Land Valuation Expert’s Opinions About the Current Market Value of the Properties Admitted
Posted on June 2, 2025 by Expert Witness Profiler
Plaintiffs sought the partition and sale of a Boynton Beach property, a Miami property, and a West Palm Beach property (the “Properties”).
The Defendants sought to exclude the opinions, analysis, and testimony of Lara Swanson, an expert witness retained by Plaintiffs to provide an opinion of current market value for the properties at issue in this case.
Land Valuation Expert Witness
Lara Swanson is the President of Swanson Land Company located in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Swanson has over 20 years of experience in land acquisition, entitlement, and development across Florida.
Discussion by the Court
Swanson’s Qualifications
With regard to the Daubert analysis, the Swanson’s qualifications were not in dispute. However, it was noted that she is not a licensed appraiser and has no formal training in appraisal theory or in the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.
The Court also independently found Swanson to be qualified in light of her credentials, to which she testified during her deposition.
Reliability of Swanson’s Methodology
Swanson’s studies were intended to provide opinions on the current market value of the properties at issue.
The Defendants argued that Swanson’s methodology, which relied on Letters of Intent (LOIs), “did not address any real concerns with ‘lag times’ that are not already adequately addressed by traditional appraisal methods.”
The Defendants further contended that Swanson improperly relied on hypothetical future values of the properties after making various assumptions.
The Court held that Swanson shall be permitted to testify about the current market value of the properties. She shall, however, not be permitted to testify about the hypothetical future values of the properties.
Held
The Court denied the Defendant’s motion in limine to exclude the opinions of Lara Swanson.
Key Takeaway:
Swanson, with her extensive experience in land acquisition, entitlement, and development across Florida, was allowed to testify about the current market value of the properties.
Case Details:
| Case Caption: | Romade Asset Partners, L.P. Et Al V. Lester Et Al |
| Docket Number: | 9:22cv81914 |
| Court Name: | United States District Court, Florida Southern |
| Order Date: | May 22, 2025 |
