[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>

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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

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<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>&nbsp;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>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 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>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 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>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 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>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Mike =
Farmer</FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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Received on Sun 20 Apr 2003 08:38:55 PM PDT


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