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Service Bankruptcy · Schedule A/B · Bail Bond

Independent bankruptcy & bail bond appraisals — Utah

USPAP-compliant real estate appraisals for Chapter 7, 11, and 13 bankruptcy Schedule A/B filings, cramdown and lien-strip motions, and real-estate-secured bail bond collateral. Independent, non-AMC. Signed by a Utah Certified Residential Appraiser (Lic. 10948175-CR00). Engaged by bankruptcy attorneys, debtors, trustees, secured creditors, and Utah bonding agents.

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Dan Miner · Certified Residential Appraiser · Utah Lic. 10948175‑CR00

What is a bankruptcy or bail bond appraisal?

A bankruptcy appraisal is a USPAP-compliant real estate appraisal prepared for use in a Chapter 7, 11, or 13 bankruptcy filing or a contested-value motion. The four most common uses: populating Schedule A/B with a defensible real-property value at the petition date; supporting cramdown of a secured claim under 11 U.S.C. § 506 (where the allowed secured claim is reduced to the value of the collateral); supporting lien-strip motions on wholly under-secured junior liens; and supporting plan-confirmation valuation hearings where the debtor's proposed treatment turns on collateral value.

A bail bond appraisal is the same work product applied to a different intended use: when a defendant pledges real estate as collateral for a bail bond, the bonding company (and ultimately the court) needs a defensible appraisal of the pledged property to confirm the equity available to secure the bond. Utah bonding companies and courts expect a signed USPAP appraisal by a state-certified appraiser as the evidentiary baseline.

When do you need one?

Schedule A/B real-property valuation at petition. The signed appraisal becomes the petition's value of record; trustees and creditors rely on it.
Cramdown under § 506. When the debtor seeks to reduce an under-secured creditor's allowed secured claim to the value of the collateral, an independent appraisal is the evidence the court weighs against the creditor's appraisal.
Lien-strip of wholly under-secured junior liens. Where the second or third lien is entirely under-water, lien-strip motions require an appraisal showing the value falls below the senior lien balance.
Plan-confirmation valuation hearings. Chapter 11 and Chapter 13 plan-confirmation often involves contested collateral values; an independent appraisal supports the debtor's proposed plan treatment.
Trustee-engaged valuations. Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 trustees frequently engage appraisers to evaluate exempt-equity claims, abandonment decisions, and sale-vs-retain analyses.
Real-estate-secured bail bond collateral. The bonding company and the court need a current appraisal showing the equity available against the bond amount.
Creditor-side challenges. Secured creditors challenging a debtor's claimed value need their own independent appraisal as the rebuttal evidence.

Our process

Attorney or agent intake. Send the property address, the intended use (Schedule A/B, cramdown, lien-strip, plan confirmation, bail bond), the intended user (debtor, trustee, creditor, bonding company, court), and any deadline. We confirm scope and quote a fee in writing — usually within one business day.
Engagement. Engagement letter names the engaging party and the intended use explicitly. For contested-value matters (cramdown, lien-strip), the report is scoped from the start for evidentiary use at a valuation hearing.
Inspection. Interior and exterior of the property, with photographs and measurement. For occupancy-restricted or stay-protected properties, we coordinate access through the engaging attorney; if access is impossible, we'll convert to a desk appraisal with explicit assumptions disclosed.
Comparable research. Three to five closed comparable sales weighted for proximity, similarity, and time. For cramdown and lien-strip work, the comparable analysis is documented to a litigation standard so it survives a contested-value hearing.
Report and delivery. A 25–40 page narrative report with cover-page certification, signed by the appraiser, transmitted as a PDF. Typical turnaround: 5–7 business days from inspection access for Schedule A/B; 7–10 days for contested-value cramdown/lien-strip work. Rush available for filing or hearing deadlines.

Fees and turnaround

Bankruptcy appraisal fees for Schedule A/B price near our standard residential baseline. Contested-value work (cramdown, lien-strip, plan-confirmation) prices higher because the report is more thoroughly developed for evidentiary use. Bail bond appraisals price near baseline as well. Deposition or hearing testimony, when needed, is billed hourly above the report fee; the engagement letter discloses all rates up front. Submit a quote request with the property address and intended use for a firm number within one business day.

Turnaround is 5–7 business days from inspection access for standard work and 7–10 days for contested-value matters. Rush turnaround is available for filing deadlines, contested-valuation hearings, and bail bond timelines; flag the deadline at engagement.

Why hire an independent (non-AMC) appraiser for bankruptcy and bail bond work

AMCs are a lender-driven channel and do not handle bankruptcy or bail bond engagements. You hire the appraiser directly and pay the appraiser directly — clean fee structure, direct communication, no AMC middleman. The report is prepared specifically for the actual intended use rather than reshaped from a refinance template.

For contested-value bankruptcy work the direct-engagement record matters even more: the bankruptcy court expects a named, engaged-by-attorney appraiser who can be deposed and can testify at a valuation hearing — not an AMC-rotation appraiser whose engagement chain is opaque. Miner Appraisals is owner-operated. The appraiser who answers the inquiry is the appraiser who inspects the property and signs the report. The license number on the cover page is verifiable directly at secure.utah.gov/llv/search. See our full credentials and license verification page.

Frequently asked

A USPAP‑compliant real estate appraisal prepared for use in a Chapter 7, 11, or 13 bankruptcy filing or contested‑value motion. The most common uses are populating Schedule A/B with a defensible real‑property value, supporting cramdown of a secured claim under 11 U.S.C. § 506, supporting lien‑strip motions on wholly under‑secured junior liens, and supporting plan‑confirmation valuation hearings.

Schedule A/B requires a value for the real property at the time of filing — a current market value opinion. A cramdown valuation under § 506 is contested: the secured creditor will frequently produce its own appraisal, and the bankruptcy court ultimately determines value at a valuation hearing. Cramdown work is litigation‑grade and prepared anticipating cross‑examination of the appraiser at the hearing.

When a defendant pledges real estate as collateral for a bail bond, the bonding company (and ultimately the court) needs a defensible appraisal of the pledged property to confirm the equity available to secure the bond. A USPAP‑compliant appraisal by a state‑certified appraiser is the standard evidence Utah bonding companies and courts expect.

Yes. Standard turnaround is 5–7 business days from inspection access; rush turnaround is available for filing deadlines, contested‑valuation hearing dates, and bail bond timelines. Flag the deadline at engagement — earlier the better.

Yes. For contested‑value matters (cramdown, lien‑strip, plan‑confirmation), deposition and hearing testimony are available, billed hourly with travel. Most Schedule A/B engagements never reach a contested hearing — the signed report is filed with the petition and adopted by all parties — but the report is prepared from the start as if testimony may be required.

Either. Most engagements come through debtor's counsel as part of the petition preparation. We also work directly with Chapter 7 trustees, Chapter 13 trustees, and creditors (including secured creditors challenging a debtor's valuation). The engagement letter names the intended user — debtor, trustee, creditor, court — so the report is admissible for the actual purpose.

AMCs are a lender‑driven channel and do not handle bankruptcy or bail bond work. You hire the appraiser directly and pay the appraiser directly — clean fee structure, direct communication, report prepared specifically for the actual intended use. For bankruptcy, the direct‑engagement record is also what the bankruptcy court expects when valuation is contested.

Coverage

Bankruptcy and bail bond engagements regularly across Salt Lake County, Utah County, Davis County, Summit County, Wasatch County, Tooele County, Morgan County, and Weber County. Travel beyond these counties available for attorney work — ask.