Thornton-Jones Restoration Limited

Terms of Business

1 Terms of use

These Terms of Business and any written treatment proposals (together, the “Contract”) set out the basis upon which Thornton-Jones Restoration Limited (the “Conservator”) will provide services to you (the “Client”). The Client should take the time to read them carefully since the Client will be legally bound by them in dealings with the Conservator.

2 Description of Object

The Conservator will have no responsibility for the accuracy of the description of any object provided by the Client to the Conservator (an “Object”) in any communication between us.

3 Agreed documentation

The Conservator shall make a photographic record of the condition of any Objects. The Conservator retains the copyright in all reports, drawings, photographs or other forms of documentation made under or in relation to the Contract. Such reports, drawings or photographs may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the Conservator’s written consent which may or may not be given on such terms as the Conservator thinks fit or declined with or without reason. Where the Client wishes to receive written estimates, treatment proposals, treatment reports or condition reports, these shall be specifically requested in advance and may be charged at additional cost. Condition reports specifically commissioned are treated separately.

4 Agreed Work

The Conservator shall perform the work set out in the Contract. The Client herby warrants to the Conservator that the Client is the legal owner of the Object or has all necessary rights, licences and permission to authorise the Conservator to carry out the agreed work, and that the item is free of all liens, charges and encumbrances of any nature. The Client shall indemnify and hold the Conservator harmless against all costs, claims liabilities and expenses incurred by the Conservator in connection with any claim by any third party that the Client was not entitled to permit the agreed work to be carried out.The Conservator shall use all reasonable care and diligence in carrying out the agreed work. If any process is to be applied by the Conservator in accordance with a specification submitted by the Client, the Client shall indemnify the Conservator against all loss, damages, costs, claims and expenses suffered or incurred by the Conservator in connection with or paid or agreed by the Conservator in settlement of any claim of any nature by the Client or any third party arising out of or connected with the said process. The Conservator reserves the right to refuse requests contrary to ECCO professional guidelines. The Client hereby acknowledges that the Object is subject to natural variations and deteriorations of colour, quality, markings and other visible and non-visible attributes. The Client hereby agrees and acknowledges that such variations and deteriorations are innate to the Object and shall not form the basis for the Client to reject all or part of the Object nor give rise to any claim by the Client against the Conservator. The Client hereby acknowledges that the need for further work may arise during the undertaking of the agreed work.

5 Cost

Any estimated cost is indicative only and is not a fixed quotation unless previously agreed with the Client. The Client agrees to pay the Conservator the cost of the work to be carried out, the cost of documentation and any additional costs, as specified in the Contract , in accordance with the payment terms below. The Conservator reserves the right to revise the estimated cost in accordance with any agreed changes to the specification. The Conservator reserves the right to require a deposit prior to beginning the agreed work dependent on the scale of the work and anticipated associated costs. All estimates given are exclusive of VAT which shall be payable at the applicable rate.

6 Additional costs

The Client agrees to pay the Conservator, in accordance with the payment terms below, all out of pocket costs reasonably and necessarily incurred by the Conservator in carrying out the work specified in the Contract, such expenses to include (but not be limited to) the cost of estimates, materials, equipment hire, travel, carriage, research, technical analysis, visits, photographs and consultation.

7 Completion

The Conservator shall notify the Client of completion of the work by the manner specified in the Contract. It is the Client’s responsibility to notify the Conservator of a change of telephone/email/address.

8 Terms of payment

Payment is due from the Client within twenty eight days of the date of any invoice submitted by the Conservator. If any invoice is not paid within thirty days the invoice total shall bear interest at the rate of 8% above the base lending rate determined by the Bank of England in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 as amended and supplemented by the Late Payment of Commercial Debt Regulations 2002, such interest being payable from the invoice due date until the date of receipt of cleared funds by the Conservator. The Conservator reserves the right to cease work on any Object for which payment of any invoice remains outstanding for more than 30 days from the date of invoice. The Conservator reserve the right to retain possession of the Object until all the invoices which relate to the Object have been paid in full. The Conservator’s entitlement to charge a storage charge is set out below.

9 Collection and Storage

The Object shall be collected by (or on behalf of) the Client from the Conservator’s premises within one calendar month of notification of completion. If not so collected, the Conservator shall be entitled to charge the storage charge specified at that time, such storage charge being payable from the date of notification of completion until the date of collection. If the Object is not collected within six months of the date of notification of completion then title to the Object shall pass to the Conservator who shall be entitled to sell the Object and recover from the net proceeds of sale such sums as may be due to the Conservator under or in relation to the Contract.

10 Cancellation

Where the Client asks the Conservator to stop any work prior to completion, the Client shall be liable to pay to the Conservator the cost of any documentation and work already carried out and any additional costs already incurred by the Conservator. The Conservator will not accept any liability for any damages, costs, claims and expenses which result from incomplete conservation treatment following cancellation or non-payment of money due from the Client.

11 Risk

The Client remains responsible for the risk of damage to or loss of the Object whilst in the Conservator’s custody including but not limited to fire, theft and any other accident. The Client hereby agrees that the Client will take all necessary steps to insure the Object whilst it is in the custody of the Conservator and the Conservator will have no responsibility to insure the Object unless specifically requested to do so by the Client in writing at least 28 days prior to the Object being delivered to the Conservator and specifically accepted on that basis in writing by the Conservator in which case the Client shall be liable for the payment to the Conservator of all premia necessary to effect such insurance on or prior to delivery. The Conservator may at any time refuse to accept the Client’s instructions to insure the Object in which case the responsibility to insure will revert to the Client. The Client is responsible for arranging transit of the Object to and from the Conservator’s premises unless otherwise agreed in writing. The Client is responsible for the insurance of the Object whilst in transit.

12 Liabilities

The Conservator is excluded from all liability to the Client except for professional liability involving the wilful neglect or default of the Conservator. The Conservator’s liability shall not exceed the cost of any work. Under no circumstances shall the Conservator be liable for any loss of profit or any indirect or consequential loss or damage. This clause shall not exclude the Conservator’s liability for any death or personal injury caused by the Conservator. The Client agrees and accepts that the Conservator is only prepared to undertake the agreed work on this basis and that such limitation of liability is fair and reasonable in all the circumstances.

13 Third parties

Where the Conservator recommends to the Client any work to be carried out whether such recommendation is made in a report or otherwise, the Conservator is excluded from all liability to the Client in relation to any such work being carried out if and insofar as the Client engages a person other than the Conservator to carry out such work.

14 Arbitration

Any dispute or difference arising out of or in connection with this Contract shall be determined by the appointment of a single arbitrator to be agreed between the parties, or failing agreement within fourteen days, after either party has given to the other a written request to concur in the appointment of an arbitrator, by an arbitrator to be appointed by the President or a Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

15 Governing Law

This Contract, and any non-contractual obligations arising out of, or in connection with, it, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law and the parties agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.

16 IPR (Inward Processing Relief)

The client is responsible for arranging the correct use of IPR (Inward Processing Relief) documentation through the correct Customs/Shipping agent for matters involving relief of VAT and Duty payments on the import and export of Objects to the United Kingdom. The Conservator will abide by the terms of the IPR restrictions whilst the Objects are in the Conservators custody.

17 Provenance

It is not the responsibility of the Studio or the Conservators to be involved with the legalities of the origin and ownership of any artefact handled by the studio. The studio provides an art conservation service and its interests remain solely concerned with this service.