Major Purchase Evidence Standard
A transparent framework for separating official records and professional reports from estimates, marketing claims, and unsupported assumptions.
The five evidence levels
- Primary official records. Government registries, titles, permits, tax records, recalls, court or lien records, and regulator-issued materials.
- Regulated or credentialed professional reports. Inspections, surveys, appraisals, legal opinions, tax advice, engineering reports, and insurance underwriting documents.
- Executed commercial documents. Signed contracts, invoices, service records, financing disclosures, insurance binders, warranties, and closing statements.
- Independent market evidence. Documented comparable transactions, recognized pricing databases, auction results, and third-party research with disclosed methods.
- Unverified claims. Seller statements, projections, informal estimates, promotional materials, and assumptions that have not been independently confirmed.
Minimum documentation practice
For each material fact, record the source, issuing party, date, applicable asset identifier, expiration or review date, and whether an independent professional confirmed it. Conflicts should remain visible until resolved.
What this standard does not do
It does not authenticate documents, determine legal ownership, guarantee accuracy, or replace qualified professional advice. Evidence quality can vary by jurisdiction, asset class, and transaction structure.
Applying the evidence strength
Primary official records should be preserved with asset identifiers, dates, issuer details, and a clear chain of custody. Professional reports should state scope, limitations, and independence.
Quality controls
Record the source, date, expiration, responsible reviewer, unresolved limitations, and the decision supported by each document. Replace stale evidence rather than simply adding a new review date.
Use and limitations
This framework organizes due diligence but does not authenticate a record, guarantee completeness, or replace qualified legal, technical, financial, insurance, or regulatory review.