old band lost my guitar. advice? - Page 6

retroheadau · #**101** 12-05-2012, 03:12 AM

(Leans forward and presses intercom button) "Kill Them".

ChrisB2 · #**102** 12-05-2012, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesGoodall

Fun twist

This thread is so full of sad....

**jive1** · #**103** 12-05-2012, 07:40 AM

The amount of time it took for you to post on this thread and read the replies is more time than it would have taken to file a police report.

JamesGoodall · #**104** 12-05-2012, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jive1

The amount of time it took for you to post on this thread and read the replies is more time than it would have taken to file a police report.

Reading and posting I can do in classes, lunch, and generally any time while I'm on campus (all the time)

Filing a police report, however, requires me to take a three hour train/bus ride back to my home town, which I don't have time to do.

JohnMCA72 · #**105** 12-05-2012, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowfreq33

Actually, even the "gunslingers and tough guys" said the police report is the first thing to do.

...

...and at this late date, the question will be asked, "Why did you wait so long to report this?" The OP's credibility is questioned, which never helps. Unlike fine wine, complaints do not get better when you let them age.

Let's be 100% clear on something: The filing of a complaint with the cops is not going to, nor is intended to, trigger some CSI-style investigation. It's part of a larger process to document that something bad happened. The longer someone waits between discovering the problem & filing the complaint, the less credible (or important) the claim looks. OP's gear could have been pawned 6 times already. Having that theft report on file could have at least made somebody step back & take a look one of those times.

Above comments are not directed to the OP of this thread, but rather to the next guy that something like this happens to.

lowfreq33 · #**106** 12-05-2012, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesGoodall

Reading and posting I can do in classes, lunch, and generally any time while I'm on campus (all the time)

Filing a police report, however, requires me to take a three hour train/bus ride back to my home town, which I don't have time to do.

You should google "online police report".

MarkMgibson · #**107** 12-05-2012, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesGoodall

I am a very passive person, yes. But I won't be taken advantage of again. Not in this context. The reason I haven't done anything about it is because, though I would like to get my guitar back, it just isn't a big deal to me anymore. I'm only back at my parents house for maybe a day every month. I'd much rather spend time with my family than spend the time talking to the police about what I'll openly admit to being a futile cause.

I'll have a lot of free time this winter break which is while I'm actually planning on filing a police report and filing a claim with the other two. I don't expect that to turn up my guitar, but it will in a sense close the matter to me. If anything else, I'll just chalk it up to a learning experience and move on.

On a side note, the guy who 'lost' our gear is eighteen, living at home with his dad. I know how small claims works. If I lose the matter's closed. If I win, I almost certainly won't get my money regardless, but it just closes the matter into something I can put behind me and move on from.

Edit: I could not have called the police before he moved because I didn't know my guitar was gone until after he had moved.

If it's "not a big deal anymore", forget about small claims court. As others have said, it's a huge hassle and usually a waste of time. It's too late to go the police now, so just write it off to experience. He's a junky and that guitar has had 3 owners and 4 paint jobs by now.

VinKreepo · #**108** 12-05-2012, 03:10 PM

I smell a troll...

Lunchbox4u_6 · #**109** 12-07-2012, 10:32 AM

I don't know how it is where the OP is from, but everywhere I've lived you can just call the police and file a report, you don't need to visit a station. You call and file and then when you have the time, you stop by with pictures of your gear.

It was probably a mistake to loan equipment to somebody who calls themselves a guitar player but doesn't own a guitar.

JamesGoodall · #**110** 12-07-2012, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lunchbox4u_6

I don't know how it is where the OP is from, but everywhere I've lived you can just call the police and file a report, you don't need to visit a station. You call and file and then when you have the time, you stop by with pictures of your gear.

It was probably a mistake to loan equipment to somebody who calls themselves a guitar player but doesn't own a guitar.

In my experience, every time I've filed a police report the cops from the district did come out and talk to me.

And yes, that was one of the bigger mistakes of my life thus far

Foamy · #**111** 12-07-2012, 11:34 AM

Small claims is a waste of your time and money. All they have to say is 'I don't know what happened to it'. Can you prove your claim? If you could, you'd know where your bass is.
So the judge will dismiss in about 5 seconds.
The police will not take action. There is no proof.
However, they WILL take a report and that should go to pawn shops and instrument shops. But even junkies know that, so it probably went out on craigslist or to a private party.
File the police report, chalk it up to a lesson learned where you didn't get hurt, and maybe you'll get a lucky hit!

