Hi Folks,
I’ve been holding back on posting this and not sure why. About a week before WIA my woodshop was entered and some of my tools were stolen. A DW735, ShopFox Hollow Chisel Mortice machine, a dilapidated Delta benchtop drill press and several hand power tools. Not a hand tool was touched.
The missing planer pizzed me off to no end but the HCM was personal. Sarge gave me a really good deal on it several years ago and it had become kinda special to me. I fiddled with it for quite a while and got it humming – no screeching and smooth cuts. Very little cleanup; light paring with a sharp chisel..
But that’s small change compared to the feeling that you know it’s gone. Never thought I’d get that attached to a hunk of steel. It aint no hunk of steel! It’s the end of my arm/hand when making mortices; it was part of me.
Gawd that hurts. Tomorrow morning will be the first time I’ll be back in the woodshop since it happened. A new hossy coming up!
Keep your woodshop secure! Take pics of all your stuff, record serial numbers, model numbers, every dang thang you can think of about each and every tool. Burn two copies onto a CD and keep one offsite. Take pictures of your woodshop regularly and file ’em away for safekeeping. DAMHIKT.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Replies
That really, really sucks, Bob. For many of us, our tools are more than "a hunk of steel" and it hurts to lose them. It hurts triply-bad when it's because some low-life B&E and took them.
There's alot of that kind of stuff going on in this general area (though not the Island per se), the jerks sell 'em for drug money mostly. Wouldn't be surprised if a number of the tools end up on Craig's List.
I'm really glad someone is home at my house the vast majority of the time, and our come-and-go hours are far from regular. Between that and an incredibly nosy neighbor who sees just about everything that goes on here, I try to rest easy. But you're right, document everything and secure as much as possible (talking to myself here, need to beef things up).
Sorry again, Bob, it's a bummer.
Bob:
I know the feeling. My wife and I were camping at Convict Lake near Mammoth, CA, to do a little fly fishing. The second night we were there someone stole out little Honda 2000 generator. We have an AirStream and the generator charges the batteries, computer, cell phones, etc. We always trusted campers and left it next to the trailer each night. No longer.
You're spot on about the serial numbers. That was almost the first thing the deputy asked about. With out the serial number you have very little chance of getting anything back. We didn't have it there but we did have it at home.
A theft leaves you feeling invaded, frustrated and crummy. We went home the same day.
Very sorry for your loss. It's just rotten the things some people will do without regard to the feelings or needs of the person they steal from.
Jim
Jim,
It's just rotten the things some people will do without regard to the feelings or needs of the person they steal from.
Man, isn't that the truth. One nice thing about living in a small community is that the rumor mill ramps up and the phone starts ringing. Also a letter placed in the local newspaper, offering a reward for their return. Yeah, it's coming from the rumor mill but sometimes a nugget pops up. I found out where my tools are - in a pawn shop in VT.
They were taken to the pawn shop and he bought them. He then sold them to another person. I called the buyer pleading with him to get the tools back. Finally he said come and get them. I went there and his wife told me he took them back. He panicked? I went to the pawn shop and the owner refuses to give my tools back, after I showed him a copy of the police report.
Now I'm thinking the creep is holding them ransome. Isn't that against the law!? A trooper from the NH State Police told me it would be a loooonnnngggg time before I will see them again. They are now evidence and may need to be brought to court. I asked him if that was normal procedure, i.e. having a pawn shop hold evidence for court? I thought they would be a lot safer back where they belong.......
One thing I've learned so far is CYA. Do whatever you can to prevent this from happening to you - don't wait till the horses are gone before closing the gate. You will become the victim and the thief seems to have more rights than you do.
Another thing I've learned is that you don't need an air powered pinner - you'll be so pizzed off you can spit them with more velocity than any air gun can.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob ,
Sorry to hear of the rip off ,
Question , if you had photos and serial numbers , would the pawn shop still need to hold the evidence ? or could they be returned to you ?
very few things cannot be replaced , I know it wouldn't be the same but as long as we have our health all is good the rest can be dealt with.
regards from the boxmaker d
Hi dusty,
Question , if you had photos and serial numbers , would the pawn shop still need to hold the evidence ? or could they be returned to you ?
If I can get the answer to your question I will post it here.
So far it seems the police feel they are safer in the hands of another. I would have to say the police are thinking the laws will protect them (the tools). I'm not convinced of that.
I'm the victim here for cryin out loud! I don't mean to rant on you but this seems wrong to me. Maybe I could plead hardship?
