Cats,GK amps and Ethics... a Dilemma

JoZac21 · #1 08-27-2010, 11:17 PM

I apologize for the long post, but I need to hear what others think on this matter...

After a gig, the bass player in my last band (I played guitar for that group) left his GK amp at my apartment. I recall his exact statement to be, "yo, I'm leaving this here for awhile."

I have 4 cats (I know, insane, but shut up). He knew this. The GK is one of the ones w. the carpet like upholstering. He knew that too. (You can probably see where this is going... as he should have too).

Flash forward nearly a year and a half to today... and he finally comes to pick it up. Obviously, the thing is a mess... works fine... but it's covered in cat hair and the upholstering is falling off the thing, not a crazy amount, but it certainly doesn't look good.

I told him that I would help him pay to get it fixed, not for any reason other than that I feel like it's the nice (not the right) thing to do. The kid left it in my house... I asked him several times to get it out, and he just kept procrastinating. Now he's demanding I pay for a complete reupholstering and screaming at me in a not-at-all-subtle-threatening manner.

I didn't ask to borrow the friggin' thing... as a matter of fact, the entire time it was here, I only used it once for about 10 minutes, even though he said i could use it whenever.

I would never, ever leave something valuable at somebody's house, simply because it benefited me, knowing it was an inconvenience for the other person... leave it for over a year in an environment I know is not good for it... and then get pissed to find it in a bad condition.

What if it wasn't an amp, but a hamster that he decided to dump on me... and my cats ate it? Would I be in the wrong? The thing is a friggin' 15" speaker wrapped in a carpet... and 4 cats... which I told him they've been using it as a bed... he'd even seen them jumping and climbing all over it.

Sorry for the rant, but I'd love to get some thoughts on this... I'm just pissed that someone can be so irresponsible and try to play it like I'm the one that's irresponsible...

ryansalmond · #2 08-27-2010, 11:28 PM

You're right. Don't know what to do about it, but you're right. I mean if he's actually threatening you you should call the cops but when you say threatening you probably didnt mean it like that.

JoZac21 · #3 08-27-2010, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryansalmond

You're right. Don't know what to do about it, but you're right. I mean if he's actually threatening you you should call the cops but when you say threatening you probably didnt mean it like that.

He didn't threat violence, but he's certainly capable... and I know the main reason he's so upset is that he had to hear about it from his crazy mother (i'm a good deal older than him, and he still lives w. his parents).

I think it's incredibly generous of me to offer to help out. I have no problem doing it... simply as a friend.

As a matter of fact, I have a friend who is currently reupholstering one of his own amps, and I was going to see if he would do this one too... but I'm really not cool with him turning this around and making it somehow my fault. I'm a nice guy, but I'm not nice enough to take that garbage.

DaveF · #4 08-27-2010, 11:48 PM

You've got to be kidding... forget this joker! If it was that important, he wouldn't have forgotten about it in a year.

I'll bet he's going to sell it, which is why he wanted it back. Now he can't sell it for as much.

Tell him it's a valuable lesson!

Tusec · #5 08-28-2010, 12:03 AM

Not your fault. Guy sounds like a dork. The only thing you might have done differently is made him aware early on that your cats were using it as a scratching post. Then he'd have no excuse to complain now.

But you certainly didn't owe him that. Or maybe you did owe him that, because he was your friend?

I wonder why he feels entitled to leave his stuff in storage at your place for a year and a half? Was other people's band stuff there? Had it become the understanding that your place was the storage place? Was there an expectation that stuff could be safely left there? Had you accepted the role of "keeper of the stuff"?

Rudreax · #6 08-28-2010, 12:11 AM

Seeing as how he was completely, totally aware of your living situation and the danger of putting his amp in your home, this is his responsibility. Was there no one else he could have left it with at the time?

MJ5150 · #7 08-28-2010, 12:17 AM

Are the rest of the items in your home covered in cat hair too?

-Mike

JoZac21 · #8 08-28-2010, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveF

I'll bet he's going to sell it, which is why he wanted it back. Now he can't sell it for as much.

He has a gig this weekend he needed it for... I don't think his plans were to sell it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tusec

I wonder why he feels entitled to leave his stuff in storage at your place for a year and a half? Was other people's band stuff there? Had it become the understanding that your place was the storage place? Was there an expectation that stuff could be safely left there? Had you accepted the role of "keeper of the stuff"?

