Appraisal Umpire and Alternative Dispute Resolution Services
United States Regulations (USPAP)
COUNSELORS AT APPRAISAL®APPRAISAL ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION SERVICES
Appraisal Umpire and Alternative Dispute Resolution Services require highly trained—highly skilled—highly credentialed—unimpeachable, discipline-specific, and multidisciplinary Review Appraisers with decades of appraisal experience who are specifically trained and accredited to appear and represent clients in such proceedings, or to serve as an independent—third-party—neutral Umpires to adjudicate appraisal disputes.
EDS pioneered the appraisal review profession—the cornerstone of appraisal umpire and dispute resolution services—and directed the development, writing, and implementation of the appraisal review Principles of Valuation and best practices taught to and in use today by professional valuers, legal experts, and government agencies worldwide.
EDS holds the only RICS Appraisal Dispute Resolution Service (DRS) Certification in the United States and across the Western Hemisphere—one of only a handful of such Certifications worldwide.
OUR GUIDING STANDARDS & GUIDELINES - United StatesTHE UNIFORM STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL APPRAISAL PRACTICE (USPAP)
The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP®) is the generally recognized ethical and performance standards for the appraisal profession in the United States.
In 1987, the Ad Hoc Committee of appraiser membership organizations established The Appraisal Foundation® (Foundation) to implement USPAP® as the generally accepted set of appraisal standards in the United States. These organizations recognized the importance of ensuring that appraisals are based upon established, recognized standards. USPAP® was then authorized by Congress in 1989. It contains standards for appraisal disciplines, including real estate, personal property, business valuation, and mass appraisal. Compliance with USPAP® is required for state-licensed and state-certified appraisers who perform appraisals for federally-related real estate transactions.
The USPAP® standards related to real property development, reporting, and appraisal review, known collectively as Standards 1-4, are referenced by federal financial institution regulatory agencies when implementing Title XI of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act (FIRREA).
APPRAISAL UMPIRE & ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION SERVICES
ALL DISCIPLINES OF APPRAISAL
EDS Appraisal Umpire Services specialists are qualified independent-neutral third-party valuation experts who are appointed to resolve disputes between appraisers who have provided conflicting valuations of a property. The umpire reviews the evidence and findings of both appraisers and makes a final determination of the property’s value. This process is often used in real estate transactions or insurance claims when there is a disagreement about the value of a property.
Appraisal Umpire Services require highly trained—highly skilled—highly credentialed—unimpeachable, discipline-specific, and multidisciplinary Review Appraisers with decades of appraisal experience who are specifically trained and accredited to appear and represent clients in such proceedings or to serve as an independent—third-party—neutral umpire to adjudicate appraisal disputes.
EDS pioneered the appraisal review profession—the cornerstone of appraisal umpire and dispute resolution services—and directed the development, writing, and implementation of the appraisal review Principles of Valuation and best practices taught to and in use today by professional valuers, legal experts, and government agencies worldwide. Our appraisal experts and umpires have handled billions of dollars in disputes, and U.S. regulators have cited our body of work as “The measure by which all appraisal reviews should be judged.”
EDS holds the only RICS Expert Witness Accreditation Service (EWAS) and Dispute Resolution Service (DRS) Certifications
in the Western Hemisphere—one of only a handful of such Certifications in the world.
EDS is Super Appraisers® Elite-Rated, which is a peer-review distinction reserved for the top 5% of internationally accredited trial and litigation valuers and appraisal luminaries in his or her practice area.
EDS has prevailed in billions of dollars at issue in some of the world’s most complex— important—high-profile—and valuable—valuation litigation.
Our dispute resolution umpires, mediators, and arbitrators are discipline-specific and multidisciplinary appraisal experts uniquely qualified—internationally accredited—American Society of Appraisers (ASA), Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Appraisal Institute (MAI), well-published luminaries in the global valuation community. Our appraisal dispute resolution specialists include Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and International Valuation Standards (IVS) instructors, Value Adjustment Board (VAB) Magistrates, and former state/federal appraisal regulatory compliance officers. We hold the only RICS Expert Witness Accreditation Service (EWAS) Certification in the United States and the Americas—one of only a handful of such certifications in the world.
