Valuing In-kind Donations

There is a saying among charitable gift planners: “beware of in-kind property donors who show up with valuations in hand.”  In other words, eager donors and their gifts may be too good to be true.  This is folk wisdom that points to a serious issue.  Donors, executors and charities often struggle with in-kind donation valuation.  Who commissions and pays for in-kind donation appraisals, the donor or charity?