Walter Kirk
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2003
- Professional Status
- Licensed Appraiser
- State
- New Jersey
I enjoy doing work for litigation. One of the upside benefits of this practice is that I don't have to put up with mortgage broker slime and idiot underwriters. Market conditions have little effect on my work load, people always die, get divorced or go bankrupt.
The percentage of appraisals which involve testimony is small, most are used to arrive at a settlement.
If you do testify you must be prepared to defend everything that you put in your appraisal and every conclusion that you reach.
Your appraisal can influence the outcome of a case, thats the reason that you are called on. Court decisions are not always logical, I once had a judge decide that the opponents higher value was correct not because my report was wrong but because my interior pictures showed expensive furniture and collectables in the house.
The percentage of appraisals which involve testimony is small, most are used to arrive at a settlement.
If you do testify you must be prepared to defend everything that you put in your appraisal and every conclusion that you reach.
Your appraisal can influence the outcome of a case, thats the reason that you are called on. Court decisions are not always logical, I once had a judge decide that the opponents higher value was correct not because my report was wrong but because my interior pictures showed expensive furniture and collectables in the house.