Former Employer wants laptop back?

[Zigner]

Bottom line is, no matter what you have to say about it, the laptop belongs to someone else and you know it. If that someone else sues you for the laptop, that someone else will win the lawsuit. Period.

Just curious...why did you spend lots of $ on upgrades for a piece of equipment that you know for a fact doesn't belong to you?

Because he thought it would be lost in the confusion of buyouts. He figured that he'd scored a free computer!

 

[Astrolink]

From the description of the laptop, it's a G4 Powerbook. Depending on the screen size, they sell at Ebay for $100-$200. Why not buy another just like it and move your parts to it, then return the original?

Ultimately, you have $100-$200 into a powerbook that would have sold for $400-$500 in 2008. Whatever upgrades you have put in have been offset by depreciation.

 

[justalayman]

From the description of the laptop, it's a G4 Powerbook. Depending on the screen size, they sell at Ebay for $100-$200. Why not buy another just like it and move your parts to it, then return the original?

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because OP doesn't have the old parts to put back in. OP needs to leave the parts in it that are in it and figure that is what you get when you conspire to convert others property to be your own.

 

[InsaneJane]

My advice would be to contact the party and simply explain that the computer return wasn't requested on or near the time of the lay off. And after 2 years you may have to extend a lot of time and effort to retrive the computer that no longer has any real value. Then ask them if they would rather you just buy it for around $40 or so.
When you consider the cost of refubishing that laptop to a good working order (new battery, key board, hard drive cleanning or replacement...), that is a good reasonable price.

Good luck.

P.S. after them abandonning it for 2 years and how intense it would be to totally wipe the HD of your personal info, keeping the harddrive for your protection is a reasonable legal action.

 

[justalayman]

jane, the OP was engaged to continue some service using the computer after he left the company two years ago. He was tossing out red herrings all over the place to hide the true story of how and why he had the computer.

OP agreed to provide a service in exchange for special treatment of his company stock options.

 

[TheGeekess]

My advice would be to contact the party and simply explain that the computer return wasn't requested on or near the time of the lay off. And after 2 years you may have to extend a lot of time and effort to retrive the computer that no longer has any real value. Then ask them if they would rather you just buy it for around $40 or so.
When you consider the cost of refubishing that laptop to a good working order (new battery, key board, hard drive cleanning or replacement...), that is a good reasonable price.

Good luck.

P.S. after them abandonning it for 2 years and how intense it would be to totally wipe the HD of your personal info, keeping the harddrive for your protection is a reasonable legal action.

I can tell you don't buy used laptops.

 

[LeeHarveyBlotto]

Bottom line is you can return it or risk being sued for its value (a couple hundred bucks).

 

[Kiawah]

Return it, or offer to buy it.

I'm surprised they're not concerned about company data that would have been on the machine, though. Anybody leaves our company, all access to company network and data is instantly removed, and all IT equipment must be returned immediately to receive termination check.

 

[pattytx]

all IT equipment must be returned immediately to receive termination check.

Kiawah, you do know that South Dakota is the only state in which this is legal, right?