Certified Auto Appraiser · Estate & trust appraisals
Estate and trust car appraisals in Orange County
When a loved one passes, the car in the garage is often the last thing anyone wants to think about. I make that part simple: one visit, a careful inspection, and a written value the executor, the trustee and the family can rely on.
From the field
The car that sat in the garage.
Often it's a car that hasn't moved in a while. Dad's Cadillac with forty thousand original miles, a Mustang he bought new and never sold, or simply the car Mom drove to church every Sunday. The family knows it matters. Nobody is quite sure what it's worth.
Over thirty years I've helped a lot of Orange County families through this, and I know how emotional it can be. My job is to take one task off your list. I come to the house, look the car over carefully, research what comparable cars have actually sold for, and write down a value as of the date the estate needs.
With that number in hand, you can file what needs filing, divide things fairly among the beneficiaries, and decide whether to keep the car or sell it, without guessing.
Keep driving,
David
When you need one
- The estate tax return, where vehicles are reported at fair market value as of the date of death
- An alternate valuation date, six months after death, when the executor elects it
- A trust distribution, when a car is passed to a beneficiary or divided among several
- Probate and the estate inventory
- Establishing the heirs' cost basis, which matters if the car is sold later
What the report includes
- Fair market value as of the date of death, or the alternate valuation date
- An in-person inspection, with detailed photographs
- Condition, mileage, options, originality and documented history
- Comparable sales and how each one was adjusted to this car
- A signed certification, prepared in line with USPAP
Independence
One less thing to handle
I work with executors, trustees, family members, attorneys and CPAs, and I'm happy to speak with any of them directly. If the estate includes several cars, I'll value each one consistently in a single report. And if the family later decides to sell, that's a separate conversation, on separate terms, in writing.
Questions
Good to know.
What value does an estate need?
Usually fair market value as of the date of death: what a willing buyer and a willing seller would agree on, with neither under pressure. If the executor elects the alternate valuation date, six months after death, I can value the car as of that date too.
Can you appraise a car as of a date in the past?
Yes. Estate appraisals are routinely retrospective. I inspect the car today and research the market as of the date the estate needs, noting any change in condition since then.
Why not just use an online price guide?
Price guides are averages. An estate car is often anything but average: low miles, unusual options, a long ownership history, or years of sitting. A documented appraisal reflects the actual car, and it holds up if anyone asks questions later.
Do I need an appraisal if we're keeping the car in the family?
It's still a good idea. A documented value helps divide the estate fairly among beneficiaries and establishes the cost basis if the car is ever sold. Your attorney or CPA can tell you what's required.
Can you appraise several cars at once?
Yes. Whether it's one car or a full garage, each car is inspected and valued consistently, in one report.
Do you come to the house?
Yes. I inspect cars in person throughout Orange County, from Newport Beach and Irvine to Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita, wherever the car is kept.
Other appraisals
Request an appraisal
Tell me about the car or cars, where they are, and the date the estate needs. I'll reply personally.