Colleagues,

Mark Ast wrote in response to Lorinda Gayle:

>One way to avoid such a situation would be to have an effective agreement
>applicable to all items left in the custody of the institution for
>conservation or any other services or for possible loan. Such an agreement
>might state not only what is being left off, and for what purpose, and for
>how long; it might also include a release allowing the museum, after a given
>period of time,  to put the item into a specific commercial storage
>facility, a hold-harmless clause, the cost of any storage, insurance etc
>imputed to the party who left it behind, and interest on these charges.
>
>Do you think that this could be a frequent problem, and would it be
>worthwhile to have one of the related professional organizations do a survey
>or issue an advisory?

I think if you asked for samples of loan agreement forms from various
museums (there are some good books for this purpose, for example the Texas
Association of Museums'  *Forms Book*), you would find really good language
to use with regard to abandoned property issues.  However, I strongly
advise that you first find out if your state/country has abandoned property
laws since whatever language you use on a deposit agreement must reflect
the law of the state/country in which your business resides.

Suzanne Quigley
Head Registrar, Collections and Exhibitions
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10128
212 423 3568
fax: 212 423 3650
email: [log in to unmask]