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Need advice on "stolen" rig

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Hi everyone,

I need some advice. About 2 years ago I was trying to sell my rig and a fellow skydiver at my home DZ decided to buy it. He jumped there for years, as did his father, he worked at the rigging loft and all things pointed to this being an easy sell.

I let him take the rig from my home in Atlanta to the DZ to try it out and the next thing I know he moved to California with my rig!

He made a few payments but now refuses to pay. I'm not sure what to do next. I don't think I can report it stolen to the police because I let him take it and he started making payments. Since he moved I don't even know how to find him or even start a civil suit against him.

He told me he was working for a DZ in California, but I'm not sure if that's even true.

Any advice?

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People who do this never do it to just one person. If you can, do the world a favor and name him. But it's hard to do that, and I understand your reluctance. Only you can decide.
Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

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I hate this kind of people. I've been fooled by an asshole as well. It seems that he had plenty opportunities to pay you or to explain himself. Try to make contact with every DZ in California, present yourself and tell your story.

If this post made him pay you $150 more, let's keep this post going until he pays it all.

But personally, I would 'out' his name. just because If he ever puts an add on here, I wouldn't want to make deal with him. You will be doing a favour to us all.
Rob Gallo
"To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield."

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galispo

But personally, I would 'out' his name. just because If he ever puts an add on here, I wouldn't want to make deal with him. You will be doing a favour to us all.



^^this!

the last time we saw something here, the guy's name was gary lucas from karnagekrew, and he scammed people BIG TIME, ending in damages of about 100'000$..

:|
“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

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I can certainly see the benefit to everyone if I out his name here and stop him from scamming others, but I want to make sure I have my legal ducks in a row before I start talking about things publicly.

I don't see anything online being sold by him right now, and I hesitate to think there will be since I'm pretty sure he's being sued by his previous employer for reselling stolen goods from their loft.

Another user sent me 2 DZ's where he could be working right now, so I'll be calling them when I get a chance to see if I can locate him and file my own suit.

If I do ever see anything posted by him for sale, you can bet your ass I'll be on here telling people not to buy. Although, part of me thinks that at this point he'd just be using a fake name because you can already find his name associated with scams by searching the forums.

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You can call the DZ and verify hes working there. I would out him myself, online and to the DZ he works at. Call his dad, etc.

You can try to file a police report, but they're likely just to tell you "take him to court".

Other than that, keep harassing him. Since you cant exactly walk on the DZ and take your rig back, gotta get whatever you can somehow.

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Tough situation...[:/]

sorry to read about this. Thievery sucks , but Thievery among skydivers is simply Unacceptable...>:(
A meager payment , or 2 or 3 , for gear worth thousands and then absconding with the rig is pure Bullshit.......

forget about police, forget about about a "lawsuit ", forget about "outing the person Here".
It's Time for some
" Boarding Area Revenge "

Find out where the person IS... ascertain IF he/she is Jumping that Rig.... Then enlist someone who can and WILL, approach the deadbeat about the time that the props are spinnin' Up, and the plane is loading... Have them PULL the reserve ripcord. And then Walk OFF with it. Declaring, " this component has just been re-possessed, for NON payment "
:o:|:P

Simple, safe, no likelihood of getting in a jam, over "a physical assault " AND the person gets OUTTED where it counts..... On the DZ where they may THINK they enjoy some kind of " shelter" from their poor behavior.....Better ( imo ) than posting the name on any internet site..

Good luck..
PS I hope that You have a rig to Jump,,, for yourself,,,, and are NOT without, for when YOU wanna make a couple...

jmy

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jimmytavino

Tough situation...[:/]

sorry to read about this. Thievery sucks , but Thievery among skydivers is simply Unacceptable...>:(
A meager payment , or 2 or 3 , for gear worth thousands and then absconding with the rig is pure Bullshit.......

forget about police, forget about about a "lawsuit ", forget about "outing the person Here".
It's Time for some
" Boarding Area Revenge "

Find out where the person IS... ascertain IF he/she is Jumping that Rig.... Then enlist someone who can and WILL, approach the deadbeat about the time that the props are spinnin' Up, and the plane is loading... Have them PULL the reserve ripcord. And then Walk OFF with it. Declaring, " this component has just been re-possessed, for NON payment "
:o:|:P

Simple, safe, no likelihood of getting in a jam, over "a physical assault " AND the person gets OUTTED where it counts..... On the DZ where they may THINK they enjoy some kind of " shelter" from their poor behavior.....Better ( imo ) than posting the name on any internet site..

