Item in question is an animal cage – 55 gallon aquarium, badly broken but patched up. I doubt it’s worth as much as $10. This cage, along with the animals therein, was originally owned by a supervisor at work, being kept at the workplace as a customer draw, then given to me by the supervisor, and I took it home, making those intentions known oraly before she gave it to me.
I no longer work there. The business is now claiming the cage as company property and wants it returned threatening me with accusations of theft. I fully intend to return this cage but at the moment it and the animals are considered seized by AZ Game and Fish pending investigation (turns out the capture and exploitation of the animals were very likely done illegally without permits).
The problem is that when I return it I suspect the company will claim the cage wasn’t broken when they gave it to me and harass me somehow for A) having stolen company property that was in fact a personal gift and B) breaking something that was already broken when I got it. The question I have is how covered am I and what more should I do?
- Ownership and transference of ownership of the cage was all oral. There is one email from me to the big boss referencing the animals but not the cage. There is one email from a little boss to me yesterday referencing the cage and threats of “theft of company property.”
- I have witnesses on my side saying it was painfully clear the animals and cage were personal gifts, but only one so far willing to come forward (the rest are concerned for their jobs).
- I assume I should take pictures of the cage before it leaves my possession?
- Is it enough to have my witness on standby in case anything comes of it or should I ask her to write and date something now?
- How much claim does the company even have here to morph a personal gift into stolen company property if there’s nothing in writing? Wouldn’t the burden of proof as it were be on them and therefore up to them to decide if it’s worth legal pursuit?
I believe those are the only relevant gory details. And yes, it’s really, really amazing that there’s this much drama over a broken aquarium of little or no value but that’s small-town vendetta politics for you. Thanks in advance for any tips!
I no longer work there. The business is now claiming the cage as company property and wants it returned threatening me with accusations of theft. I fully intend to return this cage but at the moment it and the animals are considered seized by AZ Game and Fish pending investigation (turns out the capture and exploitation of the animals were very likely done illegally without permits).
The problem is that when I return it I suspect the company will claim the cage wasn’t broken when they gave it to me and harass me somehow for A) having stolen company property that was in fact a personal gift and B) breaking something that was already broken when I got it. The question I have is how covered am I and what more should I do?
- Ownership and transference of ownership of the cage was all oral. There is one email from me to the big boss referencing the animals but not the cage. There is one email from a little boss to me yesterday referencing the cage and threats of “theft of company property.”
- I have witnesses on my side saying it was painfully clear the animals and cage were personal gifts, but only one so far willing to come forward (the rest are concerned for their jobs).
- I assume I should take pictures of the cage before it leaves my possession?
- Is it enough to have my witness on standby in case anything comes of it or should I ask her to write and date something now?
- How much claim does the company even have here to morph a personal gift into stolen company property if there’s nothing in writing? Wouldn’t the burden of proof as it were be on them and therefore up to them to decide if it’s worth legal pursuit?
I believe those are the only relevant gory details. And yes, it’s really, really amazing that there’s this much drama over a broken aquarium of little or no value but that’s small-town vendetta politics for you. Thanks in advance for any tips!