Real Estate: Property Inspection Consultants

AVAILABLE NATIONALLY
CERTIFIED RESTORERS * CERTIFIED INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS *
CERTIFIED MICROBIAL REMEDIATION SUPERVISORS * CERTIFIED ENVIRONMENTAL INFECTION CONTROL CONSULTANT * CERTIFIED STRUCTURAL DRYING SUPERVISOR * CERTIFIED INFRARED THERMOGRAPHERS *
IICRC CERTIFIED MASTERS * LIC. GENERAL CONTRACTORS #299472

SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE

 Brian Spiegel and David Spiegel offer expert testimony and consulting services regarding smoke, water, fire, mold contamination property damage restoration, reconstruction, and construction defect related problems. Both have been speakers nationally and internationally on property damage restoration, construction, and mold contamination related topics. In the past at the Property Loss Research Bureau (PLRB) national mold symposium in Charlotte, North Carolina and at the Forensics Consultants Association on toxic mold litigation and mold remediation in Newport Beach, California. In the media, Brian and David have written articles for industry trade magazines and given television and radio interviews, including one with Brian on ABC TV “Good Morning America” featuring a segment on mitigating water damage. 

CONSULTANTS AND EXPERT WITNESS

Mold & Bacterial Contamination Construction Defects Fire & Smoke Damage Industry Standards of Care

Structural Damages Water Damage Sewage Backflow Flooring Forensics

EXPERT SERVICES

Property Damage Contractor Inspections & Formal Reports Cause and Origin Investigations Smoke Particulate Testing Property Insurance Claims Testing

Detailed Construction Estimates Cost Damage Appraisals at Current Industry Pricing Litigation Support Infrared Structural Inspections Concrete Moisture Testing

PROPERTY DAMAGE ASSESSORS

• Residential and Commercial
• Appraisal Process: Appraisers & Umpires
• Contents and Structure

Steven D. Epcar, CPM an Expert in Real Estate and Property Management Issues with 35+ years of experience;including residential, commercial, retail, hotel, condominium and mixed-use properties. Experienced in litigation support including standard of care, partnership conflicts, brokerage issues,landlord/tenant, valuation, personal injury, habitability, environmental, life safety cases. 

Steven is a member of the Forensic Expert Witness Association (FEWA).  He serves as a real estate consultant for institutional and private investors, providing an array of services: asset/property management related assignments, organizational assessments, financial feasibility, due diligence,and new development services. 

Previously, Mr. Epcar served as President, Residential Services for Carmel Partners a R/E investment/management firm in San Francisco, Principal/Founding Partner of Ventana Property Services, a West Coast third party management and consulting firm and President,Prometheus Management Group,a development/investment/management firm.

Jeffrey S. Lapin, CPM®, has been directly involved in Commercial Real Estate Management, Leasing and Construction for over 35 years. He is currently Vice President of Property Management for a privately held national real estate development firm.

Consulting - Mr. Lapin provides commercial real estate operations and maintenance expertise to large and small landlords. His background includes roles with institutional landlords including TIAA CREF, MetLife, The New England Life Insurance Company, and Principal Mutual Life, as well as a diverse group of private property owners. His experience is focused on managing, building and leasing all types of property including commercial and multi-family residential, industrial, office, and retail real estate assets.

Professional Training - Mr. Lapin is an experienced professional trainer specializing in Property Operations, Lease Administration, Cost Recovery, Customer Service, Maintenance Procedures and related topics. Mr. Lapin has conducted over 50 workshops and seminars on these topics.

Certifications and Instruction - Mr. Lapin is a Certified Property Manager (CPM®), certified by the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM®) and a California licensed Real Estate Broker. Mr. Lapin is a certified instructor for IREM® and for the Building Owners and Managers Institute International (BOMI®), teaching courses for these prestigious international property associations, including courses required by IREM® and by BOMI® for the respective professional accreditations they offer, centered around construction and maintenance topics.

Education - Mr. Lapin holds an undergraduate Business Administration degree from the University of Southern California as well as a Master’s Degree in Business from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management.

