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.
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.