PCAPMotors(774) 521-6027
Estate services · Massachusetts

When an estate includes a vehicle.

Two separate services. One phone call. Published flat fees.

When an estate includes a vehicle, the executor needs either a defensible valuation or a documented sale, rarely both, and never from the same conflicted party. We run those as two independent lanes with published pricing, so the fee is known before the work starts and the file reads clean in a court accounting.

Teal 1971 Land Rover Series III parked on gravel
MA Class 2
Licensed dealer
CAGA
Certified appraiser
USPAP
Compliant reporting
Flat fee
No commission, ever
Why the lanes are separate

We never appraise and sell the same vehicle.

An appraiser who earns more when the car sells higher is not an independent appraiser. Under USPAP, that is a disclosable conflict. We eliminate it structurally: the two services run as separate engagements, and one vehicle takes one lane.
Lane one
Veride Appraisals

Independent valuation only. We are paid a flat fee for the report and have no financial interest in any subsequent sale of the vehicle.

Lane two
PCAP Logistics

Extraction and liquidation only. The open auction market sets the price. We are paid a flat logistics fee regardless of what the vehicle brings.

Our fee never moves with the sale price: not a percentage, not a commission, not a bonus on a strong result. That is what lets the executor document an arm’s-length outcome, and why we decline to run both lanes on the same vehicle without written informed consent from the fiduciary.
Lane one · Published pricing

Veride certified appraisals.

Written reports built for probate, estate settlement, insurance and lender requirements. Delivered as a PDF with photographic documentation and comparable sales support.

Prepared by a certified appraiser. Certified reports are delivered within 72 hours of the inspection.

ServiceFlat fee
Standard vehicle appraisal
Certified written report with photo documentation and comparable sales support. Sedans, SUVs, trucks and standard production vehicles.
$350
Classic, exotic or collector
Adds auction comparable research, provenance review and an originality assessment.
$595
Additional vehicle, same estate
Each added vehicle gets its own report section.
$250
Non-certified valuation
A photo-based valuation when you need a defensible number rather than a certified report.
$199
Pre-purchase inspection
An independent look at a car before you buy it.
$450
Fleet and bulk appraisal
Per vehicle, depending on volume and type.
$150–$300
Lane two · Published pricing

PCAP fiduciary liquidation.

We extract the vehicle from the property, recondition it, and run it through a NAAA-regulated closed commercial auction. Net proceeds are wired directly to the firm’s IOLTA trust account with the official auction settlement statement attached.

The fee is deducted from auction proceeds, so the firm is never invoiced and never fronts a cost. We do not take title for resale and we do not bid.

ServiceFlat fee
Standard extraction and liquidation
Running vehicle within 30 miles. Includes transport, reconditioning, auction placement and full settlement documentation.
$950
Additional vehicle, same address
Same trip, same settlement batch.
$650
Non-running vehicle
Winching, flat tires, seized brakes, extended driveway recovery.
+$200
Distance beyond 30 miles
Billed round trip from North Falmouth.
+$2.50/mi
Estate disposal service
For vehicles below roughly $2,000 in expected value. Scrap or charitable donation coordination with the same documentation packet.
$495
Out-of-state liquidation
Remote extraction and auction placement in all 50 states via bonded transport. Transport billed at cost.
$950 + transport
Interim custody · Fiduciary storage
Secure commercial lot storage
$150/mo

Estates often wait four to eight weeks for Letters of Authority, but the family needs the car off the property now. Storage accrues monthly and is deducted from the final settlement. Vehicles in our custody are covered under direct primary garagekeepers coverage, whether or not the decedent’s policy is still in force.

Capacity

The situations we handle.

Estate vehicles arrive in every condition and circumstance. These are the engagements we take routinely.

Probate liquidation
A court-appointed personal representative needs the vehicle converted to cash, with documentation the judge will accept.
Step-up in basis
A CPA needs a defensible date-of-death fair market value for the Form 706 filing.
Divorce and asset division
Family law matters where both parties need a valuation neither side commissioned alone.
Trust administration
Bank trust officers and corporate fiduciaries who need turnkey disposition with an audit trail.
Property staging
Real estate agents with a vehicle blocking a driveway on a listing that needs to go live.
Collector estates
Multi-vehicle collections that need individual valuation, originality assessment and staged disposition.
Non-running and abandoned
Vehicles that have not moved in years. Winch recovery, flat tires, dead batteries, garage extraction.
Out-of-state assets
A winter residence in Florida or the Carolinas. Remote extraction and auction placement nationwide.
Low-value disposal
Vehicles worth less than the cost of a full liquidation. Documented scrap or donation, priced accordingly.
Common questions

Estate vehicle questions, answered.

Plain-English answers for executors, families and the professionals working with them. This is general information, not legal or tax advice, so confirm specifics with your attorney or CPA.

What happens to a car when someone dies in Massachusetts?
The vehicle stays titled in the decedent’s name until someone with legal authority, usually a court-appointed personal representative, transfers or sells it. In the meantime it still needs to be stored, kept insured and not driven. Your probate attorney can confirm who has authority in your situation.
Does an estate vehicle need a certified appraisal?
Often, yes. A certified written appraisal gives the executor, the probate court and the CPA a documented date-of-death value, which is commonly used for IRS Form 706 step-up in basis and for the court accounting. Your attorney or CPA can tell you whether your estate needs one.
Can we sell the car before the Letters of Authority come through?
The person transferring title generally needs legal authority to do so, and Letters of Authority often take four to eight weeks. If the family needs the vehicle off the property sooner, we offer secure interim storage at $150 per month, deducted from the final settlement. Confirm timing with your attorney.
What does it cost to liquidate an estate vehicle?
Standard extraction and liquidation is a $950 flat fee, deducted from the auction proceeds, so the estate is never invoiced up front. Net proceeds are wired to the firm’s IOLTA trust account with the settlement statement attached. A non-running vehicle adds $200, and an additional vehicle at the same address is $650.
Do you serve areas outside Cape Cod?
Yes. We serve Barnstable, Plymouth, Bristol and Norfolk Counties and work statewide. Distance beyond 30 miles from North Falmouth is billed at $2.50 per mile, and we can place out-of-state vehicles through bonded transport.
Is the vehicle insured while it is in your custody?
Yes. Vehicles in our custody are covered under direct primary garagekeepers coverage, whether or not the decedent’s own policy is still in force.

Order a certified appraisal.

Call and we will explain which lane fits your situation. The fee is known before the work starts.