Hello to all fellow Azer’s .
I was not aware that this cue was stolen when I bought it .
I just got off the phone with Ed Prewitt , He confirmed that this cue was stolen 12 to 15 years ago .
(Here’s the twist ) the cue was Insured and the man got paid in full for his loss .
I will have possession of this cue as of tomorrow I don’t want stolen property .
but now knowing what I know I will not take a $1300.00 loss and have the original owner get paid twice .
So If the original owner wants to step up to the plate with proof of sales receipt I have no problem giving back the cue for the $1300.00 I’m in it .
Thanks to all, I hope this issue gets resolved quick and let this be a lesson learned to all of us . :sorry:
itzel0101,
Clearly, you are taking steps to do the right thing and straighten this out by the book. No question about that.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don't want you to get into any kind of trouble, so I'm just going to chime in here and let you know how this is supposed to play out. This is good information for all of us to become familiar with.
This is none of my business, and I certainly will not be getting involved. With that being said, I work for a police department and I want to make sure that none of my AZB friends get in any legal trouble. I am not a cop nor a lawyer. I'm just a computer guy that works closely with cops and lawyers.
Here's the thing:
The cue technically belongs to the insurance company.
The insurance company became the owner the moment they wrote the insurance check to the original victim. Now that you know it was stolen (and the insurance company paid on the policy), it is your responsibility to *attempt to* (see note below) return it to the insurance company.
I just checked with my property crimes Lieutenant, and in response to the "hypothetical" situation that I presented to her, she said that if you don't return the cue, criminal charges "could" be brought against you. If you sell the cue (even to the original owner), it is called Theft by appropriation (which, at that price point, is a Class A Misdemeanor in Texas). And with these posts being publicly available on this thread, it wouldn't be hard to prove that you now know it is stolen. If you keep it, it would still be Theft (possession of stolen property).
Like I said, I hate to ruin your day, but at this point, even though it is years after the actual theft, it is as if the original thief has stolen the cue/cash from you.
The Lieutenant did mention that it is common for the last purchaser and the last seller to split the loss, but by no means mandated or required.
*Note*:
She also said that
surprisingly often, the insurance company will not want it back, especially if it is a very old theft/policy, and if the item is considered to be a specialty or otherwise unpopular item. I sincerely hope that is what happens in this case. It would be the best possible outcome for all involved.
To be clear, I'm not getting involved in this in any way (unless you want to PM me for clarification or advice). I'm not filing any reports, naming any names, or otherwise taking any action.
I am certainly not judging, criticizing, censuring, reprimanding, blaming, or anything like that. I respect everything about what you've said so far, how you've acted responsibly, and how you've expressed a desire to make things right.
Let me know if I can help. PM would be best.
Sincerely,
-Blake
