BRYN MAWR, PENN. - Following the publication of an article
relating to fraud charges lodged in a civil action complaint
against a Pennsylvania auction house that appeared in the
December 30, 2005, issue of Antiques and The Arts Weekly,
auctioneer and defendant in the case, Russell Pritchard III of
Bryn Mawr Auctions LLC, has responded with allegations of his
own. The complaint against Pritchard, filed on December 14, in
the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on behalf of Sandra
Udinson, a 59-year-old widow from Doylestown, Penn., alleges,
among other things, "fraud," "unfair trade practices," "breach of
contract" and "professional negligence."
In a released statement from Pritchard's attorney, Craig
Kellerman of Kellerman & Connelly, PC, allegations are being
denied and additional legal action on the auction firm's behalf
has been suggested.
"Russ Pritchard of Bryn Mawr Auction Company, LLC has asserted
his complete lack of wrongdoing and will vigorously defend
himself against the false accusations by Sandra Udinson as
reported in the recent edition of Antiques and The Arts
Weekly," the release from Kellerman states. "Mr Pritchard
intends to bring all appropriate legal action against Mrs Udinson
for her false and misleading claims concerning the auction of her
items conducted by the Bryn Mawr Auction Company, LLC."
Allegations specifically addressed by Pritchard in the Udinson
complaint include reserves on items sold that the plaintiff
claims were contracted, yet were never set prior to the items
having been sold. Pritchard, in a November 3, 2005, letter to
Udinson's attorney, Gavin Lentz, of the Philadelphia law firm
Bochetto & Lentz, PC, denies that reserves were requested.
The lack of reserves allegedly resulted in some items selling far
below their worth, according to the plaintiff. The December
article quoted Udinson discussing a "walnut Chippendale highboy
that was valued at $8,517, and a cherry Chippendale highboy
appraised at $5,678 during an insurance appraisal in 2000. 'He
told me that auction didn't go well and that he got $900 for one
of my highboys from a bidder on eBay and $1,100 for the other,'
stated Udinson."
Pritchard stated in the November letter to Lentz that the
highboys had been evaluated by two Bryn Mawr Auction employees
with considerable knowledge and experience in the antiques field
and that each had pointed out, on separate occasions, "condition
and restoration problems in Mrs Udinson's property." The letter
specifically cites "the two tall high chests that had been
completely refinished with new feet, new bases, new drawer
interiors and one of the chests actually had four new drawer
fronts."
Pritchard further stated in the November letter that he had
spoken to both representatives of the gallery and they confirmed
that "at no time did Mrs Udinson indicate she wanted a reserve on
her property, nor would they have accepted one because of the
average value of her pieces and the restoration work to the
furniture."
Kellerman further stated, "There is a written, signed contract
between all parties involved and nowhere in that contract is
there any indication that there were reserves to be placed on any
of those items."
Lentz disputed the recent claims by Pritchard and Kellerman,
stating, "She wanted to set a minimum reserve and he absolutely
violated her rights by not letting her set that reserve."
Antiques and The Arts Weekly sought comments from
Pritchard for the December 30 article, however, none of the calls
were returned prior to publication. Information contained in this
article was submitted by Russell Pritchard III and Attorney Craig
Kellerman on January 5.