About 4 years ago I decided to position myself so when I retired I'd have something to generate additional income if I needed it. I mean hey, I could be doing the thing I love and maybe pick up a few coins along the way. So I began equipping my woodshop with the tools I needed. In one month just through word of mouth I got 3 jobs without even trying. One I have to pass on as I don't have the tools for it.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,Sorry to hear that. Sadly, I think we will see more of that going toward the holidays. What with the meth problem and the economy it is almost to be expected.
From experience I think Mikeddd's spread sheet, printed out and a video tape all stored in a safe deposit box goes a long way to reporting and insurance recovery.Hope you get your stuff back.John
Sorry about your loss, Bob. I know you can 'feel' each one of those tools as you work with them.Yes! We have been burglarized. We returned from vacation to find a window had been broken and several sets of silverware my wife had collected for future daughter's in-law had been stolen. Also her jewelry including the dangling bracelet with a gold discs I gave her when each of our four sons was born. They filled a pillowcase and had to go back for a second pillow case.NO help from the Police. Six months later a painting contractor I knew quite well came by and told me who had stolen the stuff.The contractor was a 'good heart' and hired ex-cons (never told us), then let them work at the house when he was not there to supervise. The creep was later caught. I testified in court that the house was locked "tighter than a drum" (That's why he had to break the window.) The judge gave him six years in the slammer as a repeat offender. Every time he came up for parole, we said "No way!". He served it all.We neer got anything back.Frosty“If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert,
in 5 years there’d be a shortage of sand.” Milton Friedman
Frosty,
Oh man I feel your pain. Guess I lucked out in some respects. This whole thing is long from over but I'm over the high ground I think.
Best regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Just wanted to express my appreciation for all your thoughts. It really helped.
Best regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Sorry to hear about your hit. I would like to have stonings in the public square for such typs.A GC friend of mine has lost a lot of material and tools lately. He bought some of those camera's that sense motion for tracking deer. (Cabela's) Just turns them over to the RCMP and they caught a few. Some were subs.Ask you insurance guy if he can get them back? He may rather make a call or two rather than pay out the claim.While talking to them ask about a small commercial pac. Some offer business interuption coverage. So you may make a few bucks back for the lost work.Good luck
"I would like to have stonings in the public square for such typs."
Shoe; ever thought of running for public office, you would have lots of support over here. ha,ha. You have a great day, you just put a smile on my face.
Mike
What a great idea with the motion-sensing camera. Off to Cabela's to check 'em out.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Bob that really sucks the big one, hopefully you get your stuff back, but like others have said I wouldn't count on it. For what its worth I use a sheet made up for use with Microsoft Excel to keep track of my shop contents I will attach it hopefully this works. If you right click on the attachment and save target to your desktop or somewhere else on your computer you should be able to use this sheet. Like I said before you must have Microsoft Excel installed on your computer to be able to use this.
Mike
Mike,
A friend of mine came up with a good idea. He videoed all his stuff and narrated as he went. The video is time- and date-stamped.
I don't know this as a fact, but knowing him he even narrated scars and identifying marks.
--jonnieboy
Jonnie: That's also a good idea, and as others have said take lots of pictures. It's to bad a person has to concern themselves with issues such as this. I live on a farm and dogs are an asset also, pumping a few rounds through the old 12 gauge at sunset every so often may also be a bit of a deterrent. In the area where I live the police are of little help in situations like this, most times as stated already they won't even bother to come out to the scene of the crime.
Mike
Mike,
Thanks for the spreadsheet - just finished it, well most of it anyway. The kinds of things you keep track of were eye openers for me. I got stuff I wasn't thinking of.
Thanks,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I am glad you could make use of it Bob. I know what you mean I've had that spreadsheet on my computer for a couple of years now and everytime I print a copy off and take it to the shop I find more stuff to add to it, I just added clamps to it a while ago its hard to belive what you have tied up in things like clamps and router bits and such, they seem like smaller ticket items when you buy them one or two at a time.
Mike
Not real sure about Vermont or New Hampshire procedure, but there is an old common law action called replevin. Here in Maryland it is filed in the District Court (or lower level trial court) and it is a request for an order from the Court to the local sheriff to bring the property into the Court and into your hands as the old phrase goes. The nice thing is that the sheriff brings the goods into court and the only way you do not get them is if the pawn shop can prove he has a better claim to title then you do. Not a likely event.
