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Problem in MD, business located in TX

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Z

Zoom

Guest
i have been employed by contract to help a small business recover it's computer equiptment, files & documents, as well as about 45 client's computer quiptment and documents.

the story goes like this. the company located to baltimore md and the owner began a personal relationship with a woman. he based his business in the basement of her home where his business flourished for 2 years.

he employed her to run the business in baltimore while he re-located to dallas, tx to startup another business and add a nother "branch" office to the baltimore business.

in the interm thier relationship faltered. the business owner found out that monies were being used for her personal use and not being put into the business account.

now the business in baltimore is being held hostage by the former employee. the owner fired her just before christmas. up until that time he was paying the utilities at the business location and paying her an hourly wage that she determined was what she wanted to make.

bank accounts, phone numbers and postal mail have all been redirected to texas now. but the problem is the former employee has physical control over company computer equiptment as well as customer equipment and contacts/documentation. she will not let him get the items and move them to his office in dallas.

this is causing the business owner to have to maintain the very expensive data lines into the baltimore location because the customers machines are still there in operation. she says he owes her for utility bills and she wont let him or an agent for him pickup the items to stop her from incurring even more utility charges.

the business owner wants to settle this but everytime he offers she comes up with another excuse to prevent him from getting the items.

lastly, she is contacting his customers and telling them stories that scare them off from continuing to do business with the business owner. she is in turn having those customer send her money to take thier equiptment offline and re-locate it to one of his competitors resulting in lost business.

my questions are: 1) is there a criminal law being brokenm here. 2) what does the business owner need to do to recover his eqiptment pronto! Possibly some kind of emergency order to recover it priot to the case going to civil court. 3) since he is now in texas is this a maryland jusrisdiction or a texas jursidiction issue.

thank you.
 


JETX

Senior Member
Answers:

Q1) "is there a criminal law being brokenm here."
A1) Probably, but since the equipment was delivered and installed there, it would be hard to convince someone that it was 'stolen'. You should talk with the Baltimore Police Dept and see what they say (probably a 'civil matter').

Q2) "what does the business owner need to do to recover his
eqiptment pronto! Possibly some kind of emergency order to recover it priot to the case going to civil court."
A2) Again, since the equipment was delivered to the address owned by the individual, you have little chance of getting the equipment back "pronto". If she makes any claims to ownership or possession, this could pretty much tie-up the 'pronto' part of your question. Hell, she could even claim that a rent/lease condition existed for the equipment and it is being held pending final payment(s) for unpaid rent (landlord lien).

Q3) "since he is now in texas is this a maryland jusrisdiction or a texas jursidiction issue."
Since all the disputed parts of this case occurred in Baltimore, it would have to be adjudicated there. Texas has no jurisdiction.
 

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