Probate Appraisals in Los Angeles

Commercial property valuations for personal representatives, heirs and probate counsel in Los Angeles County

The estate holds a Koreatown apartment building. Who values it for the court, and what is a separate appraisal for?

Two valuations can exist for the same building, and they answer to different people.

The first belongs to the court file. In a formal California probate the personal representative files an Inventory and Appraisal, Judicial Council form DE-160, within four months after letters are first issued (Probate Code section 8800). The representative values cash and similar items. Everything else, an apartment building, a retail center or a warehouse included, is appraised by a probate referee (Probate Code sections 8901 and 8902) at fair market value as of the date of death. Referees are appointed by the State Controller for a county and designated by the court. The court can order that no referee is required (section 8903); the form has a line for that order.

Judicial Council form DE-160, Inventory and Appraisal and form DE-147, Duties and Liabilities of Personal Representative, both checked October 8, 2026.

The second is a private appraisal. One prepared by Kevin O'Brien, MAI, SRA, California Certified General Real Estate Appraiser, License #3005065, does not take the referee's place in the inventory. It serves the decisions around it:

Tax basis. An heir's federal basis generally starts from fair market value on the date of death. See date-of-death and step-up appraisals.
A sale during administration. Where a sale needs court confirmation, the order form (DE-265) records that a private-sale bid is 90% or more of the appraised value, appraised within one year of the hearing, and the petition form (DE-260) says a reappraisal is required once more than a year has passed. A market-supported opinion can help the representative price the building and weigh offers. It does not replace that benchmark.
A buyout among heirs. When one beneficiary keeps the building and the others are paid, the parties need a value for an agreed interest and date.
Property tax. An inheritance is a change in ownership unless an exclusion applies, and the Assessor revalues the property as of the date of death. If the new assessment looks too high, read property tax appeal appraisals.

Your attorney decides which of these the estate needs, and whether the referee's figure, a separate appraisal, or both belong in the file. Confirm with your attorney or CPA before ordering.

Judicial Council form DE-265, Order Confirming Sale of Real Property and form DE-260, Report of Sale and Petition for Order Confirming Sale of Real Property, both checked October 8, 2026.

Where Los Angeles County probate matters are handled

Probate cases here go to the Probate Division of the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. The court's Probate Division rules say that, with the exception of the North District, all probate matters are filed and heard in the Central District at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles (Local Rule 4.3). A decedent's estate may be filed in the North District, at the Michael Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse in Lancaster, when the decedent lived there or the petitioner does.

Los Angeles Superior Court Local Rules, Chapter 4, Probate Division Rules, checked October 8, 2026. Confirm the current filing location with your attorney.

When the inventory is filed, the representative also files a change in ownership statement with the county recorder or assessor in each county where the decedent owned real property (Revenue and Taxation Code section 480). For a building here, those offices are the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk and the Los Angeles County Office of the Assessor.

California State Board of Equalization, Change in Ownership: Frequently Asked Questions, checked October 8, 2026.

Not every building passes through probate. Where title sits in a trust, ask the trustee's attorney which process applies. The date and tax questions remain either way.

Three things a probate value for a commercial building depends on

Which date?

The inventory looks to the date of death. A sale hearing looks to an appraisal made within the past year. A tax election or a buyout can point to a different day again. Ask counsel for the date in writing.

Which interest?

An estate may hold the whole building, an undivided half, or a membership interest in a company that owns it. A value for the entire property is not automatically the value of a part interest, and a building let on long leases is a different question from the same building empty.

Which income and condition?

A past-date value of income property rests on the leases, collected rents, vacancies and expenses that existed then. A tenant who signed after the death, or a roof replaced since, belongs to a later period.

What to gather before calling

Bring or describe	Why it helps
Letters, the case number and counsel's instructions	Shows who may order the report and who will rely on it.
Address, Assessor's Identification Numbers (AINs) and how title was held	Separates the whole property from the estate's interest.
Rent roll, leases and operating statements from the date of death	Documents income and expenses as they were.
Dated photographs, repair records and work done since	Separates the building's condition then from now.
The filed Inventory and Appraisal, if there is one	Tells everyone which values already exist.
Hearing or filing dates, and an access contact	Lets timing and inspection be planned honestly.

From the first call to the report

Describe the building, the estate's interest, the date and who will use the report.
Kevin reviews the assignment and sends a written scope, fee, and delivery estimate.
You supply the dated records and arrange access.
Kevin analyzes the property under the approaches that apply: income, sales comparison and cost.
The report goes to the agreed recipient. Counsel decides how it is used in the proceeding.

Reports are USPAP-compliant. USPAP governs how the work is done; it does not oblige a court, a referee or an agency to adopt the value. Whether Kevin would appear at a hearing is a separate matter, agreed in writing at engagement.

Fees and timing

The home page says: "Typical fees range from $2,000–$4,000." The cost article says of the site's published fees: "These are starting prices for standard current-value assignments and can increase for larger or more complex properties." A date-of-death assignment looks back in time, so get the fee for your building in writing.

On timing the FAQ page says: "Standard turn time is 1–3 weeks from inspection. Rush appraisals available; complex properties or those requiring extensive income analysis may require additional time." If a hearing date is close, read rush appraisals and call early.

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