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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Phil,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I think it would hinge on if you told the buyer the
piano was worth the asking price. Since you were willing to pay it then it
obviously was.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>From where I sit I see a couple situations. Which
yours actually falls into only you can answer.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>1. Buyer retains you to evaluate piano. You go see
piano and want it for yourself. You write positive evaluation
but give the buyer a low ball estimate of its worth without
telling that it is worth the asking price and you collect the fee. I'd have to
say this WAS unethical.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>2. Buyer retains you to evaluate the piano. You see
it and want it for yourself. You write positive evaluation and advise buyer the
piano is worth asking price but also advise to try a lower offer and collect
your fee. In this case I would say you did nothing wrong.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ken</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=pryan2@the-beach.net href="mailto:pryan2@the-beach.net">PJR</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=ilvey@sbcglobal.net
href="mailto:ilvey@sbcglobal.net">ilvey@sbcglobal.net</A> ; <A
title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech List</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, May 03, 2006 8:34
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Ethics question</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>I was asked to evaluate the condition of a used piano for a
customer (buyer) for a nominal fee. It was a private sale.
When I went to see the piano, it was one that I had been wanting for some
time. <B>I</B> wanted to buy it from the seller. Question: How,
when and/or what must I do, ethically, to buy it from the seller seeing
that now I had a fiduciary relationship with the customer who paid my
fee?<BR><BR>What actually happened:<BR><BR>I wrote a positive report of the
piano and recommended the buyer offer several hundred dollars below the asking
price. She did so, but, the seller rejected her offer. The
buyer left the deal and bought another piano elsewhere. When I
heard she bought another piano, without telling her, I offered the
original seller his price and bought the piano. Did I do wrong?
Should I have asked her permission? Should I tell her now, especially
since she plans to hire me to tune her new piano? I have a queasy
feeling about the deal. Should I? It could be a future, awkward
situation.<BR><BR>Phil Ryan<BR>Miami
Beach<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>