It is none sense for a pawn shop to hold evidence on behalf of the State. The Pawn shop is lying and trying to get the goods for himself because he has put cash out. Stolen property is stolen property. Talk to a local attorney about a repliven action -- it may not be in the pure common law form in your area, but some type of action like it is available. DanC
Dan,
Thanks a bunch. I looked it up and it appears that I might have a go with that. Not sure how it will work being as the tools are out of state in VT. Will let you know what I find out.
Thank you very much,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
You might have to file in the county where the tools are--DanC
On it, thanks.
I'm on the phone with VT Legal Assistance. I was told that in NH I need an attorney to file the writ....... I'm leaning towards rings' 3rd option more and more.
David, I'll send ye gas money..........
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
That would have to be aviation fuel money as well as gas money...
I think $1500 should just about cover it. I'll be watching my mailbox.I've actually got an old friend in Vermont who I'd love to visit, especially if someone else was paying the way!David Ring
http://www.touchwood.co.il/?lang=e&id=1
David,
Ummmmm, let's see, for $1,500 I could buy a new planer, HCM and Drill Press and still have money left over for some wood.
I wouldn't put a high priority on mailbox watchin but I will say hi to your friend if I see him/her.
Thanks anyway,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob.. is it not a Federal Crime to take stolen goods across a state line? J. Edgar Hoover would jump on that.. oh yeah, he got replaced didn't he?
On a serious note.. pursue it legally but.... remember that they are only tools regardless of your fondness for them. I had a Remington M-40 sniper rifle in Nam I hated to part with. It never got wet or muddy.. it got an oil bath every day and I got a shower about every 30-40. But... in the end as much as I loved that tool that was in-valuable in both offense and defence.. it was just that.. a Tool.
The bad news is your tool was taken ... the good news is no one with a soul was hurt while that happened. Half full.. not half empty!
Good luck in he legal mumbo-jumbo!
Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Edited 10/13/2009 1:26 pm ET by SARGEgrinder47
Sarge,About that state line...I thought that was ladies, not planers.
The Mann Act I think. :) Would have thought it would be the Woman Act...Serious -- Agreed - it's just a tool, can't go to far overboard,
now where did I put that Willie Peter granade...Got to clean up the shop.Boiler
That Willie Papa grenade or artillery shell is some nasty stuff, Doc. If you use it to clean a shop.. you will likely have to have the house condemned... torn down and re-built. ha..ha...
Regards from the "now considered" monsoon State of Georgia.. "Rainy Night in Georgia" my *ss... next project up for me is probably going to be an Arc as the last 3 weeks have created the need. Where's those bent 16 penny nails I been ah savin'? :>)
Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Edited 10/14/2009 12:14 pm ET by SARGEgrinder47
Sarge,I've been watching the talking heads doing their stand up at P'tree creek. The ought to put a brass marker there. "stand here, shoot with bridge over shoulder, leave room for crawl"Yes you have been getting a drop or two. If you have enough wood, build the Arc (if you remember how to measure in cubits). You sail it down the hooch to Florida!
Winter is here on the coast - between Storm and Hurricane last night. 115mph at the top of Cape Foulweather, 6 miles south. 40 to 60 at the house. Good sleeping weather. The sound of pine needles slamming into the windows reminds me of victory...or was that napalm?
That's what is needed up in Kidderville. Napalm the culprit.
Or send him down to Delaware where I belive they still have putting people in the stocks on the books. Everyone could throw pies....cowpies.
Keep DryDoc
Still raining here and you are right about sleeping. I just posted a piece in the gallery on the forum and have been busy answering but the sleeping may follow soon.
We still have "Old Sparky" down in Georgia.. but it is preferable to just drag the perpetrator to the woods to take care of business as it saves the State on electricity bills and also on court cost. ha..ha..
And for anyone offended that might have read that.. I'm kinda kidding.... well....... kinda is the key word here!
Regards Doc...Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Sarge,For many months, we in the North, heard about the dire straights of drought-ridden Georgians.How are the reservoir levels now? The Press doesn't report good news.Frosty“If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert,
in 5 years there’d be a shortage of sand.” Milton Friedman
We've seen much rain to the point of creeks and rivers overflowing and homes in flood-plains flooded in the past month. Quite a bit of rain in the two months previous so... Lake Lanier that is the water supply for Atlanta has just reached full at 1071 feet. It has a 600 mile shore-line and the other lakes all over Georgia are full to my knowledge at this point.
