Appraisal: Nursery/Tree Farm The most difficult assignment for an arborist or other professional appraiser is evaluating a nursery or tree farm, and the required expertise is exponentially greater if business damages are involved. Further, if the assignment falls under eminent domain, an even greater degree of expertise is required. Nursery and tree farm appraisals are […]
Author: Joe Samnik
Trees or Cut Timber?
January 4, 2022Trees or Cut Timber? In this matter, a new consultant to tree appraisals found herself across from me in an assignment regarding the cutting of trees without permission, and a trespass. A logger clear-cut 10 acres of standing pine trees on a property that did not belong to his client. A misunderstanding at best. A […]
The Settlement Mystery of Trees and Landscapes
December 14, 2021The Settlement Mystery of Trees and Landscapes Nothing evokes frustration, anger, and other awkward reactionary behavior like a claim for trees or landscapes. Something unexplainable occurs when the subject of appraising trees and landscapes occurs. The same thing happens in legal disputes. Pros simply don’t know how to approach just compensation regarding trees and landscapes. […]
Coconuts, Palm Trees, & Personal Injury
December 7, 2021Coconuts, Palm Trees, & Personal Injury: Landscape Architects Beware! Palm trees are the poster child for anything tropical. They muster the emotions of going on vacation to an expensive island where grapes will be popped into the visitor’s mouth. Rum drinks and sunsets. Parrots and blue waters. And personal injury, and lawsuits. No other regional […]
Trees Used as Spite Fences
November 30, 2021Did you know that trees are often used as “spite fences”? They’re a beautiful amenity, until they are not. The shade they provide often is an encumbrance, especially to a neighbor trying to grow a vegetable garden. The shade is also most welcome until the leaves and branches start falling onto a neighbor’s property. A […]
Limbs and trees fail …
November 16, 2021Limbs and trees fail. It happens all the time as a natural process of nature, and it’s a good thing, unless there is somebody or something under the limb or the tree. When that occurs, it is seldom viewed as an accident by the person who was the object of stopping gravity or their surviving […]
Way Down Upon a Deadly River …
November 5, 2021Way down upon a deadly river – a canoe trip and a fallen tree create a sudden and sad ending for a traveler. What better way to spend a lazy afternoon than a downstream trip in a canoe on one of Florida’s many scenic rivers. Beautiful weather 12 months a year. Well-maintained state parks. Crystal-clear […]
Beyond the Landmark Court Case, Daubert
October 12, 2021It is not necessary that you be a testifying expert well credentialed in a particular subject matter or a marquee consultant known across the land for your brilliance. However, you should have at least a passing knowledge of the landmark court case, Daubert (versus Merrill Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc.). Daubert is a United States Supreme Court […]
Litigating the Garden of Eden
September 20, 2021Can you imagine litigating the Garden of Eden? There were enough issues and problems that Adam and Eve had regarding the protected fruit in the Garden of Eden. Fortunately for them and all concerned, no attorneys were involved in the population mix of individuals considering the consumption of produce in the Garden. The lure of […]
Comparable Pricing: Separating Winners from Losers in the Marketplace
August 17, 2021The single most misunderstood component of appraisals is comparable pricing. It is not discussed in any featured manner or industry publications or presented at seminars or workshops. The lack of knowledge regarding the subject matter has led to more professional failures when appraising than any other single component. Conversely, comparable pricing is responsible for the […]