S
StefanM
Guest
What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?State: California
I recently sold several unique musical instruments on eBay to clear out studio space and bolster my family finances affected by unemployment and unexpected medical bills.
-I had made the sale of one instrument and received full payment.
-The buyer was going to arrange shipping to the East Coast and I agreed to store it free of charge until he could make such arrangements for its pickup.
-A couple of days later, before any shipping, I was contacted by a local police agency (at a local university) and informed that the instrument had been stolen from their university over 10 years ago and now asked me to return the instrument immediately.
-In talking with the detective, I was assured that I was not a suspect, perhaps just noting that I included a detailed description and serial information with extensive photos on the sale page and I am cooperating in everyway to return the instrument to the rightful owners.
The instrument had been given to me by another musician several years ago as he needed more space and I was not one to turn down a gift. I restore and repaired it and dug into its unique history--it never even crossed my mind that it might be stolen nor would I have accepted it in the first place if I had known. Had I not sold it on eBay, I would have never discovered it to be stolen.
My question is this:
--Am I legal liable to pay back the money I got from the sale before it was known that the instrument was stolen, if so how long would I have?
--What about my time and expenses for restoring and repairing the instrument?
--Is there possible criminal action that can be taken against myself now or later--something I can prepare for or avoid?
Certainly any info or suggestions would be very useful.
Thanks!
Stef
I recently sold several unique musical instruments on eBay to clear out studio space and bolster my family finances affected by unemployment and unexpected medical bills.
-I had made the sale of one instrument and received full payment.
-The buyer was going to arrange shipping to the East Coast and I agreed to store it free of charge until he could make such arrangements for its pickup.
-A couple of days later, before any shipping, I was contacted by a local police agency (at a local university) and informed that the instrument had been stolen from their university over 10 years ago and now asked me to return the instrument immediately.
-In talking with the detective, I was assured that I was not a suspect, perhaps just noting that I included a detailed description and serial information with extensive photos on the sale page and I am cooperating in everyway to return the instrument to the rightful owners.
The instrument had been given to me by another musician several years ago as he needed more space and I was not one to turn down a gift. I restore and repaired it and dug into its unique history--it never even crossed my mind that it might be stolen nor would I have accepted it in the first place if I had known. Had I not sold it on eBay, I would have never discovered it to be stolen.
My question is this:
--Am I legal liable to pay back the money I got from the sale before it was known that the instrument was stolen, if so how long would I have?
--What about my time and expenses for restoring and repairing the instrument?
--Is there possible criminal action that can be taken against myself now or later--something I can prepare for or avoid?
Certainly any info or suggestions would be very useful.
Thanks!
Stef