damage evaluation

[Bradley M. Snook]

Patrick, if the touch-up job was not done correctly (i.e. if it did not put
the piano back into pre-accident condition), then the piano has been
devalued by the cost of new refinishing job. As long as all the structural
damage has been repaired, then you simply need to find out what a refinisher
would charge a customer to refinish the instrument; probably something
between $2,000 - $5,000. Whatever the cost is, you need to also figure in
the cost to ship the piano to the refinisher and back to the customer. The
number you come up with should make the costumer "whole" again.

There are many kinds of appraisals that can be done; in this situation, you
are not necessarily assessing the fair market value of the piano. I am
assuming that the customer, and their lawyer, want to be compensated for the
actual damage done to the piano: the compensation would be enough to cover
all the repairs necessary. On the other hand, if you were to put that piano
on a retail floor as-is, simply because of the way the piano looks, the
piano would need to be discounted for much more than $5,000. The reality is
that most people are more concerned about what the piano looks like, then
what it actually sounds like. This kind of appraisal deals more with the
devaluation of the instrument in terms of fair market value.

You should talk to the customer and find out for exactly what kind of
situation you are doing an appraisal. Whichever the case, I think that you
are looking at a minimum of a $2,000 'loss.'

Bradley M. Snook