<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><BR><DIV><DIV>On Jun 16, 2006, at 1:24 AM, Chris Solliday wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; ">Rob, With 4 contracts for over 25 years I have seen so many come and go I don't even want to count them. For me the only thing that has ever worked well other than doing a good job and becoming trusted is to keep pounding the "Guidelines." The suggestions in there, relating to the issues you raise, are right on the money and can help. Certainly having only one person, the "piano overseer," working with you is first,<BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>My opinion is that the "piano overseer" should be us.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; "> and setting up a budget that reflects the recognition that maintenance of an inventory includes three parts replacement fund, rebuilding fund and yearly maintenance fund is primary. It can be done with patience over time, with education, and I admit I have spent a few dollars on nicely printed versions of the Guidelines to help impress them, but it has been money well spent. If your replacement (with new) value of your inventory is over $600,000.oo then the recommended 10% gives you 20,000 each for the three areas.<BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Remember that includes salaries. But $600,000 isn't a very large inventory anymore either. My 125 pianos come in at a cool $4.3 million. But no administrator is going to give you $430K to maintain 125 pianos. They're comparing what their neighbors are budgeting per instrument -- not per replacement value.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV>(and no, it isn't Steinway driving that value up. We have 62 Baldwins.)</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR><BR><DIV> <SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV>Jeff Tanner, RPT</DIV><DIV>University of South Carolina</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN> </DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>