Good luck..
PS I hope that You have a rig to Jump,,, for yourself,,,, and are NOT without, for when YOU wanna make a couple...

jmy



................................................................................

Good plan.
To cover your butt, you might want to quietly discuss your plan with the DZO, Chief Instructor and Chief Rigger before you pull the *&^%$#@!'s ripcord in the boarding area.
Once the senior jumpers understand "his" problem, they will probably join you in laughing at his predicament.

P.S. If you want to appear truly professional, you will avoid pulling his ripcord until after most of the students have gone home.

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the thief has brought this upon himself / herself.
As riggerrob mentions, run it past the right folks AT the DZ..... They may wind up being your accomplice...

Make Damn sure that this persons' Back... is facing away from any "moving parts" and that a pilot chute launch will NOT cause ANY safety issue or likelihood of damage to a plane or person. Turn the person to the correct position,,, if necessary.. Then Pull Silver...:|.... Then it's a SURE thing that he/she won't be jumping Your rig... on That skydive...
sometimes you HAVE to take drastic measures.......[:/]

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We can laugh about pulling his reserve and all that.

What do you do if this person gets pissed off and decides to damage the rig and walk? Now you get an unairworthy rig without some part like the AAD that he feels accounts for the portions he paid for and the expensive prospect of travel and lawsuit still remains your problem.

-Michael

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hackish

We can laugh about pulling his reserve and all that.

What do you do if this person gets pissed off and decides to damage the rig and walk? Now you get an unairworthy rig without some part like the AAD that he feels accounts for the portions he paid for and the expensive prospect of travel and lawsuit still remains your problem.

-Michael



Fair enough... and while "foreclosing " on a rig does have some comic element to it...it's also a serious matter...
Never wanna see anyone getting p'od ;) least of all ON a dropzone.....and aside from being embarrassed , the target BETTER take it in stride. and scratch off the load.... and "Stand Down "... Done deal... let them get Mad later....tell them to cool off and have a beer...B| Don't LET them walk away with the rig.... you follow up the repossession of the reserve handle by "suggesting " that any AMOUNT previously paid has been deemed by the owner,,, as RENT, for the time that the rig was "out of the hands of it's rightful owner " .... NOT per jump. not per pack job.. but by HOW many months have passed since the " good faith deal " was made...

One person Gave away a complete rig to the other,:o:S as we're told, and then only a couple of payments and then 150 dollars...recently..have been made... Not Fair...

You'd have to consider relieving the person entirely, of the rig, along with any AAD and canopies attached to it..Put the damn reserve ripcord BACK.... immediately :P Be prepared to handle the reserve pc and bridle try NOt to let the free bag get out... Find a helper or two and dirt dive the damn thing... Make it a fun event if you can... Don't let him keep it, unless FULL payment is tendered,,, then and there.....Let him take up a collection IF he can...

Thanks hackish for adding to the discussion..
How about an update from the O P ?? any progress ??
Hell the BEST thing would be .... if the dude just Pays for the rig ,,honors his word....and everybody' s Happy !!!!:)B|:)jmy

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No update yet. Sorry guys. I've been working about 70 hours a week here lately so I'm just tired as hell at the end of the day and not up for super sleuthing and calling up Perris Valley or Skydive Elsinore trying to track the guy down.

It's already been 2 years and he's paid a total of $1305 when $5000 was due basically immediately 2 years ago. Those are the details on payments thus far if anyone is interested. I think $55/month is fair rent for a rig if I were lucky enough to just get it back.

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