Topic: Thieves/ do you cut em' slack? wrong forum, please move to open forum

[DH]

What kind of shape was the bike in when you got it back?
 If it was well maintained, i doubt he was the thief, could have bought it at a yardsale, flea market, pawnshop..
 Around here thieves usually spraypaint them if they are riding them, and tend not to maintain them.

This is what I suspected happened to it (torn up and repainted.) It actually is in about the same shape as it was when stolen, not bad. The brakes are adjusted up and the gears adjusted.
Seat has a little wear (gel pad), but its normal wear n tear.  He was pissed that he couldn't keep it, having the finders keepers attitude. We didn't have much chance to discuss it, because the cop was there early, and most of my time was spent going back home to look for my receipt. I find it unbelievable that I still had paperwork. I am certain I wouldn't have the bike back in my garage now without that receipt. I am also certain that if I wouldve not had the receipt, I'd have driven home, got the bolt cutter from downstairs, and driven back to that light pole and freed what was mine,
and left the police out of it.
I went the legal route earlier with the police report when it was stolen, so I went the legal route
again with the paperwork when it was found. From my point of view, the dude is a douche bag.
I got my bike back in pretty good shape, so like I said earlier, I'm over it. To push it any furthur
is a little dangerous because if the guy is the original thief, he knows where my house is. So
I don't want a pissing contest if he's the vindictive type. I've seen that  kind of scenario before,
and often times in similar situations it's just not worth it.

[dave500]

wait until you see another bike chained up at the taco shop,if its his "new one"put a small nut and bolt through the chain so when he rides off it derails or jams up,also snap another lock around its security chain so he has to futz around getting that off first! nyuck nyuck nyuck.

[greenjeans]

Odds are a local crack head stole it and rode it around until he found someone to give him 20 bucks for it.
Unless the Taco Bell guy is a true ding dong, he probably did what alot of people in his situation would do in that situation.   He kept the actual thief's name out of things by saying he found it in a ditch.

I think you did the right thing.  You could never prove he was the actual thief.   I really hate bike thieves.

[dave500]

remove his new bikes seat and stick a penis shaped dildo in its place.

[DH]

wait until you see another bike chained up at the taco shop,if its his "new one"put a small nut and bolt through the chain so when he rides off it derails or jams up,also snap another lock around its security chain so he has to futz around getting that off first! nyuck nyuck nyuck.

 

[DH]

Odds are a local crack head stole it and rode it around until he found someone to give him 20 bucks for it.
Unless the Taco Bell guy is a true ding dong, he probably did what alot of people in his situation would do in that situation.   He kept the actual thief's name out of things by saying he found it in a ditch.

I think you did the right thing.  You could never prove he was the actual thief.   I really hate bike thieves.

I agree 100%.......wish I could get that much back in satisfaction, but it is what it is.
Everything's a trade off.

[Duke McDukiedook]

Odds are a local crack head stole it and rode it around until he found someone to give him 20 bucks for it.
Unless the Taco Bell guy is a true ding dong, he probably did what alot of people in his situation would do in that situation.   He kept the actual thief's name out of things by saying he found it in a ditch.

I think you did the right thing.  You could never prove he was the actual thief.   I really hate bike thieves.

Like I said if he was a jerk about it (and from the way DH put it he was) I would have given him a free trip to the housgow for owing stolen property just to make his day a little more crappier. 

[ekpent]

I am an antique picker/dealer and have many interesting tales. One though that relates to this was a call I had from the 'daughters' of a lady who was in the hospital and would go into a rest home if she recovered. Myself and some other local dealers made offers on some nice furniture etc. and I was selected as the buyer for a price of more than $3000.00. Luckily I gave them a check and because they were uncertain to whom to have it made out to I left that blank.
   Fast forward some months later and the police are calling me about the transaction. Come to find out the daughters were actually her caretakers and they were stealing everything she had including her bank accounts. She, the victim died in the meantime but because I got a copy of my check with them filling in there own name, it was an open and close case when I got dragged into court to testify for the prosecution.
   Learned a good lesson to never be too careful when buying stuff out there 

[DH]

I am an antique picker/dealer and have many interesting tales. One though that relates to this was a call I had from the 'daughters' of a lady who was in the hospital and would go into a rest home if she recovered. Myself and some other local dealers made offers on some nice furniture etc. and I was selected as the buyer for a price of more than $3000.00. Luckily I gave them a check and because they were uncertain to whom to have it made out to I left that blank.
   Fast forward some months later and the police are calling me about the transaction. Come to find out the daughters were actually her caretakers and they were stealing everything she had including her bank accounts. She, the victim died in the meantime but because I got a copy of my check with them filling in there own name, it was an open and close case when I got dragged into court to testify for the prosecution.
   Learned a good lesson to never be too careful when buying stuff out there 

     And have your paperwork in order, yes?

