Moral Dilemma

I'm helping a buddy sell a JEEP. He moved out of state. Wasn't able to take it with him. Told him he could park it at my house while he figured out what to do. A year later he decides to sell. I don't Faceballs, but I'll handle the face-to-face.

He wants a ridiculous price.  Even for a JEEP. It's a 97 with a 4 cylinder and a 5spd. Terminal rust on the body, frame rot with a "repair. " It's not beat up, its worn out.  He started a $4,500! Lowered repeatedly.  It's now at $3,400, with a bottom dollar of $3,200. He said that I'd get 10% plus whatever I bought to spruce it up. 

I've been answering texts for 4 months. The best price anyone has shot out was $2,500. And that was early on when everyone was flush with Stimutacs cash.

My dilemma is I sold it. For$2,600. A guy came up from northern Arkansas (!!!) Brought a U-Haul dolly and made the 8+ hour trip. This was far beyond any of the months of tire kickers. 

I made an executive decision. I feel bad because this isnt what he wanted. I let him handle the price because it's his JEEP. But this is the best we can do. 

How should I tell him? Let it ride for a week nor two? Hes had people hed trusted pull the rug out from underneath him a lot lately.  I don't want to disappoint a good friend. 

Were you at least in contact with him about how bad the price difference was?

Yeah. He was delusional on its condition. 

Tell him exactly what you wrote here: executive decision, too much time invested already. Offer him the 10% you were supposed to get - that's $260, or almost halfway to the difference of $600 between his bottom ask and what you got. If he's willing to put you through all that hassle and still get seriously bent over $340, he may not be as good a friend as you thought.

Tell him you won't accept the 10% sellers fee, and you won't charge him the $25/month storage fee.  

I've owned two TJs. I paid $1800 for the first and $1500 for the second. I put about the same amount into each one, but I don't think I'd pay $2500 for this one based upon your description. 

02Pilot said:

Tell him exactly what you wrote here: executive decision, too much time invested already. Offer him the 10% you were supposed to get - that's $260, or almost halfway to the difference of $600 between his bottom ask and what you got. If he's willing to put you through all that hassle and still get seriously bent over $340, he may not be as good a friend as you thought.

This. 

That's what SWMBO said. I put about $100 in battery and center caps for the wheels. Not worried about the 10% or the caps/battery. Hes done me solids in the past. I'll just be honest with him. 

Maybe I look at things differently than some, but you did him the favour of dealing with people, taking care of the Jeep and selling it, and saved him the trouble of moving it with him. He can accept what you were able to get for it, give you your 10%, and then if he has a problem with that he can berlkey off for good.

I personally have zero patience for petty garbage

I don't think you have a moral dilemma. That ship sailed when you decided to sell something that wasn't yours for less than you'd agreed.

The damage is done, so I would tell him immediately and tell him why. I would continue to count on the money you've put in, and the 10% unless he has a fit. Only then would I start to give something back. Regardless of what you did, you still have time and money in it.

In reply to Appleseed :

I just dealt with two weeks of Craigslist flakes, texting and showings selling my motorhome. It's a HUGE hassle.

  If you just spent 4 months of dealing with that, you have indeed already been a better friend to him than most people would endure.

You've done nothing wrong with your "executive decision."

If he didn't trust you to make an executive decision on selling his car, he shouldn't have entrusted it to you to sell it for him, or he should have been paying you an ongoing fee for your time and effort to follow his directions to the letter.

Indy "Nub" Guy said:

In reply to Appleseed :

I just dealt with two weeks of Craigslist flakes, texting and showings selling my motorhome. It's a HUGE hassle.

You did pull the BBC first right?

The important thing is that it is sold, it's out of your yard and someone else's problem now and last you got him a stack of cash(albeit not what he wanted) for it so it sounds good to me on all fronts. 

I myself would thank you for dealing with the problem that I had, and pay you the 10% as agreed. He used you as a resource and you did the best you could. 

If he does not feel that way, then he is far away and not your problem.  ( Taken from a Chinese proverb that says "The mountains are high and the Emperor is far away" )

Pete

Dusterbd13-michael said:

02Pilot said:

Tell him exactly what you wrote here: executive decision, too much time invested already. Offer him the 10% you were supposed to get - that's $260, or almost halfway to the difference of $600 between his bottom ask and what you got. If he's willing to put you through all that hassle and still get seriously bent over $340, he may not be as good a friend as you thought.

This. 

+69

I don't think I would've done that, you did him a HUGE favor.  He should just be happy you sold it for anything at all.  Just tell him you got as much as you could for it, end of story.

I'm surprised you got what you did for a 4 cylinder with terminal frame rust.  

Just in case you thought I was exaggerating the condition. There's still chunks of rust in my driveway.