4dog · #**112** 12-07-2012, 11:44 AM

How about when ya quit and its all kinda ugly and stuff and your EX bandmates decide to pawn sell yer stuff cause you didnt want to deal with them at all and pick it up right away ,, just me huh,, i used to be a different person then though soooooo,, heh

4dog · #**113** 12-07-2012, 11:45 AM

The guitarist went out for a night on me,, still stings a bit

Roy Vogt · #**114** 12-07-2012, 03:44 PM

You just said the guitarist is eighteen and living at home with his Dad. How about talking to Dad? Unless he's a crook too this probably won't play and he'll have a "come to Jesus" meeting with Junior about it.

JamesGoodall · #**115** 12-07-2012, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roy Vogt

You just said the guitarist is eighteen and living at home with his Dad. How about talking to Dad? Unless he's a crook too this probably won't play and he'll have a "come to Jesus" meeting with Junior about it.

The dad is actually pretty straight as far as I can tell from the 2 times I've ever met him. The problem is I have no way to get in contact with him except to go up to his house, which won't happen until for until until I get back in town next week and file the police report with the other two

azureblue · #**116** 12-07-2012, 04:04 PM

If you can get a hearing in small claims, likely they won't show up, especially if you set it up for early in the morning. When they do not, you get a judgement. When they do not respond to judgement, then you file for seizure of assets. Been there, done that. The guy thought he could just ignore it all and nothing would happen, so he didn't show up, and ignored the judgement. When the lien hit his bank account, that's when he woke up.

But, yes, file a police report for stolen items. This makes your claim legit, and it will be very useful should you goto court or the gear show up in a pawn shop or CL. And you may get the stuff back if you mail a copy of the police report to the thieves, especially if they are young druggies. It may convince them it would be better to return the gear, than to risk the cops showing up when they have drugs around...

Technotitclan · #**117** 12-07-2012, 04:36 PM

Anytime I've left gear someplace (rehearsal space or friends house) I always leave the worst of my gear. I automatically assume its lost for ever until its made it back at my house.

With that I also hold a strong emotional connection to all of my gear save but one cab. So if any of it were stolen I would take it as a personal attack. What I would do here is go to the one that is most likely the guilty party zip tie him to a chair and start sticking bamboo splinters up his fingernails till he spills it. If i think hes high when i get there i will chemically kill his high if the pharmaceuticals are available to me or just wait out the high. You will feel every once of this.

I'm kinda of a sadist so I know my methods are not for everyone.

Foamy · #**118** 12-07-2012, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stumbo

Maybe the police will set up a sting and also possibly search his house and the practice studio.

Oh man, I am sure you mean well when you say this.

OK....now a few minutes later.....do you really think the police will set up a sting operation for this??

Damn, that was funny.

:-)

nashvillebill · #**119** 12-07-2012, 05:39 PM

(I shall address this to the original poster)

There's actually 2 important lessons to be learned here. The first, which hopefully has sunk in by now, concerns keeping up with your gear: don't loan it out, don't trust your gear around folks who use drugs, etc.

The second lesson, which sadly I fear you have NOT learned, is how to deal with difficult situations. You've been given a lot of good advice (well, except for the advice advocating physical threats or violence, which is not good advice). However, I have picked up on a complete failure to follow up and actually DO anything. I've read a bunch of excuses...it's too far, I haven't got time, etc... Huh?

We're confronted with lots of adversity in life. Some of it we bring on ourselves, some of the adversity comes solely from the actions of others, nevertheless, adversity happens. When adversity happens, it's how we deal with it that ultimately makes the difference. Situations don't somehow just resolve themselves favorably on their own. We have to take action if we want things to change for the better. Furthermore, the time to start taking action is IMMEDIATELY, not two or three months later. No excuses, no procrastination. The probability of getting a resolution in your favor is directly proportional to the amount of effort you put into the matter.

invader3k · #**120** 12-08-2012, 07:18 AM

Seems like I've read many threads like this on Talkbass over the years. The common themes are: lending or giving control of something (ie. possession at a practice space) to someone who was untrustworthy to begin with, being very passive about the situation and hoping for the best, taking forever to actually do something about the situation, and finally, never getting the gear back unless authorities finally get involved.