# Is This Fair?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fair/185080>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 29, 2003, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fair/185080 "2003-06-29T02:21:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Muck\_Muck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@Muck\_Muck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muck_Muck)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fair/185080/1 "2003-06-29T02:21:25Z")

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I have been offered a small company to purchase at (admittedly) far below market value. A fellow employee heard about this offer, and asked if she could pay half of the purchase price and become a 50% partner. I thought this was a great idea until I mentioned it to my husband. He promptly vetoed the whole idea, stating that my fellow employee was welcome to be a partner, but only at 50% of the appraised value of the company - never mind the actual purchase price. Since he is the one that is actually paying for the company (not me), I have to abide by his decision.

My question: Is this fair? Standard business practice? Am I the one who is whacked because I think that if she pays 50% of the purchase price, this automatically entitles her to 50% ownership? I really don’t understand why the appraised value needs to be taken into consideration, since it is considerably more than what the selling price is.

Help.

😕

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**Author:** ![Eilsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c68b51/32.png) [@Eilsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eilsel)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fair/185080/2 "2003-06-29T02:25:26Z")

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It’s absolutely good business sense. You should, besides, have an appraised value of the business. That’s just something that is sop.

Good luck!