Equipment Appraisal Blog | Understanding Machinery Appraisals

Whether you are acquiring a new business, expanding your capital asset requirements or restructuring debt, searching for available financing is a critical part of the process. In any of  these cases, if your operation includes machinery & equipment, obtaining a current asset valuation will be an important step. An equipment appraisal will help document your business' assets, adjust the depreciated values on your balance sheet to realistic market data and assist potential lenders in getting your credit approved.

Here are some other benefits of having a current machinery valuation completed for financial service providers and equity investors:

An equipment appraisal provides verification of your company s existing assets. If you have equipment with existing loans & liens associated with them, the lender/investor can use the information provided in the appraisal to determine how much equity you may or may not have accrued. The appraisal also estimates the current market value of the machinery instead of relying on an internal pre-determined depreciation schedule that likely will not show an accurate picture of your business' financial health.

The appraisal supports the value of the machinery you are purchasing or refinancing. When you are considering used equipment, it can be difficult to find an objective source to assist in understanding the marketplace and how it reflects back on your business . An equipment appraiser is an unbiased third  party, with no stake in the larger transaction, and therefore, is relied upon as a credible service provider by all lending institutions.

An equipment valuation can provide this same information to related third parties such as insurance agents and property tax assessors so that you're receiving adequate coverage and not overpaying your share of taxes. This also assists the lending institutions who want to be confident they are covered in the event of any casualty loss.

Financial institutions also work with government lenders such as the Small Business Administration, who have their own set of requirements for approving loans. If you qualify for these beneficial programs, it is important to ensure you can meet these requirements for a small business loan, whether you are just starting out, expanding your company or to help with a temporary cash flow situation.

By keeping these circumstances in mind, having a machinery and equipment appraisal performed by a qualified machinery appraiser will make your financing collateral review process go much more smoothly. Make sure the equipment appraiser is a member of the American Society of Appraisers and is current with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), which requires certified updates every two years.

Dealing in the international trade business, you may have a need to carefully document the current value of used machinery & equipment, especially if the bill of sale is not available. How do you support this value to ensure your assets pass through customs. One option is to obtain an equipment appraisal to back up your transaction, however, it is important the appraiser has the accreditation and experience necessary to complete the valuation.

Here are some details on how an equipment appraisal from an accredited or certified equipment appraiser can help provide documentation that will make your customs experience go more smoothly:

To avoid potential delays and troubles with the import & export customs process involving machinery & equipment, considering an appraisal that supports the current value of your assets can go a long way to alleviating this. The appraisal report follows certain methodologies and procedures that are universally recognized, giving custom’s officials a higher comfort level, leading to less scrutiny and avoiding potential delays in clearing the machinery for transit.

The legal paperwork can be overwhelming during the Import and export process, and if not completed properly, can lead to all kinds of delays and additional expenses with customs. With an equipment valuation in hand, completed by an experienced accredited appraiser, supporting the current value, you can resolve many of these situations in a timely fashion.

An accredited or certified appraisal report is better able to stand up to scrutiny than as it is clearly independent and unbiased. Working with a less experienced appraiser could lead to a higher level of scrutiny as the report will not hold up to the accepted standards used in the valuation field. The accreditation and certification process includes instruction in standardized appraisal methodology, and the appraiser signs a certification letter as part of every valuation performed.

When your business deals with machinery in the international marketplace, consider the engagement of an experienced equipment appraiser to assist you in the documentation process. At equipmentappraisal.com, we would be happy to work with you in this endeavor.

He said, She said: when it comes to a divorce, many of us know it can be very stressful. With all that is happening to determine your future, you probably are not considering the importance of an equipment appraisal. If there is a business associated with the split, however, you need to look at this option, as there may be significant value in the tangible assets of the jointly owned company. An independent valuation by an accredited or certified appraiser of the tangible assets for the business, whether it is a trucking company, construction contracting business, landscaping or any similar operation is vitally important. In addition, the report will be supportable in court and take away any biased information you may be receiving from the other side. Here is what else you need to know:

The appraiser will act as a neutral party, providing a fair value for your equipment. If your appraisal report is not prepared by an accredited or certified equipment appraiser, it will likely be contested or thrown out in court during proceedings. If you believe there is a likelihood that the litigation will evolve into court proceedings, you will also want the appraiser to have experience as an expert witness, testifying as to the credibility and accuracy of the valuation report.

The most common premise, or definition of value utilized for divorce proceedings is Fair Market Value, however you should check with your attorney to ensure this is appropriate in your case. There are liquidation values you may need to consider as well, that can be reviewed and discussed prior to the engagement. Both parties should agree to the appraisal, however, if this is not possible, the fact that you engaged an experienced appraiser on your own will carry a lot of weight in ultimately determining value.