View Jeffrey Lapin's Expert Witness Profile.

Randall Bell, PhD, MAI is the owner of Landmark Research Group LLC which specializes in Real Estate Damage Economics. By utilizing advanced valuation methodologies, they are able to determine what impact, if any, that a detrimental condition has on property values. His clients include government agencies, oil, insurance and utility companies, corporations, developers, lenders and property owners.

Dr. Bell specializes in environmental contamination, natural disasters, construction defects, complex real estate disputes, crime stigma and other detrimental conditions. As an Expert Witness and Strategic Consultant, Dr. Bell can determine the merits of a claim. His experience and research includes the World Trade Center, Hurricane Katrina, Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test Sites, Chernobyl, Hiroshima, the Oklahoma City Bombing, Mt. St. Helen’s Volcano, the Manoa Hawaii Landslides and many others.

Dr. Bell has a MBA from UCLA and is the author of the book "Real Estate Damages" published by the Appraisal Institute. His career has been profiled by the Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, CNN, ABC's 20/20 and more.

John Gillies is a Chartered Building Surveyor and the Senior Director of Johnson Gillies. Mr. Gillies is frequently involved in dilapidation assessments for Landlords and Tenants. In addition, he is often called upon to produce opinions and evidence in matters of dispute. Mr. Gillies provides Expert Witness reports for legal issues and appears in Court as an expert on construction and related matters.


The firm's Building Consultancy and Expert Services Include:

Surveys: Building, Homebuyer, Vendor, and Measured Surveys. Planned Maintenance, Defects Analysis, and Due Diligence Investigations.

Audits: Fire, Health and Safety, Environmental, Access, and Commercial EPC.

Development Consultancy: Development Monitoring, Party Walls, Planning, Rights of Light.

Construction Consultancy: Contract Administration, Design, Employers Agent, Feasibility Study, Fit Outs, New Build, CDM Co-ordination, Project Management, Refurbishment, Repair & Maintenance.

Landlord & Tenant: Dilapidations, Services and Charges, Licences and Alterations, Photographic Schedules, Schedules of Condition.

Dispute Resolution: Expert Witness, Adjudication, and Arbitration of:

Building Contract Disputes

Cost and Quality of Building Works Disputes

Expert Reports

Legal Evidence at Court

Insurance: Building Reinstatement Valuations and Insurance Loss Assessing.

Indian River Construction Services, Inc., offers many services to Home Owners, Home Owner Associations, Property Managers, and Building Owners. The most licensed construction firm in the state of Florida, they consult on project and building plans to help determine suitability, feasibility and cost controls for:

New Construction - Construction Repairs - Construction Additions - Construction Remodeling - Real Estate Improvements

Indian River Construction also has extensive experience in performing Insurance Adjusting Services as Florida Licensed Public Insurance Adjusters. This means they work for you and not for the insurance company, allowing them to get the best possible insurance settlement from insurance claims, whether that be a fire, flood, or hurricane. 

Andrew Allocco, PE, Principal at Indian River Construction Services is a leading Construction Consultant, Florida Licensed Public Insurance Adjuster, and Real Estate Broker. With over 45 years of experience in his fields of expertise, Mr. Allocco's services are sought by individuals, corporations, developers, and law firms to oversee and advise on construction projects. He is the current owner of construction, real estate, and engineering consulting firms.

Background Experience - Mr. Allocco is the President of Indian River Construction Services, Inc. Prior to his current role, he served as the President of Better Homes Construction Services, Inc. of Miami, Florida, which performed in excess of 40,000 Building Inspections. A Forensic Consulting Engineer, he inspects Commercial, Residential, and Industrial Facilities before, during, and after construction. He assists property owners with complex insurance claims, some of which involve significant and lengthy litigation

Mr. Allocco is not only licensed in the State of Florida as a Professional Engineer and Licensed Public Insurance Adjuster, he holds more licenses both presently active and past than any other individual in the State, including:

BA, SUNY Maritime College, Marine Nuclear Engineering Florida Licensed Professional Engineer Florida Certified General Contractor Florida Certified Mechanical Contractor Florida Certified Air Conditioning Contractor Florida Certified Roofing Contractor

Florida Certified Plumbing Contractor Florida Certified Electrical Contractor Florida Certified Commercial Swimming Pool & Spa Contractor Florida Licensed Home Inspector Florida Licensed Solar Contractor Florida Licensed Real Estate Broker

View Andrew Allocco's Expert Witness Profile.

