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Gun Gift

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Jlyke

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Kansas/Colorado

Here are the facts:

When my wife was 20, her stepfather gave her a gun (.38 Taurus) for her birthday. My wife is now almost 32.

She and I were married 9 1/2 years ago. Since we got married, he has gifted me with several pocket knives, probably four or five of them.
Nearly two years ago he gave me a 9mm Barretta handgun.

At the time of the giving of the Baretta, he told me that if I ever did not want it, I should give it away to someone that meant something to me, and not to sell it. If I was going to sell it, he said, I should give it back to him.

These transactions took place in Kansas.

In July of 2007 my wife and I moved to Colorado. This caused my wife's mother and stepfather to regard us with great displeasure. The stepfather has refused to talk to us, and the mother has spent weeks or months refusing to contact us.

Last week, my wife's stepfather asked, through my wife's mother, for the return of the guns and knives. The total value of the guns plus the knives is over a thousand dollars.

Neither my wife nor I registered either of the guns. We do not know if her stepfather had registered them when he owned them.

Questions:

Are we under any obligation to return the gifts?

My wife is afraid her stepfather will call the police and claim the guns were stolen by us. What steps can we take to protect our interest in the gifts?

I am inclined to trade the guns in for a new firearm and tell the stepfather truthfully that we no longer have the guns. As to this point:
a) Is the condition "not to sell" the guns enforceable?
b) Would trading the guns for a new one violate that term if it is enforceable?
c) How can I tell whether or not the guns have been claimed to have been "stolen" without exposing myself to any potential difficulties?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

Thank you so much for your consideration and wisdom in these matters.
 


JETX

Senior Member
Are we under any obligation to return the gifts?
Based on your post, no.

What steps can we take to protect our interest in the gifts?
Here is what I would suggest you consider.... send your father a very nice email telling him that you appreciate his GIFTS of the items and describe the items and when they were given. Then, if he responds 'Your Welcome'.... you got him.
 

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