• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

Ripped-off by auctioneer

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

debodun

Member
What is the name of your state? New York

My mother passed away late last year. She was a collector - big time! I inherited her 10-room Victorian home filled with antiques and other collectibles. Wanting to clean out the house a little, I vainly attempted to contact antique dealers and other estate liquidators. Nobody was interested. Then my aunt recommended this one auctioneer that she said her sister dealt with and she gave me his cell phone number. I contacted him and he agreed to come and look at the house contents. He arrived with his van a few days later and with his "helper" removed quite a few things like framed art, furniture, china, etc. About 90% of the house contents he refused to take, though, claiming that he only wanted "good" stuff. As he was carrying things out, I asked him to slow down as I wanted to make a list of what he was taking. He said "Don't worry. When I get it sorted and organized, I'll make a list and send it to you." This was back in mid-April. Weeks passed and I did not hear from him. I called him and when he answered, I identified myself and asked how the auction went. Now he acted like he didn't know me or even remember coming to my house. I never received an inventory of what he took. I wanted to know if I'd have a case in small claims court? I don't even know where this guy lives and from what I heard subsequently about him, he doesn't even have his auctions in the same place all the time - it' s like a floating crap game. How can I have him served with a summons if I don't know where he lives? Any other advice appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 


dcatz

Senior Member
You might try locating him by name, using online public record databases. If he actually has a name for his business, use a similar resource to see if it’s a registered fictitious business name, and track him that way. Of course, if it’s a corporation, serve the registered agent, who should be on your Secretary of State’s site. If you have a telephone number, try a reverse directory (gives addresses for telephone numbers). Those are a reasonably expensive commercial product for a one-time use, but many large public libraries maintain them. Some newer versions include the contract address for a cell phone, and you may get lucky. What does your aunt know about him – any old documents? And, if it’s worth enough, you can always hire a PI.

But, from your post, you’re not only going to have to find him, you have to prove he converted your property (which he may no longer have). That may be even harder.
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top