So... we have gone from famine to feast with the turn-around.
Regards... Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Such is life! - and weather.Michigan is on the Great Lakes as you know. Every seven years the lakeshore residents complain about "high water levels": the shores are eroding, our homes are falling into the lake. (True.)Seven years later: the lakes are at an 'all-timelow: I have to walk a quarter of a mile to swim; The shores are all growing ugly, green, smelly grass.Of course drinking water is another matter.Frosty“If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert,
in 5 years there’d be a shortage of sand.” Milton Friedman
Frosty you brought up something I have thought about. You mentioned something about the houses getting eroded away. What is the legal schtick on when your land erodes into the sea, do you loose the lot eventually? are you allowed to refill lost ground?I bought a lake side home in 1997. POS but great lot. Tore the old place down salvaged a ton. When the surveyers can out to find the pins to locate the side years they had a bear of a time. at the end of the day one guy says your front pins are in the lake 10 feet.I had to rebuild a retaining wall and I could not reclaim land. Stablize and save, was what the water dude said. Mentioned this to the tax assessor dude and it didn't seem to matter to him but I don't like paying taxes on land I can't use/ reclaim.We live were we own the lake shore, unlike some places there is a public right of way between lots and water edge.Sarge when it comes to water Mother Nature Always wins. Period. I have watched this guy rebuild his road 4 times this summer.
"Water always wins." Can I add to that "The Government always wins." Well, not always. The Corps of Engineers and the EPA hounded a man in Michigan because he allegedly filled in a navigable waterway - even though he was miles from any such water. There was some issue with "wetlands" too. With help from a pro-bono law firm, I forget if was Mountain States Legal Foundation or the Pacific Legal Foundation, the Government "lost" their case in the Supreme Court.Google "Rapanos"As for you, I'm not any more optimistic than you are.Frosty“If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert,
in 5 years there’d be a shortage of sand.” Milton Friedman
Not a good answer to your question. Common law rule was it was your land, so go ahead and rebuild so long as you do not injure adjoining property in the process. However, environmental laws of the last 30 -40 years make the permitting process very difficult for any project around wetlands, waterways etc. The soft costs to get a building permit/ fill permit can be very expensive and make the whole process not worth the cost. And in many cases, you can not get a permit at all. The legal foundations mentioned do work in the property rights area. As you can imagine, the environmental laws have becomes what many folks belive to be a 'taking' without compensation by government and it has lead to a bunch of litigation. DanC
Shoe,
This would relate just to the "sea" aspect of you note.In Oregon,there used to be a process called "rip rap" which was used all along the coast to protect the erosion on beach front property. The law was changed to let the ocean have it's will and so a new builder could not protectively rip rap the sand.
Currently, if a property is in eminent danger of collapse into the sea, it may be done. Such happened last year about 1 mile north. 900 dump truck loads of boulders. The house was kind of in peril - the porch was in mid air.
Other than that - nada.If a house goes to the ocean, you can rebuild if you have the cash but you won't get a bank loan or insurance. Banks here won't lend without a geologist's survey and most houses here are built on sand.
Of course the churches are all built on rock :)Boilerbay
BobHave been following this saga with much fascination and would love to be in any posse you can get together. The pond bottom, scum sucking low life that does these sort of thing always seem to have some excuse made for them by society and let off with a slap across the knuckles with a wet cigarette paper. Bring back public floggings in the street!The story goes some poor sod, mugged by a couple of wastes of space, was left with most of his life draining away into the gutter.
Couple of Sociologists passing by, paused for a moment, and one said to the other "Boy there are a couple of guys out there that need our help!"
Typical of society today.I have attached a notice I have just put up in my workshop.
Bob, I have read most of the posts, they are all a bunch of crap. Their your tools, pawnshop owner has them. Put a gun down the #### throat while his helper loads your truck with your tools.
My tools were stolen out of my station wagon in 1967. Two weeks later I see a guy selling my tools at the Berlin farmers market in Berlin NJ.I told my wife to drive the wagon up here right in front of the table.I beat this mf half to death. I broke both his arms and both his legs in front of a 1000 or so people. I loaded the tools ,what was left of them and didn't go back for ten years.
I checked your profile, your a half a day drive from me, otherwise I would be there tomorrow to get your tools.
mike
Thanks Mike!
Your welcome, that is why I posted it hoped some would find it useful.
