A letter from Marc Sant-Nazer

Marc Sant-Nazer

Château Vebond

L’Source Foutin

Decazeville

12300, France

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing this letter on behalf of my friend Jaufrey Eulaylio Duran-Arneau, who recently sold a collection of memorabilia belonging to the late composer Amon Rowley to a Mr. Werner Truckbytten of the Netherlands.

Arneau does not write or speak English. In fact he spoke only pigeon-French and a Roma dialect until he was about sixteen years old, when he was seized by a condition, hysterical aphonia, and has remained mute since then.

My name is Marc Sant-Nazer. I have known Arneau since boyhood. We grew up on the same estate, in the same village near Decazeville and have remained friends since then. My parents were the caretakers of the Chateau Vebond, the home of Madeline Duran-Arneau Rowley, Amon Rowley’s mother and the grandmother of Jaufrey.

The details of Jaufrey’s life are not the purpose of this letter however and so I will only add that as a boy he was brought up by a family of Romney workers who resided on the property and were devoted to Madame Rowley. Since then he has been with my family, who still reside at the Chateau Vebond.

Upon the death of Madame Rowley, Jaufrey inherited the house and property (which my father, mother and myself continue to manage), and other personal effects. Among the articles left to him was the assortment of Amon Rowley pieces recently sold to Mr. Truckbytten.

It is this subject which I would like to bring to your attention.

During the negotiation of the sale Mr. Truckbytten offered us an assured amount of money for the Rowley articles. Later, just prior to the actual sale, he announced that after an appraisal conducted by experts, the items themselves were deemed worth considerably less than originally assumed.

At that time, because I had not researched thoroughly, I was unaware of the T.R.I., and simply trusted Truckbytten’s word as honest. The sale was made and the goods delivered on the scheduled date, but for nearly one-third less the monetary value first quoted.

Last week, I was in Paris and after some research on-line and with a friend at the library, I discovered that the T.R.I. had purchased the items in question.

When I called Mr. Truckbytten in Rotterdam recently and inquired about this, he was discourteous and suggested it was no longer my business and that our transaction was completed honestly.

I am not here requesting that Jaufrey be somehow compensated by the T.R.I., but I am asking an opinion.

Do you think we were swindled? And if so, do you think we have a good case, if we bring this to the attention of an attorney for legal action against Werner Truckbytten?

Please feel free to contact me via the enclosed address or phone number.

Sincerely,

Marc Sant-Nazer