<HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.3059" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: x-small; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"> <DIV>All who responded to this:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>We teach a ten week business course here at the Chicago School, and as it so happens, this week we teach on the topic of appraisal. I will say that in my introductory comments I make a very fine and firm point that discourages our students from doing appraisals unless they have attained a very high level of market experience, as well as the savvy that is expressed in all of your posts. I can't thank you enough for your comments, and will be using much of what you say in a Q&A for our students later this week. We here in Chicago have a piano donation program called "A Gift of Pianos" and have had to learn all of this the hard way (fortunately not the hardest way--IRS involvement), and so it comes as no real news to me, but to have this compendium of comment, knowledge and experience so concisely put together is a gift. Thanks again.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Paul</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV><STRONG>"If you want to know the truth, stop having opinions" (Chinese fortune cookie)</STRONG></DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 04/29/07 11:49:02 Central Daylight Time, KeyKat88 writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"> <DIV> <STYLE type=text/css> .aolmailheader {font-size:8pt; color:black; font-family:Arial} a.aolmailheader:link {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal} a.aolmailheader:visited {color:magenta; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal} a.aolmailheader:active {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal} a.aolmailheader:hover {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal} </STYLE> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR> <DIV>Greetings,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>          I had a lady customer who wanted an appraisal on the replacement value of her Yamaha C7. It was 1972 manufacture. I completely looked over the piano, and it was as new! She had a humidifier running and told me she had done so since the piano was new. By the looks of the piano I could tell. I couldnt find a thing wrong with it. I wrote a letter stating that I did a full inspection and then I called a dealer and asked what the price of that piano. They told me 30,000.00 So I wrote that the replacement value of the piano was 30K.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>       Turns out they sold the piano for 5,000 to a non-profit music group and wrote 25,000.00 off their tax. Now they want me to sign this IRS form. My confidence is shaken, because I am suppose to sign this thing, and it states that "I do appraisals on a regular basis"...however, I do tuning and repair on a regular basis. Am I over-worring here?  I mean, I think the purpose of the form is to confirm that I just dont work at Turkey Hill or K-mart or something and that I <STRONG><EM>do</EM></STRONG> know the value of such things, which I <STRONG><EM>do </EM></STRONG>know. Is there any responsibilty I have over looked. I am tuning, repairing, refurbishing and evaluating for 4 years now. This is a first. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thanks in advance,</DIV> <DIV>Julia</DIV> <DIV>Reading, PA</DIV><BR><BR><BR> <DIV><FONT style="FONT: 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF; COLOR: black"> <HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px"> See what's free at <A title=http://www.aol.com/?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503 href="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503" target=_blank alt="http://www.aol.com/?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503">AOL.com</A>. </FONT></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>