George Hedley, owner of Hedley Construction & Development Inc., commercial General Contractor and Owners Representative on over 750 projects totaling $700 million ranging from $100,000 to $10 million each and real estate developer of 30 projects totaling over $200 million.  His experience includes office, retail, manufacturing, industrial, warehouse and residential construction and real estate development throughout Southern California.  He provides personal professional hands-on construction and real estate development expert witness consulting services.

Construction expertise includes: construction industry standard practices, cost estimating, budgets, defects, scheduling, general contract & subcontract issues, delays, project management, field supervision, change orders, disputes, claims, field operations, licenses & site inspections.

Real estate development expertise includes: developer standard practices, processes, responsibilities, manager & partner issues, project approvals & permits, architect & engineer coordination, documentation and lender requirements.His experience as the general contractor on over 15,000,000 square feet of commercial projects, real estate project developer on 2,200,000 square feet, past president of 3 construction associations, and well-known national construction industry speaker, allows him to provide detailed expert analysis, convincing presentations and positive results on construction and development issues.   He is a well-recognized construction business expert and published author of books on construction business, cost estimating, field & project management, and construction contracts.  

Construction Standard Practices & Standards Cost Estimating & Cost of Replacement Defects & Site Inspections Claims, Disputes, Conflicts

Schedule Delays & Claims Gen. Contractor, Subcontractor & Owner Disputes Contracts, Change Orders, Payment Field & Project Management

Construction Industry Speaker - Today, along with managing his company, Mr. Hedley owns HARDHAT Presentations, presenting keynote speeches, workshops and seminars to companies and associations. He has received the prestigious ‘Certified Speaking Professional’ designation from the National Speakers Association earned by only 7% of the members. His ‘Profit-Builder’ Programs include topics on Building Leaders, Building Profits, Building Customers and Building Wealth. Construction Business Coaching - Mr. Hedley also provides ongoing professional business Coaching, hosts peer to peer mentor groups, facilitates Strategic Planning retreats for companies, and leads ‘BIZ-BUILDER Boot Camps’ for business owners of construction companies. 

View George Hedley's Expert Witness Profile.

Griswold Real Estate Management has been dedicated to providing superior Property Management, Receivership, and Expert Witness Services for over 30 years. With offices in Las Vegas, San Diego, and Los Angeles, they serve southern Nevada and all five southern California counties. Properties include single family homes, condominiums, apartment communities, homeowners associations, commercial and retail space, and self storage facilities. Griswold Real Estate Management has been awarded the Accredited Management Organization (AMO®) designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM). Across the country, less than 5% of all management firms have earned this distinction, by fulfilling the most stringent requirements in expertise, education, integrity, and financial stability. 

Property Management Services:

Highly Responsive Management Team Aggressive Marketing Plan Comprehensive Tenant Screening Aggressive Rent Collection 24-hour On-call Maintenance

Complete Financial Accounting Annual Budget Preparation Review of Vendor Contracts Vendor Supervision Personalized Service and Expertise

Principal, Robert S. Griswold, CRE, CPM, CCIM, PCAM, CCAM, GRI, ARM, is currently active as a day-to-day hands-on, licensed practitioner, consultant, and expert witness in all aspects of real estate (except valuation). A 3-time graduate of the distinguished Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California with a BS ('81), MBA ('86) and MSBA (2nd Masters) ('88) in real estate and related disciplines, Mr. Griswold is a recognized expert on management of all types of residential real estate. He has actively managed over 60,000 residential units and several million square feet of commercial, industrial, self-storage and retail properties nationally in the last 30 years. He has extensive experience as a court-appointed receiver (nearly 200 times) for private lenders and major financial institutions. 

