Choosing the right appraiser for litigation
Attorneys
Choosing the right appraiser for litigation needs is a multi-step process. The most obvious one is to choose an appraiser who can accurately determine a property’s value for your client and your case, while creating supporting documentation in a clear and concise manner. As discussed in the HOW TO CHOOSE AN APPRAISER page, Michael Mathis has over 30 years of appraisal experience all in the Inland Empire, additional experience acting as a residential contractor on multiple projects, is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara, and has taught appraisers for 8 years. A usable appraisal is much more than just the reconciled opinion of value, and Mr. Mathis’ education and experience, along with a strong commitment to quality and accuracy assures you and your client of obtaining an excellent appraisal product.
Some examples of the reasons how you and your clients might benefit from his appraisal services are:
- Estate valuation for properties transferring via trust or inter vivos gift
- Tax valuations for gift/charitable deductions/conservation easements/gift/bargain sale transactions
- Establishing fair market value to assist buyouts by co-owners or contributions to joint ventures
- Transfers of property to entities for inter-family transfers (with special emphasis on lack of marketability, minority interest and other appropriate discounts where appropriate)
- Litigation in instances of eminent domain, partition or breach of contract
- Consulting expert to confidentially prepare for a transaction or litigation involving a property
- Defense of tax audits
- Appraiser standard of care
If your reason for engaging an appraiser could possibly lead to litigation it becomes very imperative to choose one who understands the importance of confidentiality and who can handle the rigors of deposition/court testimony. Few can do both elements of this equation well. Michael Mathis has been trained to speak publicly since high school, where he attained a National Forensic Degree of Distinction, the highest honorary level possible. He has continued to hone those skills through various forms of public speaking and while by teaching. The result is an appraiser who has confidently handled himself in both deposition and trial testimony as a designated expert in both Riverside and San Bernardino county courts. His skill at handling the challenges of testimony assures that your clients’ appraisal needs will be understood by those you wish to sway and improve your chances of obtaining a favorable settlement or trial verdict decision.
The adage, “the best defense is a good offense” is certainly true in court trials involving real estate valuation issues. Finding the errors/failures in the other side’s appraisal work is one of the best ways to obtain a victory for your client. Most appraisers just provide their clients with an opinion of value, but that simply is not enough. Michael Mathis can support you in preparing for depositions and trial, by reviewing the opponent’s appraisal, discovering its weaknesses and then helping you develop questions to reveal those weaknesses during questioning of their expert. The result will be more favorable verdicts and/or settlements for your clients.