BV News and Trends March 2023
A monthly roundup of key developments of interest to business valuation experts.
Have you tried Abbott’s passive appreciation calculator?
In last week’s BVWire, we mentioned that Dr. Ashok Abbott (West Virginia University) has developed an online application that produces a passive appreciation factor on a national level for businesses in the retail sector.
Court do-over to figure passive appreciation for divorce
In an Ohio divorce case, the trial court made an award to the wife based on the full fair market value of the husband’s business.
Maher v. Cmejrek
The wife appealed the trial court’s decisions as to the values of the husband’s interests in his various medical practices and clinics and challenged the trial court’s determination of the husband’s income for support purposes. The appellate court affirmed the values of the medical practices and clinics and remanded the determination of income for support purposes for recalculation.
Indiana Appellate Court Affirms Valuation of Medical Practice Interests of Husband but Remands for Recalculation of Husband’s Income for Child Support
The wife appealed the trial court’s decisions as to the values of the husband’s interests in his various medical practices and clinics and challenged the trial court’s determination of the husband’s income for support purposes. The appellate court affirmed the values of the medical practices and clinics and remanded the determination of income for support purposes for recalculation.
Nix v. Nix
This case concerned an appeal of a trial court opinion in a divorce case in Indiana. The trial court based the value of a warehousing and logistics business on an offer to purchase the business the daughter of the divorcing parties presented at trial. The mother, the owner operator of the business, rejected the offer, made prior to the filing for dissolution of marriage. The appellate court remanded the decision of the trial court for revaluation of the business with instructions to determine a value within the valuation conclusions experts submitted for each party at trial.
Indiana Appellate Court Remands Value of Business—Trial Court Value Based on a Defective Offer to Purchase
This case concerned an appeal of a trial court opinion in a divorce case in Indiana. The trial court based the value of a warehousing and logistics business on an offer to purchase the business the daughter of the divorcing parties presented at trial. The mother, the owner operator of the business, rejected the offer, made prior to the filing for dissolution of marriage. The appellate court remanded the decision of the trial court for revaluation of the business with instructions to determine a value within the valuation conclusions experts submitted for each party at trial.
Cummings v. Cummings
In this appeal of a divorce case in Kentucky, the court determined that the family court did not abuse its discretion in its distribution of the proceeds of the sale of the husband’s veterinary practice. The family court determined that most of the proceeds were enterprise goodwill and, thus, marital property.
Kentucky Court Does Not Consider Date of Marriage Value of Veterinary Practice—Most of Value Is Enterprise Goodwill and, Thus, Marital
In this appeal of a divorce case in Kentucky, the court determined that the family court did not abuse its discretion in its distribution of the proceeds of the sale of the husband’s veterinary practice. The family court determined that most of the proceeds were enterprise goodwill and, thus, marital property.
Wife who foregoes expert can’t complain about the outcome
A marital dissolution case in Illinois is another instance of a party not offering a competing valuation and then appealing the outcome—to no avail.
California Appellate Court Affirms That the Marital Settlement Agreement Should Not Be Set Aside for Alleged Inadequate Disclosures
The husband and wife entered into a settlement agreement as to their divorce that was included in the trial court’s judgment of dissolution. The wife thereafter asked the trial court to set the agreement aside due to, among other things, the husband’s failure to disclose his ownership interests in various businesses. The appellate court found the evidence for her motion(s) to be lacking and affirmed the trial court.
In re Hettinga
The husband and wife entered into a settlement agreement as to their divorce that was included in the trial court’s judgment of dissolution. The wife thereafter asked the trial court to set the agreement aside due to, among other things, the husband’s failure to disclose his ownership interests in various businesses. The appellate court found the evidence for her motion(s) to be lacking and affirmed the trial court.
BVResearch Pro adds another issue of the ASA’s BV Review
Among many other resources, the BVResearch Pro platform contains the full archive of the Business Valuation Review going back to 1982.
BVLaw Review: The Top Valuation Cases of 2022
Here is our pick for the most noteworthy valuation cases that emerged over the past year. They include state and federal court decisions covering many areas of law that enhanced our understanding of valuation issues as they arose in a litigation setting.
Ohio Appellate Court Remands Value of Businesses for Determination of Active Appreciation
This matter involved cross-appeals from a divorce decree in Trumbull County, Ohio. The focus of this digest relates to cross-appeals relating to the values of the husband’s businesses and the matter of active appreciation on those businesses.
Fordeley v. Fordeley
This matter involved cross-appeals from a divorce decree in Trumbull County, Ohio. The focus of this digest relates to cross-appeals relating to the values of the husband’s businesses and the matter of active appreciation on those businesses.
Business Valuation Case Law Yearbook, 2023 Edition
January 2023 PDF, Softcover (195 pages)
BVR (editor)
Business Valuation Resources, LLC
Most States Reject Discounts in Appraisals and Oppression Cases—But There Are Important Exceptions
This article discusses, on a state-by-state basis, the rejection and acceptance of discounts for minority interest and lack of marketability in appraisals and in oppression and voluntary withdrawal cases. Discounts for lack of marketability at the shareholder level are rejected in most jurisdictions, but some states, including California and New York, still permit them.
Recap of the AAML/BVR National Divorce Conference
It was a happy marriage of divorce attorneys and financial experts who gathered together for the AAML/BVR National Divorce Conference in Las Vegas. The AAML is the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
The Two Most Prevalent Methods for Solving the Goodwill Conundrum
Remarks from a session at the AAML/BVR National Divorce Conference conducted by veteran valuers Jay Fishman (Financial Research Associates) and Ken Pia (Marcum) who were joined by attorney Thomas J. Sasser (Sasser, Cestero & Roy).
In re Trapp
The primary issue in this Illinois appeal of a divorce decree dealt with the value of a company owning two buildings. The primary tenant in both buildings was the husband’s electrician business. The trial court accepted the value of the real estate company the husband’s business valuation expert, who was not a real estate appraiser, submitted. The business appraiser valued the two buildings using what the court determined to be “competent evidence.”
Illinois Appeals Court Affirms Trial Court’s Acceptance of Real Estate Value in Absence of Wife’s Submission of a Competing Value
The primary issue in this Illinois appeal of a divorce decree dealt with the value of a company owning two buildings. The primary tenant in both buildings was the husband’s electrician business. The trial court accepted the value of the real estate company the husband’s business valuation expert, who was not a real estate appraiser, submitted. The business appraiser valued the two buildings using what the court determined to be “competent evidence.”
Look Under the Covers: Finding Assets and Income for a Divorce Valuation
Have you ever wondered how Business Valuation and Forensic analysis intercept? We know that financial data in a company’s books and records may not tell the entire story. But do you know how to analyze it to make your valuation more meaningful? This webinar will give you the steps to begin to unravel and follow the money which could lead to more accurate results.
BV News and Trends October 2022
A monthly roundup of key developments of interest to business valuation experts.
Mikalacki v. Rubezic
In this Arizona marital dissolution case, the Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court’s acceptance of a calculation of value to determine the value of a couple’s law practice, awarded to the husband as part of the equitable distribution. Other matters not related to valuation issues were part of the appellate decision.