Appraisal Umpire Services

COUNSELORS AT VALUATION®  |   COUNSELORS AT APPRAISAL®

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 holds the only RICS Valuation Dispute Resolution Service Certification in the United States and all of the Americas—one of only a handful of such Certifications in the world.

In appraisal arbitration the findings of the arbitrator are usually binding on both parties. The appraisal clause is meant to be the method for determining disputed values. Appraisal cannot be used to determine what is covered. That is for an Arbitrator or court of law to decide.

Super Appraisers

EDS holds the only RICS Expert Witness Accreditation Service and Valuation Dispute Resolution Service Certifications
in the Western Hemisphere—one of only a handful of such Certifications in the world.

An Elite-Rated member of the peer-voted Super Appraisers® Global Network of internationally-recognized appraisal luminaries.

Prevailing in billions-of-dollars at issue in some of the world’s most complex— important—high-profile—and valuable—valuation litigation.

An appraisal umpire is a qualified-independent-neutral third-party valuation expert who is appointed to resolve disputes between two 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.

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 Principals of Valuation and best practices taught to and in use today by professional valuers, legal experts, and government agencies throughout-the-world. Our appraisal experts and umpires have handled billions of dollars at issue, and U.S. regulators have cited our body of work as “The measure by which all appraisal reviews should be judged”.

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 Alternative Dispute Resolution 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’ Appraisal Review and Management Principals of Valuations series of courses, ARM 201, 202, 203, and 204, and best practices that are now taught to professional valuers, government officials, legal experts, and many others worldwide.

Steven is an Elite-Rated member of the peer-voted Super Appraisers® Global Network of internationally-recognized appraisers. He has served as an appraisal expert witness in U.S. Courts, at international tribunals, and 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 are 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.