Have to vent.. plus you might get a kick out of it....

DebosDave'72 · 07/27/06, 02:28 PM

Hey guys!

I am pissed! This is a long story, but I have to get it off my chest...

I own a Pawn Shop here in Bozeman. So I am sure I deal with some thieves and the like, but I do my best to avoid it. Every now and again, I get stuck with something that is stolen, and I give it back, and lose the money.. but this time.... man I am angry.

I had a scum bag Shane bring me in an Xbox 360. I give him $400. A week later, I have another scum bag Clinton give me a call. He says, "Shane just gave me a pawn ticket that shows he pawned my Xbox 360, it is stolen. I am on my way to make a police report right now." A few minutes later the Belgrade Police (town 8 miles from Bozeman) give me a call. They tell me to hold the Xbox, they need to get it back for Clinton. I tell them it looks fishy that Shane stole Clinton's Xbox, then gives him the ticket??? The cop tells me that he knows of Shane and he is a thief... Well I hole the Xbox (I have to hold it for 30 days, then they pick it up). A week later, Clinton comes into my store. He pawns an SKS and an air nailer. Well, not too much time passes, and the Bozeman PD calls me. Apparently Shane and Clinton live together, and now Clinton stole the SKS and the Nailer from Shane's dad. So I am told to hold them. I say ok, and hold them. After 30 days from the first warrant, the Belgrade officer comes in to pickup Clinton's Xbox to give it back to him. I tell the officer the situation, and ask if there is anything they can do for me, since this Clinton now owes me the money for the SKS and Nailer... "Nope, that's a different case.." What a crock of Sh*t! So today, in comes the Bozeman officer to pick up the SKS and Nailer... tell him the same thing, and now my money is a civil matter... they can't do anything but give Shane's stuff back....

SO, now two thieves have my money, and the cops give them both back their stuff. I am supposed to wait for resitution, which I rarely get.... Just makes me so mad, I know I have risk as a Pawn Shop, but this one takes the cake... There are no rights for me....

Another quick story since I am angry at the cops right now...

Our store sells this guy 2 Glock handguns. He pays with a check... We call the bank to verify funds, and the check appears to be good. However, when the check tries to go through, it comes back NSF. A little while later, we hear rumor of this guy pulling these two guns on someone downtown. We call the County Attorney, tell them the situation, tell them about the bad check, and ask if they can go confinscate our guns back because we are worried. No, sorry, writing a bad check isn't worthy of going and confinscating these guns. We call the Bozeman police... They basically tell us the same thing, knowing full well this kid pulled the guns on someone and wrote a bad check to buy them, and we know where the kid is... there is nothing they can do. Well low and behold a few weeks later, there ends up being a kid shot to death west of town. Bet you can't guess, at least one of the guns this guy bought from us was turned up as the murder weapon. The best of it is, after they put it together, they want to come down and treat us like criminals for selling the guy the guns... We did everything we could, and still the police couldn't do anything.

Seems to me, the police can't do anything except help thieves recover thier stolen goods....

Thanks for listening to me rant... feel a little better already...

Dave

scottmcwms · 07/27/06, 02:44 PM

You need to document all these instances and turn them in to the police. If they don't do anything about it you should contact your local FBI. It sounds like the police might be in on this. The FBI will probably have to do an external audit.

sfaforester · 07/27/06, 03:35 PM

The guys don't go to jail for being theives? Can't you at least press charges, because actually thet stole from you...it was just an unique way. I would get ahold of an attorney right there and talk with them on what you can do.

Plus since they have a ticket, then they have a need to pay money to get that item back right?

DebosDave'72 · 07/27/06, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottmcwms

You need to document all these instances and turn them in to the police. If they don't do anything about it you should contact your local FBI. It sounds like the police might be in on this. The FBI will probably have to do an external audit.

I don't think the police are in on it, they are just too lazy. They can just keep everyone happy if they come get the stuff and give it back, then they write the thieves a ticket, and after that it is out of their hands... no investigation or actuall leg work involved. If they can't find the guy to write him a ticket... oh well, at least the folks who reported the stuff stolen are happy, and they look like the heros...

DD

P.S. Their typical response to me when I complain about it... "that's just a part of the pawn industry.." So I get no protection from the laws or criminals... and they can be heros

sfaforester · 07/27/06, 03:44 PM

Since when the heck did theives get a ticket????? Theives go to jail. And the roomates are scamming you. I would threaten suit against the Police department, but you prolly need to talk to the local detective first.

DebosDave'72 · 07/27/06, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sfaforester

The guys don't go to jail for being theives? Can't you at least press charges, because actually thet stole from you...it was just an unique way. I would get ahold of an attorney right there and talk with them on what you can do.

Plus since they have a ticket, then they have a need to pay money to get that item back right?

The thieves just get a ticket. I once had a guy come in with a stolen tent. Thankfully it had been reported before I got it, and I was told about it. So, here comes this kid with the tent. I call the cops and keep the kid in the store. They come down, take the kid outside, put him in the car, take the tent, write the kid a ticket, and let him go right there on the spot...