Mike
Mike,I use a similar spreadsheet, but mine is more geared towards keeping track of expenses, essentially everything that goes in to the shop and stays in or is consumed. Sandpaper and glue count. Project materials don't. I record what I bought, when and where I bought it, how much it cost, and the serial number. It's all organized by month and year.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Chris:
I also use spreadsheets geared more in the direction you speak of for the company I work for. I found this one somewhere and changed it to work for me, being a hobbiest you don't have to track costs, its always very one sided. You have a good day, I'm off for Turkey.
Mike
Man, Bob, that really bites -- hard! Hope they catch the creep and you get your stuff back. I can't stand a thief! Maybe if you're lucky, and they catch the guy, the cops'll give you a little time alone with him. Maybe you can practice your chip carving technique on his nads.
♫ If you’re OCD and you know it wash your hands ♫
Bob,
Violated. Bummer.
I don't know how many pawnshops there are in your area, but if not too many you might to give them a call to be on the lookout.
Like Forestgirl says, they were probably looking for some quick meth money.
--jonnieboy
Thieves really get you POed. I've even had them pull windows out of a new house. You can paint all your tools with pink polka dots, you aren't likely to ever see them again. They won't use a pawn shop. The cops will take down minute descriptions of the tools but they won't go looking for them, too busy with other things. I've been robbed several times and never heard a word back, not even "we're working on it". These days you can't take your truck to HD if there is anything in the back, unlocked. Off with their hands, I say.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Bob, I've "Been there, Done that!" also, and it really sucks. As another has said, you feel violated. The local PD here doesn't even come out to take a report most of the time, they want you to file the report on stolen property online. So, not only have you been ripped off, but the PD makes you feel like you are unimportant also.
As you say, keep great records and lots of photos for the insurance company. Maybe you can get enough to replace your stuff, and I hope you don't have to fight with the Insurance Company over value. That dreaded deprecation can be a bite sometimes.
Sorry for your loss of your tools.
Bruce
Bob,
How strange that you picked today to ask! I was woken at 1:30 last night by a phone call from the guard service for our workshop. (The movement sensors in the shop set off an alarm, and at the same time notify a roving guard who was on the scene in a few minutes.) Ten minutes later I was there with the police. Someone had broken a window and entered, but apparently the alarms scared them off and nothing seems to be missing. So we got off lucky this time.
It's the kind of thing that happens from time to time, and the feeling of being violated takes a long while to subside. I've noticed that it does seem more frequent when economic times are tough. That's no consolation at all for you...just a footnote.
Sorry you got burned this time.
David Ring
http://www.touchwood.co.il/?lang=e&id=1
Bob,
My condolences! Geez, that's really too bad. It just tears the heart out of you. Some of the tools I own are closer to me than my own heartbeat. They're just so familiar, after I bought them at a yard sale and took them apart, cleaned them and tuned them. They get to be like your own children in some ways..
Your reminder to write down serial numbers is something I have done with all my camera gear and bikes. But I never even thought to do it for my shop tools. I guess I never dreamed someone would walk off with a 70 pound planer the way they did with yours!
Well, gathering serial numbers and taking photos has suddenly become this weekend's project.
Again, sorry about your loss. Will your homeowner's insurance cover at least part of the replacement cost of the tools?
Zolton
If you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon
Zolton,
You said a mouthful there.
Of all the tools taken the HCM is the one I feel the worst about. Even though the chisels I had for it are worth more than the machine in dollars and cents; I can never replace its value to me.
You see I bought it from that gun toting ex Marine down near Atlanta, know who I'm talkin 'bout?. Mebbe I kin geet him to come up here and get it back fer me? I have to maintain some sense of humor or I'll go nuts.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
I hear Sarge does pack some heat. If anyone could get the tools back for you, he'd be the one to do it..
Good luck negotiating your way through the bureaucratic BS. Geez, has everyone lost common sense these days? If the tools are yours, why can't they just give them back to you? Shake some sense into them Bob!
ZoltonIf you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon
Zolton,
I can see it all now. I'll get Paddy up here and he, Sarge and I conduct a clandestine operation on a pawn shop. The headlines in the newspaper - Three Old Coots Arrested for strong arming a pawnshop owner.
To all you folks: Don't let this happen to you, an ounce of prevention.........