Author - Robert Griswold is the author of the nationally best selling book on real estate management, Property Management Kit For Dummies, which has sold over 100,000 copies in less than 5 years. He also co-authored Real Estate Investing For Dummies, another bestseller in the category with nearly 100,000 copies sold, and Landlord's Legal Kit For Dummies, published in 2014. 

Media Consultant - Since 1995, Mr. Griswold has appeared as the Real Estate Expert for an NBC-owned affiliate in San Diego and weekly on NBC News This Weekend answering live impromptu questions on any aspect of real estate from viewers. He was the host of the longest running weekly 2-hour live real estate news, information, and advice radio show in the country for over 14 years. The show, Real Estate Today! with Robert Griswold (along with his work for NBC) has won 5 national journalism awards and is unlike other real estate radio shows as his show is non-advertorial in nature.

 View Robert Griswold's Expert Witness Profile.

Julian Forbes-Laird is a Chartered Arboriculturist, Arboricultural Association Registered Consultant, experienced Expert Witness and Principal Consultant of Forbes-Laird Arboricultural Consultancy Ltd. Mr. Forbes-Laird has a professional practice working throughout the UK and overseas. He covers all aspects of arboriculture, specializing in planning, tree safety and litigation related matters.

Mr. Forbes-Laird is supported by a team of regionally based consultants, giving him national and international reach. He sets the standard for client service, works throughout the UK and abroad, provides commercially realistic strategic advice, prepares sensitive yet practical management plans, works within project design teams to evolve arboriculturally defensible layouts, wins planning appeals, and handles an enormous amount of work under pressing deadlines helping clients' achieve the best outcome. 

Mr. Forbes-Laird is widely recognised as an authority on legal issues pertaining to trees and is an experienced Expert Witness. His expert services include Pre-Action Case Evaluation, TPO Prosecutions, Forensic Accident Investigation and Tree Root Damage to Buildings. Other Services Include:

• Planning for Developers and Local Authorities
• Tree Preservation Orders (TPO's)
• Safety Inspections
• Subsidence
• Expert Witness
• Landscape Design

E. Robert Miller has over 40 years of service to the real estate profession and has unrivaled expertise in Property Management Techniques. As President of E. Robert Miller & Associates, he provides Expert Witness Consulting and trial work, educational services and business development services. Mr. Miller has served on over 1,300 cases as an Expert Witness or Consultant in the property management field since 1996. He was the 2004 Northern California Expert Witness Association President. Mr. Miller's experience and thoroughness in research, depositions and trial situations makes him your best choice for an expert witness in property management litigation. Expert in the following types of properties:

Apartments, Homes, Shopping Centers, Office Buildings, Mobile Home Parks, Condominium HOAs, Industrial Buildings, Medical-Office Buildings, Single-Tenant Facilities, Gas Stations, Hotels-Motels. 

Areas of Expertise

• Accident or Assault - Safety/Security Conditions
• Improper Eviction
• Unpaid Rent - Habitability Standards
• Contractor Dispute
• Partnership Dispute
• Bankruptcy
• Animal Control
• Security Deposits
• Association Board Responsibilities/Management Duties

Bedrock Investments Group (BIG) acquires undervalued, strategically located single tenant net leased properties that deliver predictable cash flow to our partners. Their streamlined Commercial Real Estate Acquisition Process, and in-depth Due Diligence, result in noteworthy investment opportunities. BIG's conservative, disciplined approach results in investment performance that provides for consistent cash flow and equity growth. BIG has an exceptional track record of delivering cash flow at above market rates without burdening their properties with debt. 

