This Is What the Opposing Appraiser Submitted. I’m Not Kidding.
When you invoke the appraisal clause, both sides hire an independent appraiser. On a recent dispute involving a 2014 Hyundai Sonata SE 2.0T, the appraiser hired by the insurance company submitted a 2-page template with nothing filled in, nothing attached, and no methodology written anywhere.
My report was 64 pages. Their number was $4,800. Mine was $7,899. The $3,099 difference wasn’t based on two equally supported opinions. It was the difference between an unsupported number pulled out of thin air and a documented valuation.
Below is exactly what arrived in my inbox as the opposing appraisal. What you see first is the complete, final, signed submission from the appraiser hired by the insurance company. Not a draft. The whole thing.
Every page in my report exists because it documents something specific: a comparable vehicle, an adjustment calculation, a service record, a repair order, a signed certification. None of it is filler.
Their report has a section called “Appraiser Summary (Narrative Block)” where the appraiser is supposed to explain their methodology and how they arrived at their number. The narrative section was left exactly as the template ships, with the instructions still in place. Someone wrote $4,800 on page 2, signed their name, and submitted it as an independent professional appraisal under the appraisal clause.
Nothing Was Attached. Nothing Was Written.
The template also has a checklist of every document the appraiser is supposed to include. Here is what they attached for each one:
There is a section in the report specifically for the appraiser to explain their methodology, their reasoning, and how they arrived at their number. It was left exactly as the template ships, with the instructions still in place. Nothing was written there at all.
Why the Documentation Gap Becomes a Dollar Gap
An umpire reviewing two appraisals doesn’t flip a coin. They look at what’s supported. A number with no methodology behind it is hard to defend. A number backed by four sourced comparables, documented adjustments, a service history, and a factory repair order is much harder to dismiss.
The opposing appraiser submitted $4,800 with nothing attached and nothing written. My report documented $7,899 with 64 pages of USPAP-compliant work. The $3,099 gap reflects the difference between those two approaches.
Most policyholders will never see the report the insurance company’s appraiser submitted. If I hadn’t received this one during negotiations, no one outside the appraisal process would have either. That’s exactly why I’m publishing it. I routinely call out reports like this during the appraisal process because they don’t establish a credible opinion of value to begin negotiations from. The purpose of appraisal isn’t to split the difference between two unsupported numbers. It’s to determine the vehicle’s true Actual Cash Value through credible, independent analysis.
Wondering whether your insurance company got your vehicle’s value right? Get a free second opinion on the offer you’ve already received.