Very FRUSTRATED!!!!!!!

[heathen]

Hey guys, I normally am not one to spread my troubles around the internet or bring stuff like this onto a site of this nature, but I am kind of confused on what to do.

My aunt has an old house she use to live in, and it has set empty for a number of years now, every winter I take my 3 boats down there and park in the garage. Well this past winter she let my one Uncle move in, as was SUPPOSE to pay rent and what not for living there. I told her I would go get my boats and stuff out of the garage right away. She said NO you have been using that garage for years and he is just renting the house. I don't care if you let it there forever.

Well, this spring I go and get 2 of the boats out of there, and my cousin wanted to buy the one I hardly use. So I said ok, sure no problem so I left it there. I told him to go get and take it to his place, that the license was up on everything and to use it, and when our work schedules allowed, we would settle up and transfer everything. Well he isn't one to take something that isn't technically his, so he said no he would let it there till it was a done deal. So I called my aunt and she said that's fine, like I said before, you can let it there forever. You have maintained and kept the garage up all these years, it still yours to use, and your uncle is just renting the house.

Well today I get a phone call; from a friend of mine saying my uncle sold the motor off the back of that boat for $500 bucks. Well I go immediately into a tirade and want to go down right away and take it out of his hide. Well needless to say, the wife wont let me leave and what not, so I called a few friends to go over there and see if its there and I also called my aunt to let her know what's up. I come to find out this jerk has never paid her any rent, has sold stuff out of the house to get money and so on and she has never done anything about it, because its her brother.

Now I am kind of stuck here, I don't know what to do. The motor isn't really an issue and I don't know how he sold it for 500 dollars anyway as it is old as heck and barley ran. What I want is some justice of knowing that this is going to stop.

Is there anyway to press charges on him for selling something that wasn't his?

Would the person who bought it get in trouble?

I am not the suing kind of person, but this has me fuming and want some kind of justice done, I don't care if I don't get a dime out of the deal in the end, I just want someway to cause him some fines, headaches, a lot of grief and what not.

I don't get along with my family hardly at all anyway, so making them mad at me is least of my worries. I left that town when I was 18 and I might go back there 2 or 3 times a year to see the 3 relatives I do like.

Man I am so mad, frustrated right now. I tried calling him several times and he won't answer the phone. I tried calling his son who lives within seeing distance of the house, and asked if his dad was home, he yes he is, and I told him what was going on and he hung up on me.

Kind of at a loss on what to do.

Besides beating the crap out of him, and doing old school justice that would likely wind me up in trouble too, what sort of actions or grounds do you think I have?

Sooner or later the old Marine Corps attitude is going to come out, and I will go handle this my way, which wont be good for either of us. I would rather do it the right way and not get in trouble, but if it comes down to it. So be it.

Thanks guys,

Tommy ..aka River Warrior

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Is there anyway to press charges on him for selling something that wasn't his?

Would the person who bought it get in trouble?

Absolutely, that's larceny and distribution of stolen goods.

The other person will only get in trouble if he falsified the paperwork to get it registered.  I'm assuming, if your name is on original title and not on bill of sale that he did.  If so, he deserves to be in trouble to because he obviously had to know he was buying someone elses motor.

This is complete BS and I would be fuming too.

[heathen]

Thanks LBH.

To my knowledge the motor is not registered to anyone. It is a very old 5.5 hp Johnson, and in PA a motor that small doesnt require a title or bill of sale to sell. Only the boat had registration on it and it is still there.

The way things went, I dont really think the guy knew it was stolen if you want to call it that. This is kind of complicated to explain, but my cousin who is buying the boat, his wifes brother, was at a little league game and he was telling him about the new boat motor he bought and who he got it from. So my friend started asking him some questions, what color he said red and white, what size 5.5 Johnson with a pitchfork welded on the bottom. He told him right away that motor wasnt forsale and the guy was shocked. He is suppose to be calling me about the deal, after I talk to him, then I guess its off to the law, I am out a motor and/or the guy is out his money he paid for it. So all in all I dont think the guy knew it was stole.