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,If I understand this correctly, the situation right now is that the pawn shop is holding your tools, and the owner undoubtedly knows who brought them in, in other words, who the thief is.I see a few possible scenarios:1. If you've got anyone in the local police who you can call for a favor, they could lean on the pawnshop owner. This is the cleanest and fastest solution. 2. Get a judicial order immediately for them to show cause why the goods should not be returned to their rightful owner. This will take time and also cost you money, but just threatening to do it might move something.3. Get a couple of large guys to visit the pawnshop with you, and make it clear to the owner that since you have been deprived of your livlihood, you have nothing better to do in the meantime than hang around there and ruin his. I love going on missions like this, but unfortunately you're a bit far away.Keep us posted,David Ring
http://www.touchwood.co.il/?lang=e&id=1
David,
You got it right on the money. I now know who it is. Suffice to say this will be one tough nut to crack.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
It's a real kick in the guts when some mongrel does something like this to you. Sometimes I think there is justification for capital punishment.
Occasionally there is some justice. Friend of mine of Italian extraction (looked like he came from central casting for the starring role in The Godfathers and he also talka the talk) arrived home one evening with his son and found a young scumbag going through his house. They grabbed this kid, called up some cousins and took him for a ride out into the boonies. On the trip out they argued whose turn it was to dig the hole and whose turn it was to apply the chop etc. They gave him a bit of a touch up and left him with about a fifty mile hike back to consider his future direction in life.
Good luck mate, hope it all turns out right for you.
Sorry to hear about the theft, Bob. There are no words that will make you feel better, so I won't attempt to do so. I hope you had insurance, though.
Security measures (alarm systems, video surveillance, etc.) can deter a percentage of the thieves, but not all. Pictures and serial number lists are good, but police aren't staffed to do any aggressive follow-up. So, the question becomes how much personal effort in checking local pawn shops, Craig's List and eBay listings is worthwhile.
Dude sorry to hear that! I hope at least you had some insurance to cover it. I have a special rider on my HO policy to cover my tools because of the value. You should check your policy because "tools" have their own catagory and a default policy generally has a low limit on coverage. I have a 10k rider that cost me about 5$/month for total cover with 100/ded. Of course, I'd like to see them walk my 12" jointer out of my basement (but it could happen). Now my festools stuff would be an easy hit with pain attached.
I was married by a judge - I should have asked for a jury.
George Burns
Bob,
If you are sure that the tools in the pawn shop are yours, then go to the pawn shop with the police and have the pawn shop owner arrested for possession of stolen property! He has no right to hold stolen property, only the police do.
Bob, Tupper Lake, NY
Bob ,
This is quite a saga , if you can prove those are your tools or they are exactly what you described as missing to the PD then there may be some political power thing going on as well , I hope you have a good attorney and know what Scotch to buy .
I think a call or official letter or visit from your attorney will do the trick.
then the Scotch.
If all else fails walk around and wear a sandwich board that states they have your stolen merchandise inside or something like that.
You will get very fast service ,you will be within the law you may not block the walkway or trip people , stay in or on the public right of way.
Make sure your hair is combed and your clothes look good ,prolly gonna get your picture taken.
Well , that ought to do it now $6,000 a day fee is a good deal but a piece of that old Walnut will do .
regards dusty, not a real lawyer just play one here on Knots
dusty,
I hope you have a good attorney and know what Scotch to buy .
This was suggested, almost to a person, from those that I talked with. The pawn shop owners outright refusal to even let me see the tools coupled with a statement from a state police trooper, "It will be a long time before you ever see those tools again" is what cemented my deciion to pursue it.
Here's what irked me to no end, I'm the victim goddamn it! Not yelling at you but that just pizzed me off to no end. It was the troopers unmitigated gall to suggest simply biting the bullet, file an insurance claim and go about your business. I was fuming when I left there, and he knew it.
At that point the cost of the tools became tertiary. I was enraged! He made it sound like I was off my rocker thinking that I had any chance of getting them back and to just accept it as the normal way of thinking.
Maybe I'm a bit off the wall but that hollow chisel mortising machine I bought from Sarge had a special meaning to me. Yeah I know, it's just a tool to some, but much more that that to me. I mean think about it, how often do you get a chance to have a tool that was owned by a gun toting old ohart ex-Marine from Atlanta!? I know Sarge, yur not from Hot Lanta. INCOMING! :-)
Maybe I should take the money I saved from hiring a lawyer and seek the services of one who understands woodworkers like me. I have several tools that I have acquired from folks on Knots and, well they all have special meaning to me.
You know, maybe I am off my rocker,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
I hope by the time you read this your pals will be back home ,although a little more well traveled they will be there.
