The Valuation of Public Service Corporation Property: Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers,; vol. LXXII, June, 1911, ASCE 1190Riggs, Henry Earle
General
The Valuation of Public Service Corporation Property: Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers,; vol. LXXII, June, 1911, ASCE 1190
Public interest demands that, in any valuation, certain figures shall
appear which shall show the amount of _bona fide_ capital actually
existing in the property at the date of appraisal.
The fact that a given amount of money was invested in building a
railroad in 1880, and that certain other sums were spent for additions
in subsequent years, does not necessarily indicate that these amounts of
capital will still be found in the property in 1910.
The removal of timber from surrounding lands, the destruction of
industries and the removal of tracks leading thereto, the destruction of
equipment and facilities, the depreciation in value of adjacent
property, along with wear and tear, and obsolescence, have gone to
effect the destruction or loss of capital on many Michigan railroads.
The case in 212 U. S., 1, clearly directs that the valuation must not
take into account this destroyed capital, but must return a "fair value
of the property as it is."
On the other hand, the amount of money actually spent in producing a
given property in the past may be far below the present value. The
appreciation of value of lands by reason of development of cities and
growth of industries, the increase in cost of the materials entering its
construction, and many other causes, may lead to an appreciation of the
value of the property, and this appreciation should appear in the
valuation and the company be entitled to the benefit of it. It is in the
nature of an increase of the investment, and should appear as capital.
It is clear that there are two classes of elements of value in the final
value of a public service property: those which are physical, and those
which are intangible. There are various of the physical elements of
value which are not material or susceptible of inventory, but which,
nevertheless, attach themselves to the physical property, are capable of
determination, within reasonable limits of certainty, and should be
taken into account and computed as physical property.
In the subsequent discussion of physical and intangible values, it is
attempted to differentiate between such elements as should attach to the
physical value, or capital remaining in the plant, and the purely
intangible or franchise values.
It is contended by the writer:
That the Physical Value, or present value of the physical property,
should fairly represent the actual capital invested in the property at
the date of appraisal; that it should be made up of the sum of the
various elements which constitute the cost of reproducing the property
together with any appreciation which may have been added to any of them,
less all depreciation.
That the Non-Physical Value is the difference between the "fair value"
as defined by the Courts, or the reasonable value of the property as a
business or producing property, and the physical value, or actual
present worth; and that the only proper method for determining such
values involves a study of income accounts.
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