What would you do?

Every now and then, you'll come across merchandise that technically should be turned into the police. But is it worth the risk of having your merchandise seized? Here are a couple of hypotheticals.

Let's say you find a really nice computer but you also find the previous owner's kiddie porn collection. Do you wipe the computer clean and resell it or do you turn it in to the police for evidence and inevitably lose your property?

Another example - Firearms - legally, your supposed to turn them in to the authorities when you find them in a storage unit. If they come back clean, they're supposed to give them back to you assuming you can legally own a firearm. But if the firearm has been reported stolen or used in a crime, they'll keep it and you lose the profit from the sale of that firearm. Worth the risk?

I use to worry about what to do; today I will keep and sell.   Last week when I was putting some stuff in the flea store, my daughter ran across some yearbooks of the previous owners of the unit.  She found her Facebook page and messaged her about them.  They cried on how they lost everything, can’t find jobs, lived in in a van, kicked out of her parents place.  All the stories.  I just had two bikes out of their unit appraised by a friend this morning.  One he said was worth as it is $900 and the other as it is $600. They could have sold the stuff themselves and use it for rent.  I don’t get it.

I use to worry about what to do; today I will keep and sell.   

Yep, it's a SAD, SAD story. Yet somehow they have a facebook page. Maybe they are still broke and using the public library, but SAD, TOO BAD.

Hell, I SELL PICTURES  from lockers I buy back to the previous owner.  Some would say they have no value, but I figure it this way.

1) If nothing else, the frames have value.

2) The pictures DO have value...to the former owner.

I've only had one former owner squawk about it or challenge me about it.

One guy came to look at his pictures, etc and I told him $25 and he said they weren't worth that. That's funny, those irreplaceable memories you mentioned on the phone are now not worth $25?

BUT, he said "There's a little saw in an aluminum box I would be interested in." I had already sold it, but I asked him how much he would pay. He said he'd give $25 for that. That saw was what he was really there for. His locker had several totes of NEW orthotic devices (for sprained limbs) and that was his business.

The "saw" was the kind used for cutting through plaster/fiberglass casts. They sell new for $800 to a $1,000. I sold "his" on eBay for $400.  After he made his $25 offer I told him I had sold it for $400 and he just turned on his heels and walked out the pedestrian gate at my storage facility.

This week I picked up a couple of lockers. One of them had several bootleg DVDs in it. I just threw them away. No use selling them or turning them into the cops. If I were to find a gun, I wouldn't know what to do with it.. I guess a firearms dealer or pawn shop might take it, but I'm not sure about what the law is for them to purchase guns from the public. I assume if they do a serial number check and it's clean they can buy it. I don't have a license to carry, nor am I interested in getting one. So getting rid of it ASAP would be my goal.

One he said was worth as it is $900 and the other as it is $600. They could have sold the stuff themselves and use it for rent.  I don’t get it.

I guess it's a lot harder to sell it off when it's yours and you really don't want to sell it in the first place.

Every now and then, you'll come across merchandise that technically should be turned into the police. But is it worth the risk of having your merchandise seized? Here are a couple of hypotheticals.

Let's say you find a really nice computer but you also find the previous owner's kiddie porn collection. Do you wipe the computer clean and resell it or do you turn it in to the police for evidence and inevitably lose your property?

Another example - Firearms - legally, your supposed to turn them in to the authorities when you find them in a storage unit. If they come back clean, they're supposed to give them back to you assuming you can legally own a firearm. But if the firearm has been reported stolen or used in a crime, they'll keep it and you lose the profit from the sale of that firearm. Worth the risk?

Travis, I think we've beat this camel to death a number of times on various threads....

Hypothetical question: What if the owner of the online forum you belong to is a snitch for the FBI? Would you keep posting comments that might cause an investigation? 

Hypothetical question: What if the owner of the online forum you belong to is a snitch for the FBI?

I was a member of a forum years back.  Turned out the owner of the site DID work with the FBI and Homeland security.    Good guy.  We are still friends......or he's still building a case against me.....hmmmm....

Hypothetical question: What if the owner of the online forum you belong to is a snitch for the FBI? Would you keep posting comments that might cause an investigation? 

Yes, because the black market for second hand household items is such a high priority.

FBI: Sir, you need to come with us. We need to ask you some questions about that toaster you just sold. 

Set the pipe down and quit looking out the blinds, nobody is there. 

My wife worked for the county cops and we both have relatives / friends in various local/state forces.  So for us we side on caution.  This is how I handle things:

1) computer w/ kiddie porm -- would be turned in if I even looked and found it.  Normally if a computer boots I pull the specs and then if we don't want to "play with it" I'll wipe and re-install windows to sell.  Wife has a masters in forensics and has a few tools to see what people have "deleted" from their computer.  Never found anything really interesting....yet

2) Gun - I'd run the serial # to make sure it's not stolen.  For us we don't have to turn it in, just run the number.  Deputy will even come to the house to do it.

3) SSN / Credit Cards - most time these get shreded unless facility takes back personals.  I once turned in a bunch to the local police.  Unit had 8 different SSN cards, a dozen CC cards, etc.  All with different names, account #s, the like.  Didn't look like a combined unit so turned in just in case stolen / fraud.

4) Drugs - not really gotten any.  Had one unit that smelled like weed and found a few seeds but that is it.

5) Pirated movies / CDs - go in trash.  No need to report as almost everyone has a CD or Movie.  Did loose out on a unit that I didn't bid to agressive on due to all the pirated movies.  Was full of computer equipment that I liked but also 1000s of DVD's in totes with pirated movies.  He had a full tower with 8 DVD burners so was copying / selling.  I could see me buying it and then cops busting me thinking I was the one doing it.

I take pictures of a unit when I win one.  I then pull everything out and do the sorting at home.  If did find drugs or something elict I'd just turn that in.  Would be no reason for police to seize everything.  Unless of course it's boxes and boxes of cocaine or other drug.