Chapter 3
As Roger headed to see the man that had given the Hamm's a price on the new furnace he went over the deal in his head. He had stretched the truth a bit with the Hamms. He doubted that he would make much money off of the property when it finally became his. If property values went up in the future like they had the past few years he would only be out a few thousand dollars. That was a cheap price to pay for making the rest of Aaron and Ethyl's life worth living.
He almost drove past the shop. As he pulled into the parking lot he noticed a man getting into a pickup truck. Roger pulled next to him and waved.
"Hi, I'm looking for Pete Salmon."
"You found him. What can I do for you?"
Roger asked if they could go inside and talk about the Hamm's house. The man nodded and waited until Roger got out of his truck and met him at the front door.
When they were inside Roger went over what he was going to do about the house. He left out the details of the life estate. After Roger finished Pete got up and went to his file cabinet and pulled out the estimate for the Hamm's furnace.
Pete Salmon looked over the paperwork, "I gave this estimate to them about four months ago. I can still do the work for the same price. I'm a bit slack this month so I could start right away if you want."
Roger asked to see the estimate and began to go over the paperwork. It was like so much Greek to him. He knew little about heating systems except the in the fall you had to turn the thermostat up.
"Is this an energy efficient system?"
Pete leaned back in his chair, "The Hamms couldn't afford the best system. This is a good furnace but it's an average system. Kind of like the furnace that the builders put in. It will do the job though."
"How much would it cost to put the best energy efficient system in; include insulating the ductwork too. I don't like the looks of some of those ducts."
"Damn, the top of the line system would run about forty-five hundred more. There's the cost of the ductwork too. I didn't figure that in because I knew that the Hamms couldn't afford it. Some of that duct work has to be replaced."
"Ok, I want to contract for the best system and the duct work. If you could start right away that would be great. Here is my lawyer's card. Let's get him on the phone and tell him what you're going to do. He has my power of attorney and he'll sign the contract and make sure you get paid. I think that it's customary for you to get one-third down on residential work isn't it?"
Pete nodded and dialed the number of Roger's lawyer. Roger explained to Hal what he was doing and after about fifteen minutes Pete Salmon was satisfied that Roger could afford the work and that he would get paid.
Pete leaned forward, "Well, I was going to go home and get some dinner but I'll work on this estimate and fax it to your lawyer in the morning."
Roger stood up, "One more thing. Every morning, until the work is complete, I want you to make sure that the Hamms have enough firewood in the house. Check it before you leave at night and refill it if necessary. If this costs extra put it in the bill. Now, do you know anyone that does replacement windows?"
"My brother gave the Hamms an estimate last summer on windows. I think that he still has the paperwork. I can get him to do the work at the same time. We can block off the rooms as we're working on them so the house doesn't get too cold. If you want, I can put it all on one bill. My brother works with me for a few of the builders in this area. He'll do a good job for you or I'll break his neck."
Roger smiled, "Now I need an appraiser. I guess that I'll have to talk to a Realtor. Do you know any good realtors in the area?"
"Yeh, Paula Barton is about two blocks down. She's the broker. I think that she does appraisals too. She's a trip. She runs her office with an iron hand. Her people make money though."
Roger and Pete Salmon shook hands and Roger left to try and catch Paula Barton in her office. Again, he almost drove past the office. He pulled in the parking lot and went into the office. There was a real estate agent sitting at the front desk. When Roger asked to see Paula Barton the young woman went into an office and told the woman sitting at the huge desk that someone wanted to speak to her. Roger was escorted into the office.
"Yes, can I help you?"
Paula Barton was about fifty. Her hair was silver and she carried herself with the assurance of someone that knew she was good at her job. Her office was immaculate and there wasn't one piece of paper out of place.
She motioned Roger to sit and he began to tell her what he was doing about the Hamms property and how he was drawing up the life estate. He laid out the terms of the life estate and how he was contracting to replace the heating system and the windows. After he had finished Paula looked at him for a minute without speaking.
"Are you out of your mind. Hell, I'll sell you my house if you give me a deal like that. You should have come to me. I could get you a lot better deal than that."
Roger grinned at her, "I need an appraiser. Do you know of any in the area that would work up an appraisal right away? I'd like to get back on the road soon."
Paula was still looking at him like he was crazy, "I'm a certified appraiser. I think that I can have one drawn up for you pretty quick if your not too worried about all of the little niceties that most buyers want."
"No, I just want an honest appraisal. If the Hamms agree with the appraisal I'll write a check and let you hold it until the settlement. I'd like the settlement as soon as possible so that the Hamms can get the money. I'd like you to arrange the settlement and be my representative in the transaction. I'd also like you to oversee the improvements that I'm making to the heating system and the windows. I want to make sure that the Hamms are satisfied with the work. Before the settlement I'd like you to talk to the Hamms and their children and make sure that this is what they want. I don't want to take advantage of them."
Paula leaned back in her chair, "You sure you don't want to adopt me? What are you doing, trying to throw your money away?"
"No, Paula. I'm in a position to help these people and it's something that I want to do. When I finally do take over the house I'll probably make most of my money back."
"You're not going to start on the furnace and the windows before the settlement are you?"
Roger hadn't thought about the risk of the settlement not going through, "Yes, I'm going to take a chance on that. It's a risk that I'll just have to take. Now, I know that you don't work for nothing so bill my lawyer and he can either write you a check or transfer the money to your account. Here's his card. I'd suggest that you call him and discuss the work that I've asked you to do and how you want to be paid. Go over the mechanics of the settlement with him in case there's something you need that we haven't thought of. I only want to deal with you so you arrange for the title company and whatever else is needed. Remember, I also want you to oversee the improvements. You are my representative in that too. You have my authority to make any changes in the contract that might be needed. Just make sure that the Hamms are satisfied."
Paula stood up and assured Roger that the appraisal would be completed by noon the next day and that she would "ride herd" on the contractors, as she put it.
Paula looked at him funny, as he got ready to leave, "You're a strange man Roger Bostic. I'm still trying to figure you out. I can't figure out if you're crazy or if you just have more money than you know what to do with."
"Don't try to figure me out Paula. I can't even do it."
Roger asked Paula for directions to a decent motel in the area and Paula gave him directions to the Days Inn next to Interstate 81. On the way out of her office she began to question him about his investment strategy in the Binghamton area. Roger smiled and knew why she was so successful, ever on the lookout for new business.
He found the Days Inn without much trouble and pulled into the parking lot. The place seemed to be pretty decent and he got his bag out of the back of the pickup and headed for the lobby. The desk clerk was friendly and, since it was still early, he didn't have any problem getting a room. He got his key and headed for his room.
He tried to call Hal Iverson at his office and Hal's secretary told him that Hal was in a meeting. Roger told her that he would try to contact Hal in the morning and hung up. He had put a lot on Hal's plate today. He knew that he had better make sure that everyone was on the same page.
After he had stashed his bag in the room he decided to take a fast shower. After the shower he planned to get a light dinner and then maybe drive around a bit and see what Binghamton was like. He hadn't been in Binghamton since he was a kid and then the family was only passing through on their way to Florida.
Roger let the hot water run over him for a while, trying to let his body relax after the eventful day that he had. He had never intended to stay this long in Binghamton but he had to admit that it was an interesting stay.
As he walked back into the room he looked at the bed. Maybe a short
nap would re-energize him. The day had been exhausting and he was
getting tired. He turned out the lights, pulled the towel from around
his hips and climbed under the covers. Within minutes he was asleep.