What a Thoughtless Christmas Gift!

Posted By Cliff Tuttle | November 30, 2010

No. 534

When I was the lawyer for a small community bank (now evaporated through merger) I was asked to drop by the office of an important bank customer and deliver a business Christmas present to one of the corporate officers.  I knew this customer very well, since I had referred it to the bank and had closed numerous loans for the bank with this customer. The office was located on my side of the city and it was December 23.  The present was a large wicker basket full of fruit and nuts and boxes of hot chocolate and all of the usual stuff, wrapped up with big bows and covered with red or green cellophane  to keep the contents inside the basket. It cost more than a few dollars.

So I arrived at my destination, but just in the nick of time.  It was 4:30 in the afternoon when I ran into the object of our munificence in the traffic circle at the front door, about to leave for the holiday.  More particularly, he was loading his car.  He had the trunk open (it was a Lincoln, with a very large trunk) and as I pulled up he was carrying an armload of wicker Christmas baskets filled with the same stuff I was about to bestow.  More such baskets were already in the trunk. A lot more.

I had no choice, it was too late.  I handed over the present, which he couldn’t credibly pretend to be appreciated.  I hope he drove straight to an orphanage.

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CLIFF TUTTLE has been a Pennsylvania lawyer for over 45 years and (inter alia) is a real estate litigator and legal writer. The posts in this blog are intended to provide general information about legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus. However, this information does not constitute legal advice and there is no lawyer-client relationship created when you read this blog. You are encouraged to leave comments but be aware that posted comments can be read by others. If you wish to contact me in privacy, please use the Contact Form located immediately below this message. I will reply promptly and in strict confidence.

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