In business litigation, accurate machinery and equipment valuations supported by evidence and logic are crucial, particularly in cases involving complex shareholder disputes over machinery, equipment, or other business assets. Whether for partnership disputes or buyouts, equipment valuations are expected to provide information needed to determine fair financial outcomes. In many cases, however, machinery and equipment…Read More
Throwback Thursday: Campbell’s Sacramento Legacy
In 2014, I walked into the old Campbell’s Soup plant in south Sacramento with a camera, clipboard, a pad of paper, a limited asset list, and noted appraiser Bob Podwalny. Our assignment was a retrospective 2013 property tax appraisal. Comstock’s article about the facility’s redevelopment references the plant as one of the “oldest and most…Read More
Valuing Recycling Equipment: Case Study
Considering obsolescence for recycling equipment Following the most recent transfer of ownership, an expansive multi-generational waste management and recycling corporation in central California needed a business valuation for gift tax return. While a business valuation can be performed without an equipment valuation, in the case of machinery-heavy industries, the prudent option is to involve…Read More
State Board of Equalization Equipment Appraisal Presentation
At the State Board of Equalization meeting Friday, December 6, 2019, I served as one of five panelists for a discussion of Assessment of Personal Property & Fixtures: Ensuring Accurate & Consistent Valuations & Application Methods. The other equipment appraiser on the panel was my colleague Garret Schwartz. Panelists affiliated with the assessor’s office were…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