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HomeEvidence CodeDiv. 7Ch. 1Art. 2§ 816 Comparable Property Valuation Basis

§ 816 Comparable Property Valuation Basis

Evidence Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 816 Comparable Property Valuation Basis

Key Takeaways

  • •When figuring out how much a property is worth, you can look at the price of similar properties sold nearby.
  • •The sale must be recent and the property must be similar in size, type, and location to the one you're valuing.
  • •The sale must be fair and honest, not forced or fake.

Example

You want to sell your house and need to decide on a fair price.

You can check how much other houses like yours in the same neighborhood sold for recently. If a similar house down the street sold for $300,000 last month, that can help you set your price.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 816 Comparable Property Valuation Basis

When relevant to the determination of the value of property, a witness may take into account as a basis for his opinion the price and other terms and circumstances of any sale or contract to sell and purchase comparable property if the sale or contract was freely made in good faith within a reasonable time before or after the date of valuation. In order to be considered comparable, the sale or contract must have been made sufficiently near in time to the date of valuation, and the property sold must be located sufficiently near the property being valued, and must be sufficiently alike in respect to character, size, situation, usability, and improvements, to make it clear that the property sold and the property being valued are comparable in value and that the price realized for the property sold may fairly be considered as shedding light on the value of the property being valued. (Added by Stats. 1965, Ch. 1151.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

comparable propertygood faithdate of valuationcharactersizesituationusabilityimprovements

Related Statutes

  • § 818 Lease Valuation Basis Rules
  • § 1100 Character Evidence Admissibility
  • § 1101 Character Evidence Admissibility Rules
  • § 1410 Authentication Of Writings
  • § 1410.5 Graffiti Evidence Admissibility

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Evidence Code. Section 816.
View Official Source