[754]

Sounds like the,
Cee
U
Next
Tuesday ............sisters...blech..

[BobbyR]

I am an antique picker/dealer and have many interesting tales. One though that relates to this was a call I had from the 'daughters' of a lady who was in the hospital and would go into a rest home if she recovered. Myself and some other local dealers made offers on some nice furniture etc. and I was selected as the buyer for a price of more than $3000.00. Luckily I gave them a check and because they were uncertain to whom to have it made out to I left that blank.
   Fast forward some months later and the police are calling me about the transaction. Come to find out the daughters were actually her caretakers and they were stealing everything she had including her bank accounts. She, the victim died in the meantime but because I got a copy of my check with them filling in there own name, it was an open and close case when I got dragged into court to testify for the prosecution.
   Learned a good lesson to never be too careful when buying stuff out there 

The learned lesson should be always pay cash. I never use a check for those types of transactions.

[calj737]

If he had, perhaps the offenders might never have been caught. It was great protection for him and helped put scumbags in jail. I'd always insist on writing a check from now on, and require photo ID of the person to whom I was writing it (as my own safeguard).

[BobbyR]

If he had, perhaps the offenders might never have been caught. It was great protection for him and helped put scumbags in jail. I'd always insist on writing a check from now on, and require photo ID of the person to whom I was writing it (as my own safeguard).

Interesting take on protection. I would say his check had nothing to do with their being caught. What it did do was get him hauled into court, maybe deposed, so he needed counsel. He is lucky that the rightful heirs did not demand their goods back.

You see, if you unknowingly buy stolen merchandise you must give it back to the rightful owners or compensate them for it's value. Your intention has nothing to do with it, it is legally theirs.

On the other hand when I paid cash, I was just some guy who paid cash. The only name on money is the Secretary of the Treasury. 

[ekpent]

The police had found out about my purchase from other antique dealers that they were interviewing. I usually pay cash for motorcycles etc but in this case since the amount was so large I opted to use a check. The great thing was I left the name blank and only filled in the amount and signed off since there was confusion on who to make it out to. By filling that section in themselves with one of their names it did not bode well in their case.
   If the old lady had heirs then I may of had to forfeit back what merchandise I still had but in this case their were none and that is why the 'caretaker' sisters thought they could get away with it. I was not ordered to return or compensate. I actually had to go to court for 2 different trials, the original prosecution and a separate restitution penalty trial as they tallied up what all they stole. Poor old lady was buried in a cardboard box. Little bit of a hassle but was happy to do it but my wife and son got dragged into also and had to testify etc. Not happy involving them also.

[BobbyR]

I am truly happy it all turned out well for you after all was said and done. In NY we deal with a lot with cash for various reasons.  The Legal system can really be a drag. Good luck in the future. 

[754]

Do enough buying, eventually something gets sideways.
 Picking can be very emotion led..

[faux fiddy]

I bought an "embezzled'' truck recently. I was told there was a title and it was a matter of driving to the city and after snowjob I ended up with the truck, less a bit of money pending getting the title "that was there."

Found some paperwork, and the guy loaned it out... long story  gave it back to him, ahould have asked for him to sign an agreement to pay back what I was out. I think I screwed his insurance check finding it.

It was a good deal, luckily I didn't service the transmission and buy the matching bodywork I found on Craigslist.

I guess I should do what is needed to  see that the person gets charged, but haven't pushed it.

Another incident was at a casino, had to pee really bad and walked away from the machine without collecting. I was winning and had over a hundred, and wwalked about 50 ft before I turned around and went to retrieve it.

Found a chick that was there yaking had taken it, cashed it within a minute and was out of the casino in three minutes.It was all on security camera, but it was "up to me" to do anything (in civil court) Didn't even have an I.D. of the person.

I went out to the parking lot and looked, and a security guy said he thought she went over the brdge to the other casino (the only thing there).  He said you might look, described the car and said if I see her talk to security first before approaching her.

I identified her, and the security of the two places is the same tribe and communicates so they had the whole story after I pointed her out. The separated me and had me write a statement, and after a few minutes said her husband was comming to replace the money and she was going to county jail 45 miles away for outstanding warrants.

I don't know if I'd put taco bell guy in jail though, to "Make him miserable."  I mean, isn't working TB punishment enough?  I would keep an eye on the bikes out there if it's not much trouble.  He's likely to find another free bike.

[DH]

He'll have a newly installed re-enforced steel door to kick in/go thru in the back of my newly built garage in order to get at it again.