[meteorite-list] Relating to the Elbert A. King Collection
From: Michael Casper <Michael_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:04:47 2004 Message-ID: <000d01c1f6e9$154d87e0$0200a8c0_at_Domain> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_000A_01C1F6C7.8D940F20 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Steve Arnold GET THE FACTS STRAIGHT! I have in my hand an offer placed with the KING ESTATE for $250,000.00 = AND proof of=20 HIGHER OFFERS! "Sharon was executor of Dr. King's Estate after he died in 1998. In = 1999, Sharon King hired me as the exclusive agent on a five year = contract to sell the meteorites belonging to Dr. King's private = collection." My attorney visited Mrs. King and she was in no condition to sign ANY = contract. She appeared heavily DRUGGED. Mrs. King told me that if she failed to sign a certain contract that a = certain "male nurse" would LEAVE her ALL ALONE. I was informed that A certain "LAWYER" that may have been involved may = have been subject to certain VIOLATIONS of the TEXAS BAR in the past. More later.... =20 ----- Original Message -----=20 From: MeteorHntr_at_aol.com=20 To: meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com=20 Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2002 2:08 AM Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Relating to the Elbert A. King = Collection In a message dated 5/4/02 3:25:12 PM Central Daylight Time, = Michael_at_caspercoin.com writes:=20 The name is Michael NOT Mikey. Yes I did lose out of representing=20 the "King Collection". If I would have sold the collection his = daughters=20 would have been paid.=20 It is a fact that I offered OVER $200,00.00 cash to the family. That = is=20 $200,000.00 more than they received!=20 Steve Arnold, a questionable attorney and a corrupt male nurse saw = to that!=20 the King Family has NOT been paid by Steve Arnold AND ASSOCIATES = (Geoff=20 Notkin?). Hello list,=20 I regret having to post this to the list, but I feel that some = explanation is necessary. =20 For those who are unaware, Sharon King, Dr. Elbert A. King's widow, = passed away in September 2001. Lisa King is her stepdaughter. Sharon = was executor of Dr. King's Estate after he died in 1998. In 1999, = Sharon King hired me as the exclusive agent on a five year contract to = sell the meteorites belonging to Dr. King's private collection. =20 As usual Michael Casper has made some unsubstantiated comments:=20 1. He implies that no money was paid to the King family. However, In = the year 1999 alone, with me as sole agent, over $325,000.00 (YES, I = REPEAT, OVER THREE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS!) was paid from = individual and institutional buyers to Sharon King for the sale of items = in Bert's Collection. Additional sales were made in 2000 as well. =20 2. Casper claims to have made an offer of over $200,000 for the entire = collection. However, the largest offer he made to me for the collection = was $100,000. Jim Strope and Darryl Pitt were "silent" partners with = Casper in his bid for the whole collection. As I understand it, Casper = did not have enough personal funds to cover his $100,000 offer. At some = point, I know Pitt and Strope backed out of the deal with Casper for = various reasons. I haven't talked with them about this in nearly 3 = years, but I am sure they can verify this information. When I received a = larger offer for the collection, Casper said "I am not going to bid this = up, you go get your best offer and then come back to me and I will beat = it." The highest offer I received from another party, was for $225,000 = which Sharon King turned down. I asked Casper if he wanted to top that = offer and he asked "What will it take for me to buy it?" I asked Mrs. = King and she was firm on wanting at least $300,000. When I passed this = on to Casper he said some things I won't repeat here, and he never = submitted another offer to me after that. Mrs. King then decided to = sell the meteorites individually. I contacted several institutions = including the U.S. National Collection at the Smithsonian and they were = not interested in purchasing or trading for any of the specimens. I = also contacted the British Museum of Natural History in London and they = were willing to trade for just one specimen from the collection. = Several other specimens were sold to another interested institution and = then we began selling the remainder via auctions to the general public.=20 3. Casper mentions that "the King Family has not been paid." If by = that he means that Sharon's stepchildren have not been paid yet, then he = is correct. Sharon King's Estate is still in Probate, so of course the = heirs have not received any of Sharon's assets yet. =20 4. I am not sure what he is referring to when he mentions "a = questionable attorney" and a "corrupt male nurse." However, as for his = comments concerning Geoff Notkin, Geoff was my webmaster during some of = the sales, but he had nothing to do with anything other than website = updates. =20 Many items from the King Collection were purchased by people on this = list. It is possible to verify that all the checks were made out to = either Sharon King or to the King Estate's law firm's trust account. It = is also possible to verify through those canceled checks that all funds = passed through one of these accounts and NOT mine. After the funds = cleared the bank, my commission was paid either by Sharon or her lawyer. = There was a comment made that Casper might be open for a lawsuit due = to things he has said on this list. Maybe that might be the case, but = even if I would win a lawsuit against him, I would still have to prove = "damages" before I would be awarded any money. Since Casper's = credibility has suffered so much, it is hard to imagine that his = comments have cost me any loss of sales (damages), so why should I sue = him? However, I did have several auctions on ebay this last weekend = right in the middle of all this commotion. =20 = http://cgi6.