Our anti corruption policy

1. Payment Requirement
   Valuation work will not commence until full payment has been received. The identity of the paying party is immaterial; this policy is in place to eliminate any potential leverage or influence through control of payment.
2. Prohibition of Improper Influence
   Any attempt to influence the outcome of the valuation—whether by asserting a specific value, instructing the appraiser on how the business should be assessed, or engaging in any other conduct that may be perceived as coercive—will be documented in the valuation report. The opposing party will also be formally notified of the incident.
3. Reporting of Legal Misconduct
   Should an attorney engage in conduct intended to influence the independence or outcome of the valuation, the matter will be reported to the appropriate state bar association.
4. Recording Notice
   All communication devices (including phones and computers) are configured to allow for audio recording. Recordings will be made as necessary to document any attempts at improper influence or misconduct.

Verification Code Requirement
If you were directed to this page to obtain a verification code, please enter code 737 to confirm that you have read and acknowledged this anti-corruption policy.

Down below are two fictive scenarios of how valuations without anti corruption policies can be manipulated towards a higher value, or a lower value.

John Doe´s Art LLC is the life work of John and he is very proud of it. He has an art studio in Manhattan, but his business is barely breaking even, due to his low volume and expensive rent. This is despite him not having taken a salary since moving the studio out of his home. An acquaintance of his, who is also very interested in art, has shown interest in buying into his business. This is exactly what John would need, not only for his business to survive, but also for his dream to continue.

He brings in a business valuator, but when the business valuators starts asking questions about his financials, he gets defensive, trying to deflect the conversation back to his amazing paintings and the prime location. Once the valuation is done, and gets sent to John, he claims that the business valuator didn’t appreciate the amount of work that he puts into his art, nor that the business valuator understood art. Therefore, he says that he is unhappy with the valuation, as it wasn’t the same number that he had wanted. He refuses to pay the invoice, until he gets the number that he believes that he deserves for his 25 years of experience of creating paintings. The business valuator complies only to get it over with, and get paid.

John Doe Furniture Manufacturing Inc is a family owned business since 1948. The 8000 sq ft manufacturing plant has several new pieces of machinery, and is located on the family property. Since it is a manufacturing company, it is asset intensive. When Jane Doe files for divorce, he tries his best to shop around for a valuation that is as low as possible.  As John Doe shops around, he explains the situation and most business valuators he talks feel his emotional attachment to his family business. None of the business valuators want him to lose his business.

John Doe eventually chooses a business valuator, but when the valuation turns up “normal”, he disputes it, as he claims to disagree with the business valuator. He says that he is unwilling to pay the invoice until they reach an agreement. The business valuator eventually gets too emotionally involved with his client, and decides that he wants to save him from losing his business, while at the same point wanting to get paid himself. John Doe gets what he wants.