Not the case at all... the only piece of equipment that wasn't mine that was at my house (aside from the amp) was my drummers mic, because we we're recording vox at my place. Being that I had specifically ASKED to BORROW the mic, it was returned promptly in the same condition in which it was given to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudreax

Was there no one else he could have left it with at the time?

After that gig we went back to my place. The amp's pretty damned heavy... I don't remember if he couldn't get a ride, or just didn't feel like lugging it downstairs, but either way, somehow it wound up sitting in my house.

The thing actually sat in my dining room for most of the time... until finally, realizing it wasn't going anywhere any time soon, I moved into my room, where it was out of the way from people tripping on it.

Plays_For_Dog · #9 08-28-2010, 12:26 AM

Tell him the loss in value from the cat damage evens out the rent you would have charged him for the storage.

Tusec · #10 08-28-2010, 12:32 AM

Did you realize the cats were damaging his amp, and if so, why didn't you let him know?

JoZac21 · #11 08-28-2010, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tusec

Did you realize the cats were damaging his amp, and if so, why didn't you let him know?

I paid very little attention to the amp since it's been here... only recently did I notice that there was any "significant" damage (mind you it's all aethetic) to the amp.

The reason I didn't tell him at that point is because it isn't my friggin' problem. I work a full time job to pay for the amp storage facility I call my home. My only thought at the time was, "man, what I a stupid idea it was to leave this here... I wonder if he'll ever get it the hell out."

MJ5150 · #12 08-28-2010, 12:56 AM

If it were me, I would have just vacuumed up the cat hair on the amp when I was vacuuming the rest of the area around it.

-Mike

BillyIVbass · #13 08-28-2010, 01:13 AM

Not your problem at all. He knew the risks. He's lucky YOU didn't sell or decide to stop answering your phone.

If you leave your car parked on your grocery store lot and it gets hit, do you deal with the grocery store? No...tell him to ask the cats to cough up a few bucks. haha

phatbass · #14 08-28-2010, 01:27 AM

That's not damage; it's "Cat Mojo"...

dmusic148 · #15 08-28-2010, 01:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoZac21

I paid very little attention to the amp since it's been here... only recently did I notice that there was any "significant" damage (mind you it's all aethetic) to the amp.

The reason I didn't tell him at that point is because it isn't my friggin' problem.

Well, actually it is. You sort of flaked out here. You did.

bassteban · #16 08-28-2010, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmusic148

Well, actually it is. You sort of flaked out here. You did.

Dude that left it there for more than a year, knowing there are cats there, is the only one who flaked.

James Judson · #17 08-28-2010, 01:42 AM

If your friend takes you to court and can prove the damage occured while in your possession. The Judge will tell you "pay the man".

Good news.........

Your friend ain't very smart.

Your friend won't be able to figure out how to get this in front of a judge.

Me??? I'd fix it. After all its ust a piece of carpet. I need all the friends I can get.

You??? Maybe you don't need this one.

Tusec · #18 08-28-2010, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoZac21

I paid very little attention to the amp since it's been here... only recently did I notice that there was any "significant" damage (mind you it's all aethetic) to the amp.

The reason I didn't tell him at that point is because it isn't my friggin' problem. I work a full time job to pay for the amp storage facility I call my home. My only thought at the time was, "man, what I a stupid idea it was to leave this here... I wonder if he'll ever get it the hell out."

Well, you certainly had no obligation to store his amp for a year and a half and he's certainly being a crybaby about it, so the bottom line verdict is that the situation is his fault.

However, you could have preempted all of this by being firmer about him getting it out of your house. And maybe you could have told him about the cat damage earlier on so he could have taken it before it got worse. You wouldn't have been obligated to do this, but maybe he deserved that as a friend (you described him as a friend in one of your posts).

Wapner has spoken!!

A-Step-Towards · #19 08-28-2010, 02:11 AM

In most states after someone leaves something in your possesion for more then 6 months its yours. If he turned it around and was a jerk I would say this is my amp, you can have it because I dont want it. If he keeps being a jerk tell him he owes you money for storage.

A friend left his drums at my place for 1 month we agreed on , but after 3 months they were still in my limited space so I stuck all the drums in this broken old car someone gave me for free in my back yard.

A free car with 1500$ worth of gear in it. My friend was there the next day to get them, no hard feelings.

spaz21387 · #20 08-28-2010, 02:46 AM

If you had to store if for a year and a half I think you should have sent him a bill to pay to store it for that long. He knew the risks of leaving it there and the worst thing you have to deal with is his angry mommy knocking on your door. I wouldnt even offer to to pay for re-carpeting.