No. 04 — Estate Appraisals
Valuations families and courts can rely on.
Settling an estate means putting a defensible number on works that may never have been appraised. I provide date-of-death and fair-market-value reports for executors, attorneys, and families — including equitable distribution among heirs. This is estate appraisal work, not probate administration. Fees are hourly, never a percentage of value. Contact me for current rates. Reports are USPAP-compliant and formatted for counsel and filing when needed.
Estate Tax Filing (Form 706) ·Estate Inventory· Equitable Distribution Among Heirs · Pre-Sale Decisions for Inherited Works
Plate IV — The estate inventory
The Process
How it works
01
Scope
We scope the assignment with the executor or counsel — works, valuation date, and filing deadline.
02
On-site inspection
I work room by room — or my staff does the site visit for measurement and photography when that fits — cataloguing condition, signatures, and labels, then researching fair market value as of the valuation date your filing requires.
03
Report
A defensible USPAP report keyed to the valuation date: object descriptions, images, artist biographies, comparable sales with rationale, sources consulted, and my signed certification — delivered as a PDF your attorney can file or share.
Common Questions
Common questions
Q — 01
What's the difference between fair market value and replacement value?
Fair market value is what a willing buyer would pay a willing seller — the estate and donation standard. Replacement value is the (higher) retail cost to replace — the insurance standard. Using the wrong one is the most common error in inherited-art paperwork.
Q — 02
Can you work with our attorney directly?
Yes — most estate assignments run through counsel, and reports are formatted for filing.
Q — 03
The works are in two states — is that a problem?
No; I serve both New England and South Florida, and travel beyond by arrangement.