When two appraisers disagree,
we settle the value.
When the vehicle owner's appraiser and the insurer's appraiser can't agree on a totaled vehicle's actual cash value, both sides can jointly select SecondAppraisal as the neutral appraisal umpire (also called the third appraiser). Becoming your documented umpire of record is completely free — no card, no charge. A $248/side step-in fee applies only if both appraisers ask us to render a written determination, collected before valuation work begins.
Free umpire / third appraiser of record · $248 per side only if we step in to determine the value · mutually selected
How an umpire / third appraiser engagement works
Start the engagement
Either appraiser starts with the vehicle details (the VIN is required so we can run a conflict-of-interest check) and confirms their side — free, no card required.
Both sides confirm the umpire
We invite the opposing appraiser to confirm too, and both parties sign the umpire / third appraiser selection agreement. Documenting us as your umpire of record — the signing, preservation, and both-party access — is free, and we don't review the parties' appraisals unless we're asked to step in.
We value the vehicle
If the appraisers reach agreement themselves, we record an Affirmation of Settlement of their agreed value and you pay nothing at all. If both sides ask the umpire / third appraiser to determine the actual cash value, a $248/side step-in fee is collected before valuation work begins, and we issue a signed appraisal award. Where the policy's appraisal clause provides, the agreement of any two appraisers is binding as to actual cash value.
Jonathon Thomas, MSF, CPCU, AIDA
Appraiser / Umpire / Third Appraiser
Engagements are led by Jonathon Thomas, holding the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Associate in Insurance Data Analytics (AIDA) designations and a Master of Science in Finance. Every award is grounded in current comparable-market evidence and the policy's appraisal provisions.
Why appraisers choose SecondAppraisal as umpire / third appraiser
Neutral and independent — we represent no party in the matter, only the evidence.
Becoming your documented umpire / third appraiser of record is free — $248/side applies only if both appraisers ask us to determine the value, collected before valuation work begins.
Settle it between yourselves and pay nothing at all — we record an Affirmation of Settlement of your agreed value.
Either appraiser can confirm their side or forward the secure link to their client or the insurer.
Comparable-market research and a defensible, signed appraisal award.
Both appraisers jointly select the umpire / third appraiser and sign a selection agreement up front.
Conflicts & independence
- We run a VIN conflict-of-interest check on every engagement.
- We never serve as umpire on a vehicle we've previously appraised for either party — that's why we ask for the VIN.
- As umpire, we represent no party in the matter — only the comparable-market evidence and the policy's appraisal provisions.
- Both appraisers confirm the umpire / third appraiser before we review either side's substantive material — and no fee is collected unless both sides ask us to step in.
Ready to resolve the dispute?
Start an engagement in a few minutes. We'll handle the rest.