Used Scaffolding Price

hayes · Jul 15, 2002

Hello,
After we fired the person building our barn a year ago he left 2 scaffolds. Since he has never come back or even tried
to call us to get them back I want to get rid of one of them.
An electrican wants to trade out some work for one of them,
but I have no idea what there value is. They are steel, on rollers, 6' x 8' x 7', there are 2 sections so stacked they reach about 14 ft.

Any idea on what they are worth?

Thanks

Larry

JJT · Jul 15, 2002

Around here, $50 - $75/section, + another $50 for the wheels. I'd ask $200 and take $175.

Ozarker · Jul 15, 2002

I believe I would check out the laws on abandoned properly on your state before I just sold them. Even the state can't simply take ownership of property without making a reasonable attempt at contacting the owner.

I'll bet that since you know who it actually belongs to, there is probably a legal requirement for you to contact him about the disposition of the property. I would do that with a registered letter, return receipt, so I have a record of the contact.

Of course you can demand payment of a reasonable storage fee for the period you have stored it on your property.

hayes · Jul 16, 2002

You are probably right. But we had such a nightmare of a time with him (6 months to do 3/4th of 36x48 barn) that we refuse to try and find him. We figured that if he wanted them he would have called sometime in the past year.

Thanks

Larry

cstocks · Jul 16, 2002

While I understand where you are coming from, I agree with Ozarker. Your nightmare experience could turn into deja vu all over again if you do not go through the proper legal channels before you dispose of the scaffolding. How will you feel if this contractor shows up a week after you have sold/bartered his scaffolds and makes a big stink, perhaps threatening to take you to court? Maybe he did not hold up on his end of a contractual or verbal agreement and maybe he would not have a strong case against you, but he might give you more nightmares than you care to think about before it is all said and done.

I would do like Ozarker said. Send him a registered letter and make it clear that he owes a storage fee. Then the burden would be on him to either reply or ignore your letter. If he did come pick them up they would be out of your life and you'd get some $$$ for your troubles. Could be that the storage fee is more than the scaffolding is worth and he would choose not to reply or pick them up. Then you could sell or barter them any way you please without worrying about dealing with Mr. Nightmare at a later date.

bgott · Jul 16, 2002

Scaffolding? What scaffolding? I didn't see any around here. You must have took it with you!

Chuck52 · Jul 17, 2002

Lots of people rent scaffolding. Could be there's a rental place near you wondering where their scaffolding is.

Chuck

hayes · Jul 17, 2002

Now that you mention it, there is a rental label on them, but I cannot make out the name or telephone number. I can just make out the work Rental.

I doubt that this came from a place too near me. His shop was about 1 hr away and he seemed to get most of his equipment about another 30 minutes farther out.

My guess is he rented it or stole (borrowed) it from a construction site. To return it now would be more trouble
than it is worth.

I guess I will disassymble them and put them in my shed.