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Storage Auction --- What are My Rights?

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DDP1983

Junior Member
Washington State....

On May 31st, 2007 I purchased a Storage Locker at a Lien Sale. Inside the Locker there was a vehicle and various other household items. Among these items were some ceramic platters made by a company called Westernware, there were somewhere around 30 of them I believe. I registered the car in my name and have a bill of sale from the Storage Facility for the items in the unit. On about July 15th or so I was contacted by the owner of Westernware asking where I got the platters that I was selling on eBAY, I told here that I had aquired them at a Lien Sale. She said that she believed they were Platters that were defective and she was told by her distribution company that they had destroyed the products and threw them away. She told me she was upset that this had happend because I was selling the platters for cheaper then she sold them wholesale and it was hurting the value of her product, she was quite upset with her distribution company and told me that they would be contacting me to reaquire the product. A week or so went by and they finally contacted me and offered me $250 for the 26 platters that I had left. I told them that this wasn't sufficient as they have a retail value of $4100, and I told them I would sell them back to them for the price I was asking for them on eBAY of about $1800. They said no the items were stolen and they wouldn't pay that ammount. I asked to see their police report for the stolen items and they said they didn't have one. So at this time they filed a police report saying that these items were stolen between May 15th-June 15th. This is impossible as I bought the Storage unit on May 31st and it would have been locked up in the Lien Process for 45 days prior to that, meaning no had been in the unit since April 15th at the latest. I don't know what my rights are with these items, there are no serial numbers or barcodes or anything on them. Yesterday the Detective threatened to arrest me for possesion of Stolen Property if I don't return them, I think that I legally own them. Should I get a Lawyer?!?? Any help is greatly appreciated.
 


BL

Senior Member
Washington State....

On May 31st, 2007 I purchased a Storage Locker at a Lien Sale. Inside the Locker there was a vehicle and various other household items. Among these items were some ceramic platters made by a company called Westernware, there were somewhere around 30 of them I believe. I registered the car in my name and have a bill of sale from the Storage Facility for the items in the unit. On about July 15th or so I was contacted by the owner of Westernware asking where I got the platters that I was selling on eBAY, I told here that I had aquired them at a Lien Sale. She said that she believed they were Platters that were defective and she was told by her distribution company that they had destroyed the products and threw them away. She told me she was upset that this had happend because I was selling the platters for cheaper then she sold them wholesale and it was hurting the value of her product, she was quite upset with her distribution company and told me that they would be contacting me to reaquire the product. A week or so went by and they finally contacted me and offered me $250 for the 26 platters that I had left. I told them that this wasn't sufficient as they have a retail value of $4100, and I told them I would sell them back to them for the price I was asking for them on eBAY of about $1800. They said no the items were stolen and they wouldn't pay that ammount. I asked to see their police report for the stolen items and they said they didn't have one. So at this time they filed a police report saying that these items were stolen between May 15th-June 15th. This is impossible as I bought the Storage unit on May 31st and it would have been locked up in the Lien Process for 45 days prior to that, meaning no had been in the unit since April 15th at the latest. I don't know what my rights are with these items, there are no serial numbers or barcodes or anything on them. Yesterday the Detective threatened to arrest me for possesion of Stolen Property if I don't return them, I think that I legally own them. Should I get a Lawyer?!?? Any help is greatly appreciated.
It doesn't sound like she has her stories straight .

I'd consult an attorney , but from what you posted she filed a false police report .

If indeed she can prove they're stolen from her , you must return them .

I'm a little confused though , in that the detective didn't take stolen property with them .
 

DDP1983

Junior Member
Well I've never actually spoken to the Detective in person, they have all been phone calls from him pressuring me to return the stuff. The way he made it sound earlier was he just wants the case off his desk, because it has taken awhile now it sounds like he is mad at me hence the threatening to arrest me for possesion. So I dunno.
 

7kevin

Junior Member
Well I've never actually spoken to the Detective in person, they have all been phone calls from him pressuring me to return the stuff. The way he made it sound earlier was he just wants the case off his desk, because it has taken awhile now it sounds like he is mad at me hence the threatening to arrest me for possesion. So I dunno.
*** can i get a status on this case? just wondered through it . thanks.
 

rgnestle

Junior Member
Scam Buster Alert!

If you are being contacted by a "detective" by phone, you are probably being scammed.

See if you can get copies of the lien paperwork from the storage facility. Get any proof you can of the auction date and proof of purchase of the unit. Ask the "detective" for their badge number and precinct. Also DEMAND a copy of the police report. If they fail to provide it, make sure you have the number from which they called (*69 will provide this to you for a small charge) and report them to the police as "impersonating an officer for the intent of intimidation and fraud". Also report the woman for filing a false police report and let the officers know that you have proof of what you say.

Debt collectors are notorious for using this scam on debtors. It's not surprise that eBay scammers may have picked it up too. So many people fall for it. They threaten everything from revocation of a driver's license to arrest and imprisonment.

The MAIN thing is to get the "detective's" information and, if they fail to provide it, report them to your local police (911 is the number you will want to call) and give them all the information about the caller you can.

NO police detective would CALL a suspect to threaten them with arrest.

If, on the slim chance, the detective is STUPID enough to actually have called you to threaten you with arrest, you can then get a lawyer to sue the officer and the woman that filed the false report and you can win a very large settlement. I'm sure you won't have any difficulty in finding a good lawyer that would love to take your case. It's one of those cut and dry cases that lawyers love to sink their teeth into.
 

TheGeekess

Keeper of the Kraken
If you are being contacted by a "detective" by phone, you are probably being scammed.

See if you can get copies of the lien paperwork from the storage facility. Get any proof you can of the auction date and proof of purchase of the unit. Ask the "detective" for their badge number and precinct. Also DEMAND a copy of the police report. If they fail to provide it, make sure you have the number from which they called (*69 will provide this to you for a small charge) and report them to the police as "impersonating an officer for the intent of intimidation and fraud". Also report the woman for filing a false police report and let the officers know that you have proof of what you say.

Debt collectors are notorious for using this scam on debtors. It's not surprise that eBay scammers may have picked it up too. So many people fall for it. They threaten everything from revocation of a driver's license to arrest and imprisonment.

The MAIN thing is to get the "detective's" information and, if they fail to provide it, report them to your local police (911 is the number you will want to call) and give them all the information about the caller you can.

NO police detective would CALL a suspect to threaten them with arrest.

If, on the slim chance, the detective is STUPID enough to actually have called you to threaten you with arrest, you can then get a lawyer to sue the officer and the woman that filed the false report and you can win a very large settlement. I'm sure you won't have any difficulty in finding a good lawyer that would love to take your case. It's one of those cut and dry cases that lawyers love to sink their teeth into.
OP is LONG LONG gone. Please don't necropost. :cool:
 

rgnestle

Junior Member
D'oh!

I wouldn't have bothered to reply if the reply button had been disabled.:(

Thank you for teaching me what "necroposting" is. That was a foreign term to me until now.

I promise not to be a newb for too long.

Take care!:)
 

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