It falls to the specialist expert to describe and determine the value of each object, in the form of reports which have authoritative value in the event of a dispute.
Realizable value
In the cases of inheritance operations, donations or family successions, which in the past used to be done in a rather empirical fashion with the result that the distribution was often a little unfair, the intervention of a professional enables these situations to be handled with the degree of skill that they require, in light of the large sums of money involved. This task is carried out either directly at the request of the families, or on the basis of a mission statement drawn up by a solicitor or bailiff. At the end of the family succession operations, and as part of his consultancy mission, the expert can then help organise the sale of certain objects, furniture or painting which have not been shared out. In many cases, the expert works at the request of the auctioneer in order to guarantee the authenticity of the goods on sale, to ensure the sale is entirely reliable.
Replacement value
A specialist expert also has a role to play in terms of insurance, and the work he undertakes can be absolutely essential to ensuring the settlement of the case.
An appraisal prior to insurance is carried out in order to determine the authenticity, condition and the value of the goods to be insured. This document enables the insured party to choose the contract best suited to the assets he owns and to ensure he obtains coverage for the goods at their real value. This report is also used to prove the existence of such goods should they be stolen, and all of the other information in the report enables them to be identified if they are found. It must not be forgotten that in the event of theft, it is the owner who must prove that the item belonged to him. In the event of a loss, a specialist expert can work to assess the damage in terms of replacement value (purchase price on the art market) and therefore becomes an important contact for the insurance company's loss adjuster. His task is to obtain the fairest possible indemnity for the insured party. This work makes the settlement of cases much easier, and most insurance companies have decided to pay all or part of the fees for the insured party's expert in such cases.
A national network of professional experts chambers such as the C.N.E.S. offers, in a whole variety of different fields of expertise, skills which many partners call upon on a regular basis.