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?MfcISAPICommand=3DViewListedIte= ms&userid=3Dmeteoritebroker.com&include=3D0&since=3D7&sort=3D3&rows=3D0=20 I would be very interested to know if anyone would be willing to swear = under oath that they did indeed plan to bid on some of my lots, but then = decided not to bid based directly on Casper's public and or private = comments. Not suing Casper has nothing to do with any fear of "full = disclosure" on my part.=20 Even though the statute of limitations has expired for the King Estate = to consider filing a lawsuit against Casper, I would be interested to = know if anyone was scared off early on by Casper's public fiasco on this = list three years ago (see list archives April/May 1999). = http://www.pairlist.net/pipermail/meteorite-list/=20 Lisa King has inquired about purchases made from the King Collection = after February 4, 2001. Although my records indicate that I have not = sold any items from the King Collection after January 2001, if anyone = has purchased such material from me since then please feel free to = contact her. I would appreciate a copy of any correspondence with her = concerning these topics.=20 I know this is far more detailed than most of you care about, but I = hope I have cleared up any confusion that has been caused. I must admit = that I am pleasantly surprised by all the support I have received both = on the list and off. I would like to say thanks to all of you.=20 Thank You,=20 Steven K. Arnold=20 ------=_NextPart_000_000A_01C1F6C7.8D940F20 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Steve Arnold GET THE FACTS = STRAIGHT!</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I have in my hand an offer placed with = the KING=20 ESTATE for $250,000.00 AND proof of </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>HIGHER OFFERS!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"Sharon was executor of Dr. King's = Estate after he=20 died in 1998. In 1999, Sharon King hired me as the exclusive agent = on a=20 five year contract to sell the meteorites belonging to Dr. King's = private=20 collection."</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> My attorney visited Mrs. King = and she was in=20 no condition to sign ANY contract. She appeared heavily = DRUGGED.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Mrs. King told me that if she = failed to sign a=20 certain contract that a certain "male nurse" would LEAVE her ALL=20 ALONE.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I was informed that A certain "LAWYER" = that may=20 have been involved may have been subject to certain VIOLATIONS of the = TEXAS BAR=20 in the past.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> More later....</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> <BR><BR></DIV></FONT> <BLOCKQUOTE=20 style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: = 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV=20 style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B>=20 <A href=3D"mailto:MeteorHntr_at_aol.com"=20 title=3DMeteorHntr_at_aol.com>MeteorHntr@aol.com</A> </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20 href=3D"mailto:meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com"=20 = title=3Dmeteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>meteorite-list@meteoritecentr= al.com</A>=20 </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, May 08, 2002 = 2:08=20 AM</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [meteorite-list] = Relating to=20 the Elbert A. King Collection</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT size=3D2>In a = message dated=20 5/4/02 3:25:12 PM Central Daylight Time, <A=20 href=3D"mailto:Michael_at_caspercoin.com">Michael@caspercoin.com</A> = writes:=20 <BR><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE=20 style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px"=20 TYPE=3D"CITE">The name is Michael NOT Mikey. Yes I did lose out of=20 representing <BR>the "King Collection". If I would have sold the = collection=20 his daughters <BR>would have been paid. <BR>It is a fact that I = offered OVER=20 $200,00.00 cash to the family. That is <BR>$200,000.00 more than = they=20 received! <BR>Steve Arnold, a questionable attorney and a corrupt = male nurse=20 saw to that! <BR>the King Family has NOT been paid by Steve Arnold = AND=20 ASSOCIATES (Geoff <BR>Notkin?).</BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR><BR>Hello list, = <BR><BR>I=20 regret having to post this to the list, but I feel that some = explanation is=20 necessary. <BR><BR>For those who are unaware, Sharon King, Dr. = Elbert=20 A. King's widow, passed away in September 2001. Lisa King is her = stepdaughter.=20 Sharon was executor of Dr. King's Estate after he died in 1998. = In=20 1999, Sharon King hired me as the exclusive agent on a five year = contract to=20 sell the meteorites belonging to Dr. King's private collection. = <BR><BR>As usual Michael Casper has made some unsubstantiated = comments:=20 <BR><BR>1. He implies that no money was paid to the King family.