Forensic appraisal is a specialized type of appraisal that is used in legal and dispute resolution contexts, such as in fraud investigations, insurance claims, and litigation. The purpose of a forensic appraisal is to provide an independent and unbiased opinion on the value of a property and to determine whether any fraud, misrepresentation, or other misconduct has occurred.

Forensic Appraisals Services require highly-trained—highly-skilled—highly-credentialed discipline-specific and multidisciplinary appraisal reviewers with decades of experience that are specifically trained and accredited in providing Forensic Appraisals and in developing and reporting differing opinions-of-value, rebuttal appraisals, and providing appraisal expert-witness testimony.

EDS pioneered the appraisal review profession—the cornerstone of Forensic Appraisals—and directed the development, writing, and implementation of the review appraisal Principles of Valuation and best practices that are taught to and in use today by professional valuers, legal experts, and government agencies throughout the world. Our Forensic Appraisal services have allowed our clients’ to prevail in billions-of-dollars at issue, and our work has been cited by U.S. regulators as “The measure by which all appraisal reviews should be judged”.

We hold the only Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Expert Witness Accreditation Service (EWAS) and Dispute Resolution Service (DRS) Certifications in the United States and all of the Americas—one of only a handful of such Appraisal Expert Witness and Dispute Resolution Certifications in the world.

Forensic appraisers are trained to identify and analyze potential indicators of fraud, such as inflated values, misrepresentation of facts, or illegal activities. They will typically use a variety of techniques and tools to conduct their investigation, such as examining financial records, interviewing parties involved, and conducting on-site inspections of the property.

Forensic appraisers will also consider the legal and regulatory environment when conducting their investigation and will be familiar with relevant laws and regulations, such as the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA).

Forensic appraisals are conducted by highly trained and experienced appraisers, who must have the appropriate qualifications, education, and experience in the field of appraisal and also have knowledge of the legal and regulatory environment. The goal of the forensic appraiser is to provide a fair and accurate estimate of the property’s value and to identify and report any fraudulent activities. The results of the forensic appraisal will be used as evidence in legal proceedings and for other legal and dispute-resolution purposes.

Our discipline-specific and multidisciplinary Forensic Appraisers are internationally accredited ASA/MAI/RICS appraisal instructors—all well-published luminaries in the global valuation community. They include Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and International Valuation Standards (IVS) and RICS ‘Red Book’ instructors, Value Adjustment Board (VAB) Magistrates, and former state and federal appraisal regulatory compliance officers.

We provide Forensic Appraisals in all disciplines of appraisal and asset classes, tangible and intangible, i.e., Real Estate, Business Valuation, Intellectual Property, Personal Property, and Machinery and Technical Services to clients throughout the world. EDS specializes in providing appraisal expert witness testimony and litigation support services to attorneys and law firms and appraisal-related Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) services.

EDS Forensic Appraisals are independent and objective and render credible findings that will withstand challenges and scrutiny from peer reviews, regulatory, judicial, and taxing authorities.

Our Valuation and 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 Super Appraisers® Global Network of internationally-recognized valuation expert witness testimony 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—and valuable valuation-related cases.

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?

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Forensic Appraisal Services Group