Sounds like the arrest was a stroke of luck for you , back to my original question : if you had the serial numbers and such and could prove those tools were yours would they have released them ,don't they take digital photos ?
One of the only things I left on my shop door from the previous owner is a sign that reads "beware of dog" we have 3 cats .
well looks like we can call off the knotdogs ,give us a few days and we would have shown up from all around to pummel a tool thief and help you.
wet regards from Orygun dusty
dusty,
In the first go around with the police, the VT constable simply went to the pawn shop and informed the owner that he was in posession of stolen goods and not to sell them. Apparently there were issues with the tools being stolen in NH and were now in VT.
Maybe I messed up but the police didn't have the tools until I went bonkers at the PD and mentioned why replevin wasn't being considered. In other words the local chief and I had what I call a heart to heart talk.
They then sent the VT constable to the pawn shop and retrieved them resulting in they being in police custody. That was yesterday and they are now in my garage.
Going into the property room was real different man. It was filled with all manner of whatever you could think of. I just got the tools, lugged them out to the Jeep, and then took 10 mins. to catch my breath. I aint no spring chicken anymore mind. :-(
We're supposed to get some crap weather over the next few days. You know, the kind when the best place to be is in the woodshop. Soooooooooooo, tomorrow I think I might lock myself in there instead of locking everyone else out.
Know what I mean,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Glad to hear the outcome .
Kinda funny what you had to go thru and the hoops you had to jump thru to get your own property back .
I'd say your heart to heart worked well , good job. You were the victim , attorney , DA , and Marshall in this scenario .
Re: the property room , I enclosed some open cubby type openings for our city PD and made doors with hasp and clasp , for security reasons ( imagine that ) they all must of been on the honor system back then .
That was the most filthy dirty room I have ever worked in with the exception of the lab in the old local hospital I was on the floor installing countertops and such with human matter. The PD called it the evidence room , there was homicide evidence that they need to hold for like 30 years . Bloody carpets and hatchets and crow bars and boxes and containers of cash and drugs and who knows what .
I'm not afraid of getting dirty but when I got home from those places everything came off to wash.
see the thing is , the robber don't know who Sarge is or why we call him that .I could see it now ,,, the Kidderville gazette headline " tool robber mortised 48 times by a G.I. type wielding chopping chisel and mallet named Sarge "
stoke up the shop heat wake up those tools ,may you have happy dustmaking
regards dusty
Glad to hear that your treasures are back in your possession, Bob.
BTW,
Police auction off unclaimed property on a regular basis. Sometimes you can get some real good deals on tools from them. Just make sure you know the price; surprising what people will pay when they get caught up in an auction.
Bob,
Good on you! I'm very glad to hear your tools are coming home! Deservedly, it sounds as though you're getting a reasonably good outcome from this. I agree completely that you were the victim here - yet during some parts of the process you were made to feel more like the criminal. That's unjust.
It was Edmund Burke, I think, who said "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." Well, you did something. Props to you.
Can we see a photo of the prodigal tools when they arrive?
Zolton
If you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon
Zolton,
I'll tell you one thing, I know at least three tools that are about to lose their mobility.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Glad it all worked out for you. Hope these guys get there due in court!
Do you get to make a statement to the courts?
enjoy the sawdust.
Bob, glad you are getting them back! I was pissed off just reading about the whole situation! Speaking of signs my favorite one is one I saw on a building on the Russian river in Anchorage AK. " Nothing in this building is worth your life" Straightforward and to the point!
"Seen Better, done worse!"
>Ever been robbed<
Well not since high school. Wish I could get those four years back but no luck so far. Oh and there was the time my heart was stolen but didn't use that much really.
: )
Seriously though thanks for the warning.
roc
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )
Bob, this is way off of this subject, nothing new eh, but I was on the Lumberjocks site, sorry FWW, and saw a cylinder top secretary. I remembered that you had an interest in this style a while back and thought I would bring it to your attention. http://lumberjocks.com/projects/22317
Bruce
Bruce,
Yes, and thank you. Very nice restoration indeed. I borrowed some pics.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I know pretty much how you feel. Many years ago when I lived alone, I made my living out of my home with a small one-man workshop. It was in Houston, Texas during the 1982 recession and I was just barely scraping by well enough to pay the bills. Even at that I practically lived like a monk. I used to be real proud of my shop; I never lost an opportunity to show it off to visitors - even people I did not know. One weekend a neighbor and a friend of his, whom I had thought to be friends of mine, decided to help themselves to whatever they could carry off in their arms. I had no way to prove it, but for reasons too lengthy to go into here, I knew it was them; they left early the next morning for some flea market to sell the loot. They had utility bills and rent to pay; me - I did without air conditioning, because I couldn't afford it.
