Founded in 1989, Standard Valuation Services has been recognized throughout the industry for our thoroughness, our skill, and the dedication that we bring to large and small assignments. We are to committed to staying at the forefront of the highest standards of our profession. SVS continues to be actively involved with the Appraisal Institute at the local, regional and national levels.
In 1989, SVS was founded as “Smith Valuation Services” by Matthew and Joanne Smith. The company has since grown to over 30 employees based out of 5 locations.
In 1993, SVS established a practice area focused on municipal valuation projects, helping Nassau County to resolve Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR) cases, to date becoming one of the region’s premier experts in assessment practices and procedures, completing a series of Assessment Revaluations and Systematic Reviews of many individual Villages, Cities and Counties, including the most recent and ongoing Nassau County Systematic Assessment Review of over 390,000 residential parcels and all of the Class 3 Utility parcels.
In early 2000, Andrew Albro formed SVS’s condemnation valuation practice group, service NYSDOT, local municipalities and property owners. To date, the group has completed over 1,000 appraisals for eminent domain procedures for major transportation and urban renewal projects throughout Long Island and New York City. These included complex fee and easement of valuations of oceanfront properties relating to the Fire Island Dune Restoration. The ongoing project helped many of the Fire Island communities, such as Saltaire, Cherry Grove and Davis Park recover from Storm Sandy. Related specialty appraising and expert witness services are regularly provided for real property damages associated with environmental contamination, fire and casualty losses, construction defects, title claims and more.
In 2005, SVS by the Nassau County Department of Real Estate for valuation and consulting services. SVS assisted in an evaluation of the sale and rental of surplus properties, easements and leaseholds, as well as Nassau County’s open space land preservation program.
In 2008, the firm was retained by the Nassau County Attorney’s office to appraise one of the most complex and high profile properties on Long Island – the Roosevelt Field Mall – to defend a tax certiorari claim. SVS’s expert team prepared a thoroughly documented appraisal, with Andy Albro serving as lead expert witness and providing compelling testimony, with Nassau County successfully defending its assessments. Other major shopping centers approved for tax certiorari purposes include the Staten Island Mall, Green Acres Mall and the Source Mall. Standard Valuation Services continues to represent many villages, Nassau County and the City of New York in providing appraisal and expert witness services.
In 2010/2011, SVS was retained on an emergency basis to mass model and value over 65,000 residential properties within Nassau County to aid the Nassau County Attorney’s office settle the lawsuit of Halpern vs. Nassau Country. These valuations were successfully negotiated and completed with the petitioners’ representatives within 3 months.
On October 28, 2012, Superstorm Sandy struck the region and decimated Staten Island and the Long Island area, severely impacting over 2,700 homes and businesses.
In early 2013, SVS was identified by New York State as the only company with the qualifications and resources necessary to quickly mobilize and manage a team to conduct the valuation of several hundred homes within multiple Staten Island neighborhoods. The objective was to provide consistent and reliable “forensic” pre-storm appraisals for affected homeowners in Staten Island and throughout the Southern coast of Long Island, with responsiveness and professionalism. This project has been praised as a tremendous success story.
Since 2013, SVS has been selected to work on behalf of several municipalities to conduct complex high-profile valuation and consultation assignments for large scale, transformative urban renewal and development projects, including:
Village of Hempstead – Downtown Vision & Comprehensive Plan – 32 acres, mixed-use
City of Glen Cove – Garvies Point Redevelopment – 56 acres, mixed-use development
City of New Rochelle – Downtown Redevelopment Program – 12 acres, high-density mixed use
Town of Babylon – “Babylon Rising”; Wyandanch
In 2017, SVS was contracted by the City of New York on behalf of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection to conduct 100+ land appraisals in support of the DEP’s Bluebelt Program. The Bluebelt Program is a multi-decade project to address chronic flooding, preserve existing wetlands and storm water management. Our valuations were in support of a property acquisition program that included properties mapped in floodplains and regulated freshwater wetlands. The appraisals were prepared for NYC and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in compliance with the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions (“Yellow Book”).