So my deadbeat so called uncle has 2 people that want to nail his hide and have him arrested.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Yea, it's definitely a drag of a situation but .........he asked for it.  He obviously didn't care what you thought or felt so,...

[cart7t]

You're going to have to go down there, call the cops and file a charge for a stolen motor.

Then you can file a civil suit against your uncle.

[edbassmaster]

Dude, whatever you do...do not resort to violence...dont worry about your manhood. No matter who wins, the outcome is gonna be a hospital or jail for one of you, and if you do hurt him, it doesnt right the situation. It's hard when that anger burns up inside, but believe me, your a bigger man for handling it the right way. Listen to LBH too, he's right.

[Guest avid]

Like Cart said, you have to file a police report that the motor was stolen.

that doesn't prove your uncle did it but it brings the police into the picture.  If you can find out who he sold it to then that person can be informed they are in possession of stolen property and give you the motor back and let them settle with the uncle.  If they won't then you call the cops on them.

Like most crappy situations that involve family, you often feel powerless to act.

It really sucks.

I feel for you.

[Replica.]

Even if your uncle does not pay rent he is a legal resident of your aunts home after a given period of time, an eviction order would be required to remove him.  As a legal resident he has the ability to remove abandoned property, (the deffinition of abandoned property varies by state), from your aunts property.  If your aunt is willing to back you, and not her brother, you may have a chance in court.

[RecMar8541]

River,

Hey Bro, and yes I can call you that legitamatly, 23 year marine here.  No violence stand on honor, you know how to do that I am certain.  Let the law handle this.  For you to resort to violence will only bring more woes and wont solve the issue at hand.  

Loyalty Honor and Integrity have their own reward.

Replica it was clearly stated the person rented the home not the garage, legally he can only remove abandon property that is left on the property he rents or leases.  Besides the fact of clearly knowing it wasnt abandoned.

Semper Fi

Recon

[Replica.]

Replica it was clearly stated the person rented the home not the garage, legally he can only remove abandon property that is left on the property he rents or leases. Besides the fact of clearly knowing it wasnt abandoned.

Semper Fi

Recon

I agree with you, but common sense and the legal system are two different things.  A friend of mine was in the same situation and after the Lawyers, Police, D.A., and Judge got involved he was ready to pull out his hair.

[heathen]

So basically what you guys are saying, since my uncle rented the house and not the garage, my possessions are considered abandoned and free for the taking?

This makes absolutely no sense to me at all. My stuff had a right to be there by the owner of the property. So what gives him the right to sell it?

I can see this ending in me getting in trouble if this is the case as one way or another this guy (to keep the site clean) is going to pay. If I have to take the money out of his hide and then deal with the consecueces so be it. I have tried to do whats right and file a complaint with the local authorities.

Well if that doesn't work, then its time to take stuff in my own hands. One way or another he will PAY!!!!!!!!

[Replica.]

So basically what you guys are saying, since my uncle rented the house and not the garage, my possessions are considered abandoned and free for the taking?

Sorry if it sounded that way, but that is not what I meant to imply.  Before you do anything that will land you in jail make every effort to resolve the matter with law enforcement or in court.  I was just trying to say that the issue may not be easy to fix, but violence will only make it worse.

[RecMar8541]

Replica is 100% right, violence will only make matters worse.  A calm head will prevail here.  I dont believe the courts will consider these abandon, considering you have stored them there for quite some time, and the owners knew about it.  

I would simply call the cops, have them come to the property where the boats are, file a report about the motor being stolen, explain to them your conversation at the little league field, hand them the phone number of the guy who bought it, and I think they will resolve it in rather short order.

Be polite courteous and professional, even to the man who sold the motor.  Being anything less will just make you a bit less pleasant to deal with for the police, and their level of willingness to help will drop.

I hope this comes to a peaceful conclusion for you!!

Recon