Auto Praise is an independent, USPAP-compliant vehicle appraisal firm in Coconut Creek, Florida. Every appraisal is performed personally by Daryl Zelinski , a Florida Licensed 6-20 All Lines Insurance Adjuster, I-CAR Platinum Certified Auto Physical Damage Appraiser, ASE Master Certified Technician, and Certified Auto Appraiser through both the Bureau of Certified Auto Appraisers (IACP) and the American Society of Certified Auto Appraisers (ASCAA). Those credentials are listed below with the certificates themselves, because an appraisal is only as good as the person who signed it , and in a diminished value or total loss dispute, the other side will look.

Daryl Zelinski — Founder and Lead Appraiser

Daryl has spent over 34 years in the automotive industry. The first ten were hands-on, working as a dealership technician with a wrench in his hand. The next twenty-plus have been spent on the claims side , as an inspector, appraiser, and licensed adjuster, including several years handling mechanical claims and damage appraisals for insurance carriers.

That carrier experience is the reason Auto Praise exists. Daryl knows how a total loss valuation gets built, which comparable vehicles get pulled and which get quietly left out, and where a diminished value calculation tends to fall short.

Licenses and Certifications

Florida Licensed 6-20 All Lines Insurance Adjuster

Florida Department of Financial Services · License #W889971 · Issued August 23, 2022

The 6-20 All Lines license is the broadest adjuster license the State of Florida issues. It authorizes the holder to adjust claims across all lines of insurance, and it carries continuing education requirements and direct accountability to the Florida CFO’s office. Most people writing appraisal reports in Florida do not hold one.

I-CAR Platinum Certified Auto Physical Damage Appraiser

I-CAR Professional Development Program · Platinum recognition

I-CAR sets the training standard for the collision repair industry. Platinum is the individual recognition awarded for completing a high level of ongoing technical training in the Auto Physical Damage Appraiser role, and it has to be maintained with annual coursework ,it is not a one-time test. It matters on a damage appraisal because modern vehicles have advanced driver assistance systems, aluminum and high-strength steel structures, and calibration requirements that a repair estimate written five years ago would have missed entirely.

ASE Master Certified Automobile Technician

National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence · Master Automobile Technician · Held for over 25 years

ASE Master status requires passing and maintaining all eight core automobile certifications: engine repair, automatic transmission and transaxle, manual drive train and axles, suspension and steering, brakes, electrical and electronic systems, heating and air conditioning, and engine performance. Every one of them has to be recertified on a rolling schedule. Daryl has held Master status for more than 25 years, which is what allows an Auto Praise report to speak to the mechanical condition of a vehicle and not just the sheet metal.

Certified Auto Appraiser , Bureau of Certified Auto Appraisers (IACP)

Certificate #9970615254471121 · Effective June 15, 2025 · Valid through June 15, 2027

The BCAA certification confirms compliance with USPAP , the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. This is the credential that most directly governs how an Auto Praise report is written, what it has to disclose, and how the value conclusion has to be supported.

Certified Auto Appraiser , American Society of Certified Auto Appraisers (ASCAA)

License #ASCAA-CERT-3199 · Conferred September 2026

ASCAA confers the Certified Auto Appraiser designation on recommendation of its Board of Directors, to appraisers who meet its requirements for experience and professional standards.

What USPAP Compliance Actually Means for Your Claim

USPAP is the professional standard that governs appraisal work in the United States. In practice, a USPAP-compliant appraisal has to do three things: state the appraiser’s scope of work and any limiting conditions up front, support the value conclusion with identified and verifiable market data rather than an opinion, and disclose whether the appraiser has any interest in the outcome.

That last point is the one that carries weight in a dispute. An appraisal that does not disclose its methodology is easy for a carrier to set aside. One that shows its work — the comparable vehicles used, where they came from, and how each adjustment was calculated — is considerably harder to dismiss, and it is what an attorney needs if a claim moves toward litigation or the appraisal clause.

Why This Matters in a Diminished Value or Total Loss Claim

An insurance carrier’s appraiser is qualified. The question is who they are qualified for. In a diminished value claim, the carrier’s number and the market’s number are frequently not the same, and the gap is rarely in the vehicle owner’s favor. The same is true in a total loss valuation, where the comparable vehicles selected can move the settlement by thousands of dollars.

Credentials do not decide a claim. What they do is make an independent report difficult to wave away , and give the adjuster on the other end a reason to read it carefully rather than reflexively reject it. You can read more about the firm and how it operates on the About Auto Praise page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Florida adjuster license required to perform a vehicle appraisal?

Florida does not license “auto appraisers” as a separate profession, which means anyone can call themselves one. A 6-20 All Lines Adjuster license is a state-issued credential with continuing education requirements and accountability to the Florida Department of Financial Services. It is not required to write an appraisal report , which is exactly why it is worth asking whether the person writing yours holds one.

What is a USPAP-compliant appraisal?

USPAP stands for the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. A USPAP-compliant appraisal discloses the appraiser’s scope of work and limiting conditions, supports its value conclusion with verifiable market data, and states any interest the appraiser has in the outcome. It is the standard that makes a report defensible if the claim is disputed.

Can I verify these credentials independently?

Yes, and you are encouraged to. The Florida adjuster license can be looked up by license number through the Florida Department of Financial Services licensee search. ASE certification status can be confirmed through the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. Certificate numbers for each credential are listed above.

What areas does Auto Praise serve?

Auto Praise is based in Coconut Creek and serves Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, with statewide Florida coverage available for total loss and diminished value assignments.

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Talk to a Certified Appraiser

If you are dealing with a diminished value or total loss claim and want it reviewed by someone who has worked both sides of it, call or send the details and Daryl will tell you honestly whether an appraisal is worth your money.

Call 754-210-9807  |  Request a Consultation

Auto Praise Vehicle Evaluation Services
6810 N State Rd 7, Suite 332, Coconut Creek, FL 33073