Appraiser and umpire services for attorneys

Skyland accepts appraiser appointments from attorneys for clients on either side of a property insurance claim. Nelson Avila also accepts umpire appointments made by agreement of both appraisers or by a court.

Appraiser for your client

Nelson reviews the appraisal clause and the demand, inspects the property, prepares an itemized estimate of the disputed items and works with the opposing appraiser. Items that cannot be agreed go to the umpire with a written submission and supporting documentation.

Umpire candidate

When the appraisers cannot agree on an umpire, either side may ask a court to choose one under many policies. Nelson can be proposed as a candidate by either side's appraiser or counsel. Before accepting, he runs a conflict check and discloses any prior relationship with the parties, counsel or appraisers. Umpire services ›

What the file will show

• The policy wording relied on and the scope of the dispute
• Inspection notes and photo documentation
• An itemized estimate of each disputed item
• A record of what was agreed, what went to the umpire and why
• The signed award

Fees and independence

Appraiser fees are hourly or flat and never depend on the amount of the award, which keeps the appointment consistent with clauses that require an impartial, disinterested or independent appraiser. How fees work ›