Gurr Johns works closely with private collectors, family offices, lawyers, brokers, fiduciaries and beneficiaries to provide appraisals of tangible personal property. From the valuation of a single object to the comprehensive management of art collections the world over, Gurr Johns specialists value over $10 billion in assets annually.
Our global network of 160 specialists offers expertise across all asset categories. In the United States all our experts are compliant with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP).
Our fully illustrated appraisal reports are a valuable resource for clients and their advisors. A Gurr Johns report includes cataloguing details, notes on provenance and condition, current location and the appropriate value for each item listed. All our appraisals are executed with the highest level of professional integrity and client confidentiality is rigorously maintained.
We provide values for the purposes of:
Tax & Estate Planning
We provide appraisals and valuations for estate and inheritance tax, gift tax, donation (income tax), estate planning and art leasing. Gurr Johns has extensive experience preparing qualified valuations and appraisals that are submitted to government bodies, including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the United States, and HMRC in the United Kingdom. In the United States, our appraisal reports comply with the standards and principles of USPAP as required by the IRS for appraisals of tangible personal property for estate and income tax purposes. Our dedicated Trusts & Estates department includes lawyers who advise on appraisals for a range of tax purposes including tax controversies, offers “in lieu”, litigation and matters appearing before the Art Advisory Panel (US) and Arts Council England.
Family Division & Matrimonial Disputes
We provide fair market value and marketable cash value appraisals for divorce and the equitable division of assets, including expert witness testimony and the preparation of expert reports. Our professionals work with the top matrimonial lawyers in the country to provide confidential expert services in high-profile cases involving fine art and other tangible property.
Insurance
Our retail replacement values are accepted by all leading insurance carriers to ensure that your artworks, jewelry, wine and other valuables are appropriately insured. Our proprietary annual updating service keeps the value of our clients’ tangible assets in line with current markets.
Damage & post-loss
We assess the loss in value for art and objects that have been damaged or improperly restored. We also provide values in the event of a theft or unexplained disappearance of tangible property. Gurr Johns offers a range of valuation services to support the claim process.
Art Loan
We provide fair market value and marketable cash values for using art as collateral. Gurr Johns regularly works with major banks and specialty lenders. We are approved vendors at most financial institutions, providing a seamless appraisal experience for our clients.
Potential Sale
We provide values to determine the appropriate price for items at auction or private sale.
Expert Witness
Our art specialists serve as experts in cases related to value, damage, tax controversies, appraisal methodology and best practices in the buying and selling of art. Our specialists are well versed in deposition, expert preparation, testimony and the production of expert reports. These projects are closely managed by the attorneys on staff, providing superior client service as well as unparalleled specialist expertise.
Annual Updating Service
Our digital Annual Updating Service is an easy, low-cost and secure way to ensure that the values of your fine art and valuables can be kept up to date without the need for regular revisits by our valuers. An essential tool for both private and public collections, it uses a comprehensive index system formulated by our network of international experts.
The process starts with your most recent Gurr Johns Insurance valuation. Each item of fine or decorative art is assigned a category code covering more than 450 sectors of the art market. Every year, Gurr Johns’ experts review each category and apply an indexation calculated on market movements at public auction and on the private market over the previous twelve months; this includes increases as well as any downward adjustments. This is then applied to each coded item in your collection, while all items marked as exceptional are individually checked.
This is a digital service and you are notified of the changes by email. A summary is normally sent to your broker, while you can access a full, detailed report.