<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2912" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3><STRONG>  </STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3><STRONG>    Hi Ric</STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3><STRONG>  I love to do business on handshake & I have but it's not good business practice.  Yes we must be good for our word.....& so should our clients but......  </STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3><STRONG>     So</STRONG></FONT><FONT size=3><STRONG>me contracts are verbal & legally binding but written ones are much more secure. I've said it before but Contracts, Contracts, Contracts are a huge help & protection for both the client & us a rebuilders. </STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3><STRONG>     It is a sacred right of law under the Constitution of the U>S of A. & Habeus Corpus I believe to contract.  As long as it's legal it's A ok.</STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3><STRONG>   People agree to things all the time but even the most well intentioned people get sick or in jams.  I find the longer I have  a piano  in the shop the more potential for client relations, intentions & expectations and there tax refunds/home equity lines  to wander.  Git it in & gitter done & git it out is the best plan.</STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3><STRONG>  Technicially her problems are not yours no matter your level of compassion but because of her frightening life circumstance the piano is an after thought for her & now your stuck. </STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3><STRONG>  Be kind & compassionate.  Rattling the saber in front of  a traumatized person won't help but politely try to secure an agreement of payment & a drop dead date & go from there.  <EM><U>Speak with her Husband or next of kin & not her, she's too emotional.</U></EM>  Heck one time I had to go thru the interior des- a -crator ..I mean decorator to get it resolved.</STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3><STRONG>  Hope it works</STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3><STRONG>  DAle</STRONG></FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face="Times New Roman" color=#000000 size=3> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">List,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Sept.15th,2005 I took delivery of a 1902 Schirmer upright from a woman who wanted it rebuilt. I had given her an estimate of total cost of which she paid half on the 15th and was to pay the balance when completed.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I had said that I would try and have the piano done by Christmas 05, but as often happens, work schedual did not allow enough time to do that.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I spoke with her just prior to Christmas, and she said to take as much time as I needed. In her defense, she never bugged me about the piano, and when it would be done.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I finished it at the end of May , and spoke with her then to say that the work was completed. She needed to have a friend and her husband work out a time to pick it up, and was working a golf tournament on the weekend of June 2-4. She also told me that she had spent the tax refund that was to go towards the balance.That was the last time I heard from her.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I left her a message about two weeks ago asking when she was comming to get the piano and pay the balance. No reply after two weeks. I called again two days ago, and told her I had another job comming in next week and needed the shop space, and would have to move her piano to a storage unit which would cost $150mo. plus $175 to move. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Bingo!  She left a message today reading me the riot act , telling me she just had a mastectomy, and the piano wasn't exactly the most important thing on her mind. I'm deeply sympathetic about this serious health crisis, but had no way of knowing that was the case. My messages to her were polite, and professional and without the benifit of a crystal ball. It was understood that payment was expected upon completion.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I had intended to use the money from this job to take my family on a short summer vacation, and having already told my 9yr.old , felt under the gun.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Help!!!! I need some advice on how to procede. Is there a way to mend this situation?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Thanks,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Rick Ucci/Ucci Piano </SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>