Sale Terms and Important Information

Conditions of Sale

All sales are subject to the Notices and Conditions of Sale as seen below. Full copies of which are posted in the Saleroom, and are available on request.

1. The Buyer
The highest bidder acceptable to the auctioneer prior to the fall of the hammer shall be the buyer, but if, during or after the sale of the lot, but before the end of the sale as a whole, the auctioneer considers, at his absolute discretion, that a dispute has arisen or that the buyer has not complied satisfactorily he may at his absolute discretion, put up the lot again for sale.

2. Payment
New Buyers If you have not bought at Richardson and Smith before, please make arrangements for payment prior to the sale. This will avoid delays as cheques must be cleared before purchases are released, cash and direct bank transfers are also accepted but no card payments.

3. Buyers Premium
A premium of 17% on the Hammer Price inclusive of VAT is payable on all lots. Please note that any lots purchased via the-saleroom.com live auction service will be subject to an additional 3% commission charge + VAT at the rate imposed on the hammer price

3a. Richardson and Smith reserve the right to charge interest on all accounts outstanding over five days, together with storage and removal charges where applicable, unless prior arrangements have been made with the auctioneers

4. Value Added Tax
There is no Value Added Tax payable on the Hammer Price, unless otherwise specified, when VAT at the standard rate is payable on the Hammer Price.

5. Ownership of Purchases
Ownership in the lot shall not pass to the buyer unless and until payment of the aggregate price has been received by Richardson and Smith. A cheque given by the buyer in payment shall not be treated as a receipt until the same has been cleared.

6. Risk
At the fall of the hammer risk in the lot sold shall pass to the buyer, and none of the seller, Richardson and Smith, their servants or agents. The Buyer shall be responsible for any loss or damage whether caused by negligence or otherwise, but ownership of such lot shall not pass until payment in respect thereof has been made in full to the auctioneers

7. Responsibility to buyers
All lots are sold as shown and neither Richardson and Smith nor the seller accept any responsibility for any faults, imperfections or errors of description, authorship, attribution, origin, date, age, or provenance however caused in or with regard to any lot, and all lots are to be taken and paid for whether genuine or not. Buyers should satisfy themselves as to the condition of any lot before bidding for it.

8. Explanation of Cataloguing Terms
Care is taken to ensure that any statement as to attribution, origin, date, age, provenance and condition is reliable and accurate but all such statements are statements of opinion only and are not to be taken as statements of representation or fact. Richardson and Smith, point out that the following terms used in description have the meaning ascribed to them below:

1. George Weatherill
In our opinion a work by the artist. When the artist's forename (s) is not known, a series of asterisks, followed by the surname of the artist, whether preceded by an initial or not, indicates that in our opinion the work is by the artist named.

2. Attributed to George Weatherill.
In our opinion probably a work by the artist but less certainty as to authorship is expressed than in the preceding category.

3. Circle of George Weatherill
In our opinion a work by an as yet unidentified but distinct hand - closely associated with the named artist

4. Follower of George Weatherill
In our opinion a work by a painter working in the artist's style, contemporary or nearly contemporary,

5. Manner of George Weatherill
In our opinion a work in the style of the artist, probably of a later date.

6. After George Weatherill
In our opinion, a copy of a known work of the artist.

7. The term signed and/or dated and/or inscribed means that in our opinion the signature and/or date and/or inscription are from the hand of the artist.

8. The term “bears signature/bears initial” means that a prospective purchaser must satisfy him or herself as to its authenticity prior to bidding.

Whilst Richardson and Smith will endeavour to take all possible care, they cannot be held responsible for accidental damage to plaster picture frames

9. Starting Times Commission Bids and Bidding
Please check the sale starting time and any withdrawals, as these will affect the time your lots come up. Saleroom commission bids are accepted until the starting time of a sale. However BIDS LEFT LESS THAN ONE HOUR BEFORE A SALE ARE LEFT AT THE BIDDERS RISK, as Richardson and Smith cannot guarantee the confirmation and processing of bids within that time frame due to heavy demand.

10. Collection
No lot purchased shall be claimed or removed until the sale has been concluded. If any buyer fails to pay for and take away any lot, or if any cheque tendered in payment of the aggregate price or any part thereof is not met upon first presentation, Richardson and Smith as agents for the seller shall:
(i) to proceed against the buyer for damages for breach of contract;
(ii) to rescind the sale of that or any other lots sold to the defaulting buyer;
(iii) without notice to the defaulting buyer at any time to resell the lot or cause it to be resold by public auction or private sale and the defaulting deficiency in the total amount due (adjusted for Richardson and Smith resale costs, and any part payments received);
(iv) to retain that or any other lot sold to the same buyer at the same or any other auction and release it only after payment of the total amount due;

11. Third Party Liability
Any persons attending Richardson and Smith’s premises do so at their own risk and shall have no claim against the same in respect of any injury or accident which may occur before, during or after a sale.