The team at BIG identifies undervalued net leased properties throughout the U.S. that have solid fundamentals and creditworthy tenants. They acquire and hold these freestanding, single tenant net leased (STNL) properties as long-term investments. Typical sellers include estates, partnerships in dissolution, lender REOs, and investors facing less than three-year lease terms 

Strategies:

• Complete due diligence and acquisition thoroughly and quickly, thereby ensuring the seller of a timely transaction
• Centralize the decision-making process by eliminating the need for many layers of approval
• Evaluate worst case scenarios
• Provide hands-on, active property management at competitive rates

Dr. Dick Bridy, a Principal at BIG, brings over 40 years of broad experience in Commercial Real Estate Acquisitions and Development to the firm. He is the entrepreneurial founder and CEO of DBI Group, a boutique real estate firm specializing in commercial retail centers and single tenant properties. 

Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Bridy developed expertise in team brokerage, leasing, private equity funding, construction, and asset management. From the ground up, he and his team entitled and built two shopping centers and five single tenant properties. In addition, he has supervised the redevelopment of over 3.5 million sq. ft. of gross leasable area in 14 shopping centers. Through extensive research, market valuation, physical inspection, and financial analysis, Dr. Bridy targets ideal properties with maximum economic potential for Bedrock’s portfolio.  

View Dr. Dick Bridy's Expert Witness Profile.

Atlantic Environmental Inc. has provided expert services on Environmental, Health and Safety issues for the past 40 years. We translate highly technical, scientific information into real and practical terms to assist attorneys in providing the best legal advice and direction in litigation issues involving chemical and environmental issues. We have substantial experience in appearing for deposition and trial as an expert witness 

Areas of Expertise:

Chemical Pollution Occupational Disease Mold Testing & Remediation Indoor Air Quality Chemical Toxicity

Industrial Hygiene Toxic Torts Asbestos & Lead Sampling Environmental Claims Property Assessments & Testing

Robert E. Sheriff, MS, CIH, CSP is the CEO and President of Atlantic Environmental Inc which he founded in 1978.. He earned his MS in Preventative Medicine and Environmental Health and his BS in Zoology. Mr. Sheriff was a former Manager of Health Safety & Environmental for Sun Chemical Corporation and an Industrial Hygienist and Loss Control Rep. for Continental Insurance Co. He served in the US Army - Vietnam Era. He is a Past-President of the American Industrial Hygiene Association(AIHA) He has acted as Expert Witness in Asbestos Personal Injury Litigation(Defense), Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Disease, and Indoor Air Quality/Mold over the last 25 years.

Henry P. Shotwell, Ph.D., CIH is the Senior Consultant of Atlantic Environmental Inc. He earned a Ph.D. in Systems Safety Engineering, an MS in Biomedical Sciences and a BS in Biology & Chemistry. Dr. Shotwell is a former Director, IH & Safety for Environmental Waste Management Associates and a former Manager of Health & Environmental Safety for Sun Chemical. He has acted as Expert Witness in a variety of Industrial Hygiene, Mold, and Toxic Tort cases as both plaintiff and defense expert. 

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT EXPERT

Depositions: 800+

Mediations & Arbitrations: 100+

Trial Testimony: 80 in 30 Superior Courts

More than 10,000 properties inspected.

RETAINED BY 400 LAW FIRMS IN 28 STATES

California, Florida, Texas, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ohio

Nevada, Arizona, Washington, South Carolina, North Carolina, Iowa

Hawaii, Idaho, Alabama, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma

Montana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Washington D.C.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Standard of Care; Custom and Practice

Building & Safety Codes

Fair Housing Practices (FEHA)

Personal Injury (Slip, Trip & Fall)

Premises Liability

Landlord/Tenant

PROPERTY TYPES

Multi-family Units Managed: 25,000

Association, Hospitality, & Timeshare Units Managed: 100,000

Associations Managed: 1,000

Commercial Properties Managed: 1,250,000 sq.'

Mobile Home & RV Spaces Managed: 3,800

Single Family Units Managed: 3,500

Commercial Property Inspections Performed: 900

Association Property Inspections Performed: 3,600

Parking lots and Parking Structures: Personal Injury; Snow & Ice