[meteorite-list] Park Forest Saga continues.
From: mafer <mafer_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:10:10 2004 Message-ID: <033c01c307b8$302342e0$6501a8c0_at_vs.shawcable.net> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0329_01C3077D.70F95240 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Mike and list Mike, I find this a severe case of corruption on the part of the city = and the police. I would have let them start legal action and have to = explain to a judge why they shouldn't 1) allow a change of venue as it = seems the whole city gov of Chitown, if not Illinois, are out to rip = people off (by the way, Il. lost a major court battle some years back = when they ticketed the wrong person from out of state for not having a = Il commercial truck permit for his pov pickup). 2) how they and the city = can claim ownership when it was evidence for insurance claims if = anything. 3) And, how can they claim it stolen property when it was = released by an official of the department. I'd recant on them on the grounds that they are using illegal and = im-moral practices and let them try to fight it and sue them for all = legal costs to boot. It wouldn't be the first time Illinois has bite the = bullet for trying to rip people off. In fact, why not start a class = action suit against them in Federal court and let them stew on how to = settle out of court with you. Just my two cents worth Mike. Don't send them a thing. Have you friends = in the state gov there? Mark ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Michael Farmer=20 To: meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com=20 Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2003 4:44 PM Subject: [meteorite-list] Park Forest Saga continues. 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 =20 Mike Farmer ------=_NextPart_000_0329_01C3077D.70F95240 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 size=3D2>Hi Mike and list</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Mike, I find this a severe case of corruption on the = part of=20 the city and the police. I would have let them start legal action and = have to=20 explain to a judge why they shouldn't 1) allow a change of venue as it = seems the=20 whole city gov of Chitown, if not Illinois, are out to rip people off = (by the=20 way, Il. lost a major court battle some years back when they ticketed = the wrong=20 person from out of state for not having a Il commercial truck permit for = his pov=20 pickup). 2) how they and the city can claim ownership when it was = evidence for=20 insurance claims if anything. 3) And, how can they claim it stolen = property when=20 it was released by an official of the department.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>I'd recant on them on the grounds that they are = using illegal=20 and im-moral practices and let them try to fight it and sue them for all = legal=20 costs to boot. It wouldn't be the first time Illinois has bite the = bullet for=20 trying to rip people off. In fact, why not start a class action suit = against=20 them in Federal court and let them stew on how to settle out of court = with=20 you.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Just my two cents worth Mike. Don't send them a = thing. Have=20 you friends in the state gov there?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Mark</FONT></DIV> <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:farmerm_at_concentric.net" = title=3Dfarmerm_at_concentric.net>Michael=20 Farmer</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> Sunday, April 20, 2003 = 4:44=20 PM</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [meteorite-list] Park = Forest=20 Saga continues.</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hello everyone. I am announcing a bit = of news=20 about 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=20 fragments showered their house and car doing damage to both. The stone = had=20 impacted the street and apparently shattered, with most landing on the = homeowners porch. They called the police and the police took the = meteorites=20 that night as evidence. When I went to Park Forest the next day, I = made them=20 offers and they went to the police and retrieved the specimens. I = bought over=20 500 grams of fragments. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> One week later, the police = chief contacted=20 me in Tucson and demanded the meteorites back, saying that they were = stolen=20 property and belonged to the city. I told them how hard I found that = to=20 believe since they landed on the peoples property and damaged their = home and=20 car, and the police had relinquished it back to the homeowner. He told = me that=20 they didn't care, that now that the police knew the value, that they = wanted=20 them back, and that they were only going to go after my since I had = the=20 largest pieces. They did not care that almost 10 other people got = specimens=20 from the Winslow Street meteorite, they just wanted my pieces back. I = refused=20 and forgot the matter. Then they contacted me again this week and = demanded the=20 stones back or they would start legal action against me! </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> Well, what I am = here to=20 announce is that I have made a binding agreement with the Park Forest = police=20 Dept. I am giving them the endcut of the largest piece, and they are=20 relinquishing all rights to any other pieces from that specimen.=20 Unfortunately, I must give back a 116 gram endcut to the city. I paid = several=20 thousand dollars for the pieces and will get no compensation from the = city. We=20 decided that I would "DONATE" the specimen back to the city and they = would=20 allow me to keep the rest of the 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=20 case, but we decided that it was in my best interests to negotiate a = quick=20 settlement 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.=20 </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.=20 This 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=20 for the city, so I am taking it back personally and want to present it = to the=20 city council, NOT the police dept. If anyone is offered this endcut = for sale=20 by the 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></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0329_01C3077D.70F95240-- Received on Sun 20 Apr 2003 11:43:04 PM PDT |
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