Engagement Letter

Engagement Letter with Empire Appraisal Group, Inc.

Thank you for selecting Empire Appraisal Group, Inc. to serve as your property appraisal company. The purpose of this engagement letter (“Agreement”) is to outline the nature of the engagement and our respective responsibilities.

Scope of the Engagement: The purpose of this Agreement is to estimate the fee simple market value of the subject property. Pursuant to your request, this Agreement relates to the Appraisal of the real property located at:

The intended use of the Appraisalis to evaluate the aforementioned real property for:

The effective date of the Appraisal is the observation date, unless otherwise stated:

MM slash DD slash YYYY

Additional intended users (if any):

There are no other intended users for the Appraisal. No Third-Party Reliance. No person or entity other than the Client and any named intended user(s) may rely on the Appraisal without the prior written consent of Empire and the signing appraiser(s).

Methodology and Standards: The Appraisal will be developed and reported in accordance with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) as adopted by the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board, including USPAP Standard 2 (Appraisal Report), the Ethics Rule, and the Record Keeping Rule. Fees are not contingent on a predetermined value or event, and Empire will not require any appraiser to reach a specific value or to complete work on a timeline inconsistent with USPAP.

Fees and Delivery: The fee for this appraisal assignment is $

Payment is due in full prior to delivery of the appraisal report and may be made by cash, check, Zelle, Venmo, or credit card. If payment is made by credit card, a clearly disclosed processing fee may be applied in accordance with applicable law and card-network rules; any such fee will be disclosed prior to payment authorization.

The timing of the appraisal report delivery will depend on the date of property observation, receipt of all required information from the client, and access to the subject property. Accordingly, delivery timing may vary by assignment, and no specific turnaround time is guaranteed. The completed appraisal report will be delivered electronically in PDF format.

Testimony Related to this Agreement, Appraisal and Real Property: Any testimony, whether as a lay witness, fact witness or expert witness testimony, that is related to this Agreement or this Appraisal, or the above-mentioned real property will be billed separately. Currently, our hourly rate is $375 per hour, based on (1) travel time; (2) deposition and/or Court preparation time; and (3) deposition and/or Court testimony, including waiting time.

A $1,500 retainer fee is required fourteen (14) days in advance of any Court-related appearance or deposition. We bill our rates in fifteen (15) minute intervals. Our billing rates may be reasonably adjusted from time to time, but not more frequently than annually. We will notify you of any such adjustments reasonably in advance of their effectiveness.

Expenses related to Testimony: In addition to our fees, in the course of providing services to you, we may incur expenses for services including printing, photocopying, delivery services, telephone usage, postage, fax transmissions, document binding, computerized research, fees, cost of the transcript of any deposition or testimony, travel, lodging, and meals. The actual expenses incurred depend on the services that we provide to you.

Communication: We will keep you informed of status and consult with you as appropriate. You agree to provide complete and accurate information and reasonable access.

Termination of Representation: Upon written notice, you may terminate our services at any time. Termination does not relieve you of the obligation to pay for services rendered and expenses incurred through the effective date of termination.

Confidentiality and Record Keeping: Empire will maintain the confidentiality of information obtained during the assignment and will comply with all lawful subpoenas or court orders; such compliance does not constitute a breach of confidentiality. The appraisal workfile is the property of the appraiser/Empire and is not part of the deliverables. The workfile will be retained for at least five (5) years, or two (2) years after final disposition of any judicial proceeding in which testimony related to the assignment was given, whichever is longer.

Other Client and Matters: You agree not to use the fact of our current or prior engagements in other matters to enhance or diminish the credibility of our opinions or testimony in this matter.

Hold Harmless and Limitation of Liability: The Client agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Empire Appraisal Group, Inc., its owners, appraisers, contractors, and employees from and against any and all liabilities, losses, damages, claims, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating to this engagement, except to the extent caused by Empire’s negligence, gross negligence, or willful misconduct. In no event shall Empire be liable for incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages. In all cases, Empire’s total cumulative liability for all claims of any kind shall not exceed the total fees actually paid to Empire under this Agreement.

Choice of Law and Forum: This Agreement is governed by Florida law. You agree that the courts located in Broward County shall be the exclusive forums for litigation concerning this Agreement.

Entirety: This Agreement is the entire agreement and may be amended only by a signed writing.

Acceptance: Please review this Agreement carefully and let us know if you have any questions or concerns. If you agree to the terms of this letter, please sign it and return it.


We appreciate the chance to be of service and look forward to working with you.

Very truly yours,

State Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser
Florida RD5174

Client(s)
Document Executed on:
MM slash DD slash YYYY
Referred by

Engagement Letter