Understanding all that is involved during a divorce, including the need for an accredited or certified equipment appraisal can ensure you are receiving the best settlement possible. You or your legal counsel can get in touch with one of our professionals at equipmentappraisal.com to discuss the details further and receive a free quote for our services.

In our last blog post, we discussed Fair Market Value and its translation in the resale marketplace. The example we used was the sale of a used vehicle (car, pickup, SUV). For this week’s post, we will discuss the two liquidation value premises using the same example.

As a refresher, here are the two premises of value and their ASA definitions:

Orderly Liquidation Value

Orderly Liquidation Value is an opinion of the gross amount, expressed in terms of money, that typically could be realized from a liquidation sale, given a reasonable period of time to find a purchaser (or purchasers), with the seller being compelled to sell on an as-is, where-is basis, as of a specific date.

Forced Liquidation Value

Forced Liquidation Value is an opinion of the gross amount, expressed in terms of money, that typically could be realized from a properly advertised and conducted public auction, with the seller being compelled to sell with a sense of immediacy on an as-is, where-is basis, as of a specific date.

Orderly Liquidation Value would roughly translate to a trade-in value at your local dealership with the assumption that you are going to purchase another vehicle with that same dealer. There is enough incentive for the dealer to offer you a decent price given the new business aspect and the dealer’s need to make a profit margin on their ultimate resale of that asset.

The overall value and demand in the market for that particular vehicle will help determine how big that spread is. You will typically see a range of 20-40% between Fair Market Value and Orderly Liquidation depending on those factors. If a dealer has an immediate buyer for a high priced vehicle you are trading in, then the differential will be in the lower end of the range. If it is an older, less valuable vehicle with no resale timeline determined by the dealer, you can expect less of a trade in value in relation to the retail price.

Forced Liquidation Value, by its very definition, translates to an auction level which is generally considered the lowest value of a vehicle given the immediate need or compulsion to sell the vehicle as quickly as possible. You are essentially sacrificing dollars for time in these instances. The only lower levels of value used in appraisals are salvage (parts) and scrap.

The auction resale marketplace is very active in certain industries such as automobiles, trucks, trailers construction and standard metal working equipment. As a result, the levels of resale tend to be somewhat higher than if you were to try to auction equipment in a more confined industry with a limited number of potential buyers.

In summary, these different premises of value will produce a broad range of figures when considering all three in an appraisal assignment. Which ones are most appropriate for your business can be reviewed and discussed with an accredited appraiser prior to the actual valuation.

An ASA accredited equipment appraiser most often uses one or a combination of the following premises of value in their reports:

• Fair Market Value
• Orderly Liquidation Value
• Forced Liquidation Value

These terms are formally defined by the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) as follows:

Fair Market Value

Fair Market Value is an opinion expressed in terms of money, at which the property would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither being under any compulsion to buy or to sell and both having reasonable knowledge of relevant facts, as of a specific date.

Orderly Liquidation Value

Orderly Liquidation Value is an opinion of the gross amount, expressed in terms of money, that typically could be realized from a liquidation sale, given a reasonable period of time to find a purchaser (or purchasers), with the seller being compelled to sell on an as-is, where-is basis, as of a specific date.

Forced Liquidation Value

Forced Liquidation Value is an opinion of the gross amount, expressed in terms of money, that typically could be realized from a properly advertised and conducted public auction, with the seller being compelled to sell with a sense of immediacy on an as-is, where-is basis, as of a specific date.

We are often asked how these definitions translate to the actual marketplace where the buying and selling occurs every day. To facilitate a response to this question, we will consider selling your used vehicle (car, pickup SUV) when it is determined you need to replace it. We will begin with the Fair Market Value premise.

Fair Market Value is considered the higher end of the value spectrum and can be considered comparable to a private party sale where you, as the owner of the vehicle, put an ad online or in a local paper in an attempt to sell to another private party. The key assumption here is that there is no immediate sense of having to sell or purchase and the sale is on an “as-is where is” basis with no warranty or other conditions of sale.

The ability to obtain Fair Market Value is more realistic if you are in the business of buying, selling, leasing or operating equipment in the applicable industry. That is why new and used equipment dealers will typically be a good source to best understand this “retail” level of value.

To summarize, fair market value while being an accepted level of pricing in an equipment resale effort, many businesses such as banks and other investors look to liquidation values as a more attainable figure in a typical resale scenario.

In our next blog post we will cover the two types of liquidation values as they relate to the sale of your used vehicle.