[meteorite-list] Park Forest Saga continues
From: Michael Farmer <farmerm_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:10:10 2004 Message-ID: <002701c3079e$6486f820$9031ef42_at_aoldsl.net> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0022_01C30763.B701A180 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hello everyone. I am announcing a bit of news about Park Forest.=20 I have been in negotiations with the Park Forest police dept for the = last two weeks regarding the meteorite from Winslow St. I purchased 1/2 = kilo of fragments from the owners, including the main mass, shortly = after the fall. The owner had called the police when the fragments showered their house = and car doing damage to both. The stone had impacted the street and = apparently shattered, with most landing on the homeowners porch. They = called the police and the police took the meteorites that night as = evidence. When I went to Park Forest the next day, I made them offers = and they went to the police and retrieved the specimens. I bought over = 500 grams of fragments.=20 One week later, the police chief contacted me in Tucson and demanded = the meteorites back, saying that they were stolen property and belonged = to the city. I told them how hard I found that to believe since they = landed on the peoples property and damaged their home and car, and the = police had relinquished it back to the homeowner. He told me that they = didn't care, that now that the police knew the value, that they wanted = them back, and that they were only going to go after my since I had the = largest pieces. They did not care that almost 10 other people got = specimens from the Winslow Street meteorite, they just wanted my pieces = back. I refused and forgot the matter. Then they contacted me again this = week and demanded the stones back or they would start legal action = against me!=20 Well, what I am here to announce is that I have made a binding = agreement with the Park Forest police Dept. I am giving them the endcut = of the largest piece, and they are relinquishing all rights to any other = pieces from that specimen. Unfortunately, I must give back a 116 gram = endcut to the city. I paid several thousand dollars for the pieces and = will get no compensation from the city. We decided that I would "DONATE" = the specimen back to the city and they would allow me to keep the rest = of the pieces. =20 I am so offended that I had to do this, that I was the only target, = even though they knew about so many other pieces. My attorney told me = that undoubtedly I would prevail in any court case, but we decided that = it was in my best interests to negotiate a quick settlement to avoid the = hassle of the police.=20 I am just warning people that even in America, sometimes due process = is a joke. In order to save myself the problems, I just had to give in = and submit to the police demands.=20 Since this problem is solved, I have completed cutting the remaining = pieces and will ship them to all the buyers tomorrow. This is one reason = that many of you have not received your pieces yet.=20 Does anyone have anything to input regarding the treatment by the = Park Forest Police?=20 I am not so sure that they want this piece back for the city, so I am = taking it back personally and want to present it to the city council, = NOT the police dept. If anyone is offered this endcut for sale by the = police, PLEASE let us all know.=20 Mike Farmer ------=_NextPart_000_0022_01C30763.B701A180 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 http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Diso-8859-1"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hello everyone. I am announcing a bit = of news about=20 Park Forest. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I have been in negotiations with the = Park Forest=20 police dept for the last two weeks regarding the meteorite from Winslow = St. I=20 purchased 1/2 kilo of fragments from the owners, including the main = mass,=20 shortly after the fall.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The owner had called the police when = the fragments=20 showered their house and car doing damage to both. The stone had = impacted the=20 street and apparently shattered, with most landing on the homeowners = porch. They=20 called the police and the police took the meteorites that night as = evidence.=20 When I went to Park Forest the next day, I made them offers and they = went to the=20 police and retrieved the specimens. I bought over 500 grams of = fragments.=20 </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> One week later, the police chief = contacted me=20 in Tucson and demanded the meteorites back, saying that they were stolen = property and belonged to the city. I told them how hard I found that to = believe=20 since they landed on the peoples property and damaged their home and = car, and=20 the police had relinquished it back to the homeowner. He told me that = they=20 didn't care, that now that the police knew the value, that they wanted = them=20 back, and that they were only going to go after my since I had the = largest=20 pieces. They did not care that almost 10 other people got specimens from = the=20 Winslow Street meteorite, they just wanted my pieces back. I refused and = forgot=20 the matter. Then they contacted me again this week and demanded the = stones back=20 or they would start legal action against me! </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> Well, what I am here = to announce=20 is that I have made a binding agreement with the Park Forest police = Dept. I am=20 giving them the endcut of the largest piece, and they are relinquishing = all=20 rights to any other pieces from that specimen. Unfortunately, I must = give back a=20 116 gram endcut to the city. I paid several thousand dollars for the = pieces and=20 will get no compensation from the city. We decided that I would "DONATE" = the=20 specimen back to the city and they would allow me to keep the rest of = the=20 pieces. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> I am so offended = that I had to=20 do this, that I was the only target, even though they knew about so many = other=20 pieces. My attorney told me that undoubtedly I would prevail in any = court case,=20 but we decided that it was in my best interests to negotiate a quick = settlement=20 to avoid the hassle of the police. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> I am just warning = people that=20 even in America, sometimes due process is a joke. In order to save = myself the=20 problems, I just had to give in and submit to the police demands. = </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Since this problem is solved, I have = completed=20 cutting the remaining pieces and will ship them to all the buyers = tomorrow. This=20 is one reason that many of you have not received your pieces yet. = </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> Does anyone have = anything to=20 input regarding the treatment by the Park Forest Police? </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I am not so sure that they want this = piece back for=20 the city, so I am taking it back personally and want to present it to = the city=20 council, NOT the police dept. If anyone is offered this endcut for sale = by the=20 police, PLEASE let us all know. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Mike = Farmer</FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0022_01C30763.B701A180-- Received on Sun 20 Apr 2003 08:38:55 PM PDT |
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