We provide comprehensive appraisal dispute resolution services in all disciplines of valuation and asset classes, tangible and intangible, i.e., Real Estate, Business Valuation, Intellectual Property, Personal Property, and Business Income and Economic Damages.
EDS specializes in handling complex multidisciplinary and multi-jurisdictional appraisal dispute resolution matters. For example, a dispute wherein multiple international locations/jurisdictions and multiple valuation disciplines and insurance claims are at issue, e.g., Real Property, Business Valuation, and Machinery and Equipment. Unlike others, EDS will assign one of its internationally accredited valuation experts from each valuation and insurance discipline at issue and possessing the requisite jurisdictional and geographic competency to contribute to the process. This ensures independent—credible findings that will withstand scrutiny and challenges from regulatory, judicial, and taxing authorities.
Our Valuation & Litigation Appraisal Services Group is headed by Executive Managing Director Steven N. Siegler, ASA, FRICS. Mr. Siegler is an Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) and was honored to serve as the founding International Chairman of Appraisal Review and Management (ARM) for the American Society of Appraisers from 2002-2011. Mr. Siegler co-authored and directed the development and implementation of the ASA’s Appraisal Review and Management Principles of Valuations series of courses and best practices that are now taught to professional valuers, government officials, legal experts, and many others throughout the world.
When, as part of Dodd-Frank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) acting for and on behalf of the U.S. Federal Reserve and all inter-agency regulators sought the expertise to develop, implement and monitor the new National Appraisal Ordering and Appraisal Review Protocols for the United States and all U.S. territories, it came to Mr. Siegler and EDS.
Mr. Siegler holds international valuation accreditation as Fellow, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS), and he is the only RICS accredited expert witness in the United States and the Americas—one of only a handful of such expert witnesses in the world holding the much-coveted RICS Expert Witness Accreditation Service (EWAS) Certification.
Mr. Siegler holds TS Clearance with the U.S. Government and he is uniquely qualified to practice before U.S. Government agencies in national security-related valuation and in other special matters.
Steven is an Elite-Rated member of the peer-voted Counselors at Appraisal® Global Network of internationally-recognized appraisal dispute resolution luminaries. He has served as an expert witness valuer in U.S. state and federal courts, at international tribunals, and in valuation-related Alternative Dispute Resolution and he has personally prevailed in billions-of-dollars at issue in some of the world’s most important—high-profile—”bet the company” and valuable valuation-related cases.
Steven is Super Appraisers® Elite-Rated, which is a peer-review distinction reserved for the top 5% of internationally accredited trial and litigation valuers and appraisal luminaries in his or her practice area. He has served as an Appraisal Expert Witness in U.S. Courts, at international tribunals, and in Alternative Dispute Resolution, and he has prevailed in billions of dollars at issue in some of the world’s most important—high-profile—and valuable valuation-related cases.
Mr. Siegler holds international valuation accreditation as a Member of the College of Fellows, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS). He is the only RICS-accredited expert witness in the United States and the Americas—one of only a handful of such expert witnesses in the world holding the much-coveted RICS Expert Witness Accreditation Service (EWAS) Certification.
Mr. Siegler holds TS Clearance with the U.S. Government and is uniquely qualified to practice in national-security-related valuation and other special matters before U.S. Government agencies.
Our Appraisal Umpire Services is a cost-effective, out-of-court, alternative dispute resolution format that helps parties resolve complex and contentious valuation/appraisal/insurance matters in a fair, equitable, and unbiased way.
EDS’s unparalleled level of expertise is recognized and appreciated in boardrooms and courtrooms throughout the world. How may we be of service to you?
Appraisal Umpire Services
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