Gardeners, Gifts and Garbage: Cautionary Tales and Best Practices For Tangible Personal Property

Morgana Blackwelder’s career has spanned almost two decades in her tenure at Moran’s and has served in every facet of the auction business. In her dual role at John Moran Auctioneers, Morgana leads the Trusts and Estates department, where she works with estate planning professionals to provide appraisals for insurance, equitable distribution, donation and estate tax purposes. She facilitates other estate settlement needs such as walk through valuations, collection management and thoughtful advisory options. The job of object disposition is fraught with complicated and innumerable choices, Morgana’s extensive experience allows her to help her clients navigate those paths with efficiency, ease and care.

Noelle Valentino’s career in the art world has spanned institutions including the Smithsonian, Christie’s auction house, The Getty Museum and UCLA. Presently she is the Department Manager for Trusts and Estates at John Moran Auctioneers, a role that combines business development and appraisal services.

Noelle advises attorneys, fiduciaries, and CPAs who handle client collections and require estate settlement service or assistance with disposition at auction. Noelle frequently reviews art collections, decorative objects and jewelry. She and Morgana work as a team, traveling frequently throughout Southern California and beyond, evaluating estates and making selections for sale. They also make up the company’s appraisal division, writing the formalized documents required for insurance, charitable donation, estate tax and more.