with cancer. He is survived by his wife Linda, sons Robert & Daniel, and his sister Alexandra, grandchildren Kayla, Evan, Emma, Lili and Lincoln, as well as many nieces, and nephews. You can read more about his…Read More
Family Law & Litigation Q&A in Healdsburg, May 21, 2018
We’re hosting a Q&A about equipment appraisals for litigation and family law in Healdsburg on Monday, May 21, 2018. If you’re in the area, we hope you’ll join us. For more information or to register for the event, click here Please visit our Attorney Support page to learn more about our services for the legal community….Read More
Wildland Fire Litigation Conference: A Report
Several years ago while serving as equipment appraisal expert witness for the Ophir Fire, I discovered the Wildland Fire Litigation Conference and put it on my appraisal bucket list. Just this year, my schedule finally allowed me to attend the conference. In the intervening years, I’ve done many equipment appraisals related to insurance loss claims,…Read More