Debbie: I would clearly arrange with your client to make repairs at a price set by you, and paid by him. Let him seek compensation through whatever route he is able. Don't get in the middle of it. This instrument has either huge value (to him, sentimentally), or little value (in the market). I would recommend that you stay distant from the valuation process, and that, as a restorer, with a financial history and financial interest if he has you do the repair, you are not legitimately in the position of establishing value. Paul In a message dated 1/30/2009 8:55:55 P.M. Central Standard Time, pianolady50 at peoplepc.com writes: Dear Listers, My mind keeps going around in circles on what will be an upcoming situation and I'd like some feedback. A local doctor acquired a moderately nice reed organ several years ago. He contracted me to totally rebuild the workings and refurbish the finish on the case. He understood that the rebuild price exceeded the market value of the instrument. He collects lots of antiques that he displays in his office waiting room and wanted to have the instrument available for his patients to play. Fast forward two years. Yesterday morning the snow and ice had backed up on the roof of his office (leased space) and began leaking in to the waiting room. By the time the leak was discovered it had damaged the organ case and thoroughly soaked the majority of the keys, some of the stop works, and had been absorbed in to the swell door felt and the felt at the front of the front reed deck. Of course, rather than call me when the water was discovered, he waited until today (24 hours later) to phone me. I've done a 'wet' inspection and a bit of preventative drying and a lubricating of steel parts (particularly the keypins). Definitely needed will be rebushing and refitting (unwarping) the keys, refinishing portions and remedial detailing of other portions of the case, and some refelting. The unknown, at this point is whether the reed cells have separated from the deck/soundboard which now has one minor crack. The front reeds themselves are immovable, at this point, due to the underfelt swelling. I left the organ case totally opened up and with a fan circulating air 'through' it. I will check on the drying of the organ 'patient' on Monday. No significant work can be attempted until the organ is moved to my shop after our piles of snow and ice have diminished. Now finally to my question (of sorts). I have no details of his insurance at this point nor of the insurance of the building's owner. If I am asked to place a value on said instrument - post rebuild, is it ethical and accurate to include the doctor's receipted investment? Or would I be limited to current market value? I believe he acquired the intrument for free and then paid me a market reasonable rebuild fee. I do also understand that any insurance company may want solely a repair quote from me and that isn't a problem for me. Thanks for any input, Debbie L. **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1215855013x1201028747/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072%26hmpgID=62%26bcd=De cemailfooterNO62) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech_ptg.org/attachments/20090131/59b54d98/attachment.html>
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