They got all my portable power tools and some nice handtools - also a camera and other things. One tool I really miss was my grandfather's old Sargent fore plane which I had loveingly restored after it had set rusting in a barn in Montanna for twenty years or so. It was the only thing of his I ever owned, so I was quite attached to it. Out of a slew of grandkids I was about the only one ever interested in woodworking; that's why I had it. I also lost a jack plane which I had spent many, many hours lapping and re-doing.
Sure, I called the cops and reported the theft, for all the good it ever did. The officer who came out to investigate said I'd probably never get the stuff back; it was only a thousand dollars replacement value (real money to me in those days) and so was not much of a priority with the department.
You know, as I'm sure you do, when something like that happens one becomes afraid to even leave the house long enough to just go to the store. Hell, I couldn't even sleep anymore. Fortunately I was able to move and get the rest of my stuff out of there within a week or two.
I don't know what to tell you to rid yourself of the inevitable feelings of rage, bitterness and depression with which you will have to deal. To this day I still am angered when I think about my experience. Best advice I can give you is to think of it as spilt milk or some other one of Life's misfortunes to which one must resign oneself. I will say this: I no longer let others know what I have unless it is necessary for some reason. Go and get yourself some replacement tools off Ebay or somewhere and perhaps it will make you feel a bit better. It's what I did.
This post is for everyone, but especially to you.
There has been an arrest and I will be getting the tools back tomorrow morning.
old saw: If I ever get the opportunity I would very much like to shake your hand. You are very wise.
DanCC: I think the replevin thing worked.
Best regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Good to here Bob.
Mike
Thanks mike. I think I've learned a new appreciation for my tools. The planer I could have replaced. This may sound weird but it feels like my old pals are coming home, for good.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Well good! That's great news to hear. And thanks much for the compliments.
Hope it at least lit a bit of a fire. I have been there myself and hearing an officer of the law give you a line about file the insurance claim and forget about it is down right galling. Sometimes you just have to become a squeaky wheel to get public servants off their behinds.DanC
Twisted my knickers big time.
A sqwawky wheel,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Oh yes the police property room. Years ago my sister worked for the DEA in Seattle. She got a call one day -- she had 48 hours to figure out where to put a ship (large sea going and crossing the ocean at the moment) and the tons of drugs that were on it until trial. She learned a lot about berthing, cargo storage in bond etc. in a few short hours. I remember her calling and asking,... " where the hell do I put a god damn ship..." (Father was a Navy petty officer...she learned those words naturally.)DanC
Looks like the thread has been pretty much resolved so if I may tell a story. This afternoon my former employee came over to give me some deer meat harvested from some land I own. As we were swapping experiences, he mentioned that his mother had been to the bank and drawn over a thousand dollars. She stopped at a grocery store on the way home when a thief grabbed her purse - the cash, all her credit cards, ID, SS card and drivers license and ran out the door. A woman drove up nearby, he jumped in and off they were. Several people had a good description of the car and the license plate. That's good. Well not really. The license plate was stolen. The car is probably stolen too. Two ladies standing nearby in the store identified themselves as local attorneys and said they would like to help. That's good. A couple days later they stopped by her house and handed her over six hundred dollars that they had collected from donors. Her insurance company agreed to pay four hundred and with other collections the total amounted to more that the dollars she lost. She is grateful but still shook up and I think would like the thief scalped. Grateful but not satisfied. My sentiments too.
Edited 10/16/2009 1:03 am ET by Tinkerer3
Bob,
Sorry to hear about the break-in. It's an extreme feeling of violation, and I know first hand, on more than one occasion.
For what it's worth, I have small signs on the door and windows of my shop that state "Premises under 24 Hr. video surveillance". Also, "Shoot first, ask questions later" is another good one. A friend of mine has an audio feedback speaker belting out the sounds of barking ferocious rotweilers connected to a motion sensor by the door to his welding shop.
Hopefully, your insurance will help with the loss. Take care, and keep an eye on those Blackhawks this season.
Jeff
A well trained " Rotty " can do a great job while you are out., just put a sign outside that says " My best friend is on duty " .
How 'about "Don't Wake up the dog"
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Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
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