Challenge question. Free from a friend ...

So I know the rule says free available to the public or FMV it. Here's the situation.

My friends know I'm looking for roadside appliances. Two of they have said they have old fridges they want to get rid of and I can have them. They don't understand that I can't take their free to me offer. So could they put an ad up on CL for them free and if no one gets them in say 3 days I get them free?

I know that could be abused but honestly I'd be doing them a favor by doing the work getting them out of the garage/backyard.

I would read that particular rule a little less legalistically.

If they are making it free to you the same way they would make it free to anyone else who would haul it off, I'd say it is free.

If they are making it free to you because they are your buddy and doing you a favor, then no, it's not free.

I see no reason to play games with fake CL ads.

The ad wouldn't be fake. I'd really wait a few days and if someone else got them fair game.

If its free to anyone its free if its free to you only its fmv. That's how I've always understood it.

In reply to Stampie:

seems reasonable to me. If they put $5 Im sure the scrappers would stay away.

Similar: friend of mine runs a body shop. He called me and told me to come through the leftover E36 M3 pile before it went in the dumpster. His employees already had, and anything that was left i could have or put in the dumpster. I pulled out a bunch of spark plug wires and parts, one of which was a brand new set of taylor wires in red. Nobody else wanted them because they are red. So, are those free?

In reply to Dusterbd13:

My vote is yes, especially if you were the third or fourth person to root through the box. Nice score!

I thought that sheet metal from appliances in general could be considered free, even if the appliance is one that has been sitting in your own basement for 25 years, and technically you paid money for it long ago.

The point is it isn't hard to get scrap sheet metal from appliances for free.

Dusterbd13 wrote: Similar: friend of mine runs a body shop. He called me and told me to come through the leftover E36 M3 pile before it went in the dumpster. His employees already had, and anything that was left i could have or put in the dumpster. I pulled out a bunch of spark plug wires and parts, one of which was a brand new set of taylor wires in red. Nobody else wanted them because they are red. So, are those free?

This situation is (I believe) called out almost exactly in the rules, so you might want to double check.

If you have any sort of special access to the dumpster (sounds like you do), you need to be careful.

In reply to Robbie:

Thanks. I could see it going either way, which is why i posted. If i use them, ill add to the budget.

Have em put that ish on the side of the road with a free sign. 5min later, trailer action.

All you need to do is ask them "What would you do with it if I declined it?" If the answer is "Put it on the side of the road for free" then it's free. If they say "I'd put it on CL for 20 bucks" then it's $20. Quit over complicating free scrap.