Air Resources Board: Funding Awards Hearing

December 9, 2011

I got an email from the folks over at the Air Resources Board & thought I’d just pass it along here:

The Air Resources Board staff has posted a Staff Report for the
proposed December 2011 funding awards for the Proposition 1B:
Goods Movement Emission Reduction Program. The Board hearing to
consider these funding awards will be held on December 16, 2011.
Please see the Program website at  http://www.arb.ca.gov/gmbond
for more information.

The $1 billion Proposition 1B:  Goods Movement Emission Reduction
Program is a partnership between the State Air Resources Board
and local agencies (like air districts and seaports) to quickly
reduce air pollution emissions and health risk from freight
movement along California’s trade corridors.  Read more... (161 words, estimated 39 secs reading time)

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Equipment Appraisals: What about Desktop Appraisals?

December 6, 2011

Like most equipment appraisers, I generally discourage equipment desktop appraisals. Most folks who ask for one are making an assumption that a desktop appraisal, since it wouldn’t include a physical inspection of the equipment, would be less expensive, or at least quicker, and usually, it’s not.

That’s not to say that I never do a desktop equipment appraisal. Some situations are fine for desktop appraisals and I have some examples of these in my records:  Read more... (609 words, estimated 2:26 mins reading time)

    • Bankruptcy appraisal for a small pizza kitchen with limited, standard-issue restaurant equipment
    • Amiable divorce appraisal for small farm with a small inventory of standard, well-maintained equipment
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Diesel Equipment Filter Deadlines: January 2012

November 7, 2011

The Air Resources Board’s (ARB) first diesel filter deadline is January 2012, and as a recent release states, “Owners of heavy diesel trucks [in California] … need to act now in order to comply with the Truck & Bus regulation” since the process of ordering and installing the filters can take a few months.

This first deadline involves fleet vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) greater than 26,000 pounds. Lighter diesel trucks (those with GVWR of 14,001 to 26,000 pounds) will have no compliance requirements until 2015.  Read more... (594 words, 1 image, estimated 2:23 mins reading time)

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Tax-Related Appraisals: Section 6701 & Circular 230

November 1, 2011

This is the second half of an article on the consequences of the Internal Revenue Service’s new and significant enforcement initiatives that specifically target abusive tax-related appraisals and the individuals who prepare them. The first half was published in a previous post; the article is authored by Jay Fishman, FASA, Business Valuation Review Editor and Chairman of the American Society of Appraisers Government Relations Committee; Bruce Bingham, ASA, former Chairman of the Business Valuation Committee; and Peter Barash, Government Relations Consultant to the Business Valuation Committee.

Internal Revenue Code Section 6701  Read more... (1945 words, estimated 7:47 mins reading time)

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IRS Targets Abusive Tax-Related Appraisals

October 18, 2011

I thought I’d pass along some information about the IRS’ strategy for Estate Tax Returns and their related appraisal. The moral of the story is to hire a qualified appraiser and save a lot of trouble. Because this article is so long, I’ve broken it into 2 separate posts. The second half will post next week.

By Jay Fishman, FASA, Bruce Bingham, ASA, and Peter Barash  Read more... (1460 words, estimated 5:50 mins reading time)

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Rice Harvest in the Sacramento Valley

October 11, 2011


Rice harvest is underway! As usual, there’s concern about the weather, but harvest started last month with the early maturing varieties and will continue right into November. It’s fun to see all the videos of rice harvesting rolling onto the internet. Most of those videos are from the Sacramento Valley, where most of the rice in the U.S. is grown. All I have to do is take a little drive to see some live action harvesting, practically in my own backyard.  Read more... (461 words, 1 image, estimated 1:51 mins reading time)

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Construction Equipment Appraisals in the 21st Century

October 4, 2011

Construction equipment appraisals are a staple in our business, so I was interested to run across an article in the September issue of MonitorDaily  reporting that values of used construction equipment have been on the rise for most of this year. This corresponds with what I’ve been noticing in values for construction equipment appraisals this year, from an excavator company in March, a crane rental company appraisal in May, a swimming pool construction business in June and, most recently, an Oakland commercial construction company in early August:  Read more... (629 words, 1 image, estimated 2:31 mins reading time)

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Equipment Appraisals in San Francisco? Yes, Indeed!

August 30, 2011

It’s true that there’s not a lot of farming equipment in downtown San Francisco, but that doesn’t mean that San Francisco is an equipment-free area! Look around next time you’re in the Bay Area & notice the plethora of construction equipment, for example. More than a few of the companies involved in building & rebuilding San Francisco are actually based in the city, not only general contractors, but evacuators, equipment rental companies, water work specialists, and transportation services as well as concrete and paving experts. Maybe I’m nuts, but spending a day or 2 in San Francisco inspecting construction equipment or rolling stock sounds like a good time to me.  Read more... (469 words, 1 image, estimated 1:53 mins reading time)

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When Will You Need an Equipment Appraisal?

August 9, 2011

Reasons for equipment appraisals are varied and multiple, as we discover each time we answer the phone here at our Equipment Appraisal office in the Sacramento Valley. Will the appraisal be used for collateral values in a loan for a precision optical manufacturing shop in Oakland, in a Redding trucking company’s attempt to settle a loss claim with an insurance company, or to resolve a family law matter concerning a family farm and food processing plant in Santa Barbara County? Or will the equipment appraisal be used for due diligence by a construction company in Sacramento, a tax appeal for a rice processing plant in Yolo County, a charitable donation tax deduction by a medical manufacturing company in the San Francisco area, or to make decisions about replacing or repairing equipment for an aggregate company in San Jose?*  Read more... (686 words, estimated 2:45 mins reading time)

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Appraising Vintage Aircraft: Aeronca Champs & Stinsons

August 3, 2011

I’ve always loved planes. Doesn’t everybody? Oh sure, I have a special affection because my father was an aviation engineer who used to take me up to the cockpit to meet the pilots in the good ol’ days when flying was still an adventure and a luxury. And in my mom’s family, my favorite uncle was a private pilot who used to fly into family reunions practically glowing with glamor and charm. To this day I will stop anything to watch a vintage airplane sputter or purr across the sky and — of course — I can recognize by sound many aircraft engines before the plane itself comes into view.  Read more... (808 words, estimated 3:14 mins reading time)

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