I could press charges, but they are thieves, it is tough to get money out of them... I can file for restitution from the thieves, but rarely do they make it to court, and when they do (or even if they don't), and are convicted, they still have to rely on a thief to come in and make payments to me.... it is a tough spot, and I know in the game I am in, I will take some hits, but I do everything I can to help get these guys, but I never get any help...

On your last question, the cops themselves come in and take the stuff, no money necessary...

Dave

DebosDave'72 · 07/27/06, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sfaforester

Since when the heck did theives get a ticket????? Theives go to jail. And the roomates are scamming you. I would threaten suit against the Police department, but you prolly need to talk to the local detective first.

I guess theft is a misdemeanor, so it is a ticket and on your way... I KNOW the roommates are scamming me, but there is little I can do. I could pay an attorney, but at that point you are up against taxpayer attorneys who have to work each day anyway, and are happy to take things to court. And to pay for $400 Xbox and $75 SKS and $50 Nailer... well it would cost more than that, plus I am not sure you could prove the police did anything against the law... It would become a civil matter between me and the thieves... which is the same boat as resitution... The problem is there are no laws written to protect me, and police policy is even worse... and to get public approval for some PawnBroker protection is even harder as we kinda have a bad public image... Basically just bend over and take it some more...

Dave

DebosDave'72 · 07/27/06, 03:51 PM

Oh yeah, and check this out... if the cops write the guy a ticket, when the kids pays them money (they collect for me too), the money he pays goes to the ticket first, then if there is anything left, they pay me back my money....

DD

BlueEyeDevil · 07/27/06, 06:14 PM

So have you stoped dealing with these people? why not only take cash on purchases of a certian size? say under $100?

DebosDave'72 · 07/28/06, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueEyeDevil

So have you stoped dealing with these people? why not only take cash on purchases of a certian size? say under $100?

Yes, these people are locked in my store as well as my Father in law's stores. I told a guy at another shop, so they may be locked down there too.. This particular thing didn't have to do with me selling anything, but I typically only deal with cash on most things...

Dave

**broncow72** · 07/28/06, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DebosDave'72

I don't think the police are in on it, they are just too lazy. They can just keep everyone happy if they come get the stuff and give it back, then they write the thieves a ticket, and after that it is out of their hands... no investigation or actuall leg work involved. If they can't find the guy to write him a ticket... oh well, at least the folks who reported the stuff stolen are happy, and they look like the heros...

DD

P.S. Their typical response to me when I complain about it... "that's just a part of the pawn industry.." So I get no protection from the laws or criminals... and they can be heros

I seriously doubt the police are lazy, they have their hands tied by regulations and other laws that, do indeed, protect the criminals. This is a bit off topic, but I think there are too many laws, and more being made, yet only the F'd up ones are inforced (for criminal rights). I'm sorry you got hosed, but do you have any really cool assault rifles in stock? Like say an M-4 A3? Maybe a mini-14? My checks are good, I promise.

I would also be interested in a 1911.....

**j.r.nice** · 07/28/06, 09:20 PM

1) sounds like a good case for small claims court.....at least get a judgement.
2) sounds like you might have recourse on the bank if they "approved" the check and then it was no good.
3) I am not sure - but I think it may be a felony to use a bad check to buy a gun.....check with the ATF.

I think I would refuse to take checks - especially on guns! ...or I would have a loooooong waiting period for them to clear. I do a lot on Ebay and I refuse to take personal checks. I had one of my first sales - involving a check - go bad, luckily I hadnt shipped the stuff.

Yea, I suppose Pawn business is risky but that doesnt mean that it's ok for these crooks to rip you off.

montanabronc · 07/30/06, 06:47 PM

That sucks. I'm sure these guys aren't tweakers either

anyways what does your bronc look like?, quite a few nice uncuts running around town. Finally got mine in the bog this year, but had fuel issues.

BigFord74 · 08/01/06, 03:25 PM

Back where i used to live the wife and i first had the front clip stolen off my '68 Olds 442 broad daylight. Few weeks later my mom goes out and asked where i put the 'deere mower. I told her in the garage. Not there no more. Well we got lucky and the idiot who "supposedly" bought a $5k mower for $500 had painted it red. But at the time only 'deere sold front deck 3 wheel'd mowers. Sooo we got the cops called they came down and since there wasn't any numbers we could find directly he was able to leave with it as if nothing ever happend. Luckily the farm store we bought it from said when they are made they put numbers on the block too and most ppl dont know where they are located and if they did you'd just about have to pull the motor to get to the stamp. Long story short we go to court and he's made to pay restituation. Took 6months cause they couldn't force him to pay it. As long as he paid the court cost and his ticket he was going to just stay on probation. I asked his probation officer since they can't do anything about it. If it was ok for me to go out there to her new Denali and let the air out of the tires and do some handy graphiti work. I told her i'd stand here and wait for her to call the cops. Being on disability for a heart condition (nother story) they wouldn't so much as write me a court date but i'd nvr see the inside of a jail. It was really amazing how in less then a week he was able to cough up almost $3k that was owe'd to me.

All in all i do believe criminals have 10x's the rights honest hard working ppl have.