=20 However, In the year 1999 alone, with me as sole agent, over = $325,000.00=20 (YES, I REPEAT, OVER THREE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS!) was = paid=20 from individual and institutional buyers to Sharon King for the sale = of items=20 in Bert's Collection. Additional sales were made in 2000 as = well. =20 <BR><BR>2. Casper claims to have made an offer of over $200,000 for = the entire=20 collection. However, the largest offer he made to me for the = collection=20 was $100,000. Jim Strope and Darryl Pitt were "silent" = partners=20 with Casper in his bid for the whole collection. As I understand = it,=20 Casper did not have enough personal funds to cover his $100,000 offer. = At some point, I know Pitt and Strope backed out of the deal = with Casper=20 for various reasons. I haven't talked with them about this in = nearly 3=20 years, but I am sure they can verify this information. When I received = a=20 larger offer for the collection, Casper said "I am not going to bid = this up,=20 you go get your best offer and then come back to me and I will beat = it."=20 The highest offer I received from another party, was for = $225,000 which=20 Sharon King turned down. I asked Casper if he wanted to top that = offer=20 and he asked "What will it take for me to buy it?" I asked Mrs. King = and she=20 was firm on wanting at least $300,000. When I passed this on to = Casper=20 he said some things I won't repeat here, and he never submitted = another offer=20 to me after that. Mrs. King then decided to sell the meteorites=20 individually. I contacted several institutions including the = U.S.=20 National Collection at the Smithsonian and they were not interested in = purchasing or trading for any of the specimens. I also contacted = the=20 British Museum of Natural History in London and they were willing to = trade for=20 just one specimen from the collection. Several other specimens = were sold=20 to another interested institution and then we began selling the = remainder via=20 auctions to the general public. <BR><BR>3. Casper mentions that "the = King=20 Family has not been paid." If by that he means that Sharon's = stepchildren have=20 not been paid yet, then he is correct. Sharon King's Estate is = still in=20 Probate, so of course the heirs have not received any of Sharon's = assets yet.=20 <BR><BR>4. I am not sure what he is referring to when he = mentions "a=20 questionable attorney" and a "corrupt male nurse." However, as for his = comments concerning Geoff Notkin, Geoff was my webmaster during some = of the=20 sales, but he had nothing to do with anything other than website = updates.=20 <BR><BR>Many items from the King Collection were purchased by = people on=20 this list. It is possible to verify that all the checks were = made out to=20 either Sharon King or to the King Estate's law firm's trust account. = It=20 is also possible to verify through those canceled checks that all = funds passed=20 through one of these accounts and NOT mine. After the funds = cleared the=20 bank, my commission was paid either by Sharon or her lawyer. = <BR><BR>There was=20 a comment made that Casper might be open for a lawsuit due to things = he has=20 said on this list. Maybe that might be the case, but even if I = would win=20 a lawsuit against him, I would still have to prove "damages" before I = would be=20 awarded any money. Since Casper's credibility has suffered so = much, it=20 is hard to imagine that his comments have cost me any loss of sales = (damages),=20 so why should I sue him? However, I did have several auctions on = ebay=20 this last weekend right in the middle of all this commotion. = <BR><BR><A=20 = href=3D"http://cgi6.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?MfcISAPICommand=3DViewL= istedItems&userid=3Dmeteoritebroker.com&include=3D0&since=3D7= &sort=3D3&rows=3D0">http://cgi6.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?Mfc= ISAPICommand=3DViewListedItems&userid=3Dmeteoritebroker.com&inclu= de=3D0&since=3D7&sort=3D3&rows=3D0</A>=20 <BR><BR>I would be very interested to know if anyone would be willing = to swear=20 under oath that they did indeed plan to bid on some of my lots, but = then=20 decided not to bid based directly on Casper's public and or private = comments.=20 Not suing Casper has nothing to do with any fear of "full = disclosure" on=20 my part. <BR><BR>Even though the statute of limitations has expired = for the=20 King Estate to consider filing a lawsuit against Casper, I would be = interested=20 to know if anyone was scared off early on by Casper's public fiasco on = this=20 list three years ago (see list archives April/May 1999).=20 <A=20 = href=3D"http://www.pairlist.net/pipermail/meteorite-list/">http://www.pai= rlist.net/pipermail/meteorite-list/</A>=20 <BR><BR>Lisa King has inquired about purchases made from the King = Collection=20 after February 4, 2001. Although my records indicate that I have = not=20 sold any items from the King Collection after January 2001, if anyone = has=20 purchased such material from me since then please feel free to contact = her.=20 I would appreciate a copy of any correspondence with her = concerning=20 these topics. <BR><BR>I know this is far more detailed than most of = you care=20 about, but I hope I have cleared up any confusion that has been = caused.=20 I must admit that I am pleasantly surprised by all the support I = have=20 received both on the list and off. I would like to say thanks to = all of=20 you. <BR><BR>Thank You, <BR>Steven K. Arnold</FONT>=20 </FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_000A_01C1F6C7.8D940F20-- Received on Wed 08 May 2002 07:35:47 PM PDT |
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