Potentially Stolen Toolbox Worth Buying?

[tedsters]

I clearly worded this very badly to be getting answers like this. I would be buying it directly from the crackhead who is supposedly "sober" right now. He is very good friends with the farmer who is storing it for him. I want to know, if it is potentially not paid for completely if I would have trouble dealing with the Mac dealer or if it just an issue between the ex-mechanic (crackhead) and his Mac dealer. I definitely don't want to do anything illegal or morally wrong that is why I am asking this. So when a mechanic who owns his own shop goes bankrupt does he lose his own tools and are these supposed to be the banks right now? If so I doubt the farmer knows since he is a really nice guy.

j miller
glad i seen your second post on this i think you just answered your own question get the numbers off from the box and call Mac and see if the boxes are free and clear if he don't want you calling Mac stay away, and it don't matter how you look at it in life i don't believe in karma but i do believe in reaping what you sow and the Golden Rule Is Do Unto Others As You Would Want Done To You, and NEVER TRUST a crackhead they are the biggest con around i have heard just about every story imaginable and i would be very careful dealing with the farmer and would never go there by myself you need to be a little street smart on this one it could turn ugly

 

[angrystroker]

Wasting your time he will not walk, he is trying to find a idea to keep it cause he has none. Probable try it to sell it in the end

 

[bri_man57]

Wow So you call out the OP for using "crackhead" but it's okay to continually call him "arrogant" and "ignorant" and then tell him he doesn't "deserve it" (the tool chest). I hope you don't hurt yourself when you fall off your pedestal.
Oh and if you are going to "cook" the OP, spellcheck and a thesaurus are your friends. For example - "empthaizing". It just shows that you're "ignorant".

Im glad Im not the only one who felt this way!

 

[davey25]

Not really stolen ..there's probably no lien on it..I'd buy it if he's bankrupt and their not looking for it

 

[davey25]

Who cares if he's sober buy it..it's his responsibility to pay his debts not yours

 

[Bigplum]

Who cares if he's sober buy it..it's his responsibility to pay his debts not yours

maybe But if the box still has money owing or it was a hidden asset following the business fail , you run the risk of loosing the lot if and when it all catches up with you because the previous owner spills the beans when squeezed

really depends whose chasing the outstanding debt , In England debts like these are sold on by the big firms to small cash hungry arseholes that can afford the time and effort to recoup the loss, I'm guessing its the same over there ,
Debts are rarely written off quickly ( not for 7 years in England )

easy option , get numbers and call Mac and check

 

[Farmall450]

what about said crackheads "friends" who he might owe money to

Last time I checked the standard AR mag held 30 rounds.

 

[PJNJ]

what about said crackheads "friends" who he might owe money to

Thieves like easily movable and sold items such as jewelry, TVs, computers, electronic equipment. This is a custom 6 foot tall, 12 foot wide tool chest - not a large market for it and, with its weight and size, they would have to get a lot of crackheads, dealers, etc. together just to move it. Maybe in a TV show but extremely doubtful in real life.

 

[Skyline]

Who cares if he's sober buy it..it's his responsibility to pay his debts not yours

This is absolutely not the case with a Snap-on, Mac, Matco, Cornwell toolbox that was financed and not fully paid. Remember, a toolbox has a serial number, and if someone representing the lien owner comes looking to claim it, you could be screwed.

This is just like buying a car with an outstanding car loan. Except that there's no toolbox version of DMV to prevent the transaction. It's buyer beware.

 

[FullRaceMerc]

The basic concept of "mine" vs "not mine" seems to be lost in today's society. Stuff not sold by the owner to me, or given by the owner to me, is not mine.

This thing sounds terribly unclear as to who owns it. The possibilities could be the ex-wife, the mechanic, or Snap On. Or possibly the farmer could be if he goes thru the legal process for abandoned property. That is if the property was abandoned by the legal owner. None of those are the OP. Finding out who legally owns it now & buying it from them sounds like the only right way to own it. Even then if it's not the mechanic down the road might it not be worth it.

I used to work with a Scot who would say in his heavy accent "I'll not be made a thief for a dollar" when someone was trying to sell the 'fell of a truck" type stuff. I think it was Martin Luther who said "Temptations are like birds. You cannot stop them from flying overhead. But you can keep them from building a nest in your hair."

Good on the OP for trying to sort it out & not just buying it outright. It sounds like an amazing deal that he really wants, but he also wants to do the right thing. If he was an immoral man there would have been no question. Who he is tomorrow will depend on his answer.

 

[KnurledNut]

...and lost everything in a messy divorce with his wife...

The answer is obvious! The box belongs to his ex-wife!


I cant help but wonder if said "mechanic turned crack-head" is a GJ member?

 

[foreverfalcon40]

Honestly, I would buy it. I would order tumbler set up with keys.

I would keep this box for home use and never have it see the light of a shop for some quite time. I do a lot of side work out of my house and I am in the market for another KRA-1000 to match or just start again with a triple and lockers. This would be a great motivator to get some cash flow coming in!

Best of luck.

 

[Skyline]

Honestly, I would buy it. I would order tumbler set up with keys.

I would keep this box for home use and never have it see the light of a shop for some quite time. I do a lot of side work out of my house and I am in the market for another KRA-1000 to match or just start again with a triple and lockers. This would be a great motivator to get some cash flow coming in!

Best of luck.

The odds of a KRA-1000 not being paid for if you buy it from the original owner are pretty slim. What's it been, 20 years since those were made?

I think when you're looking at a box that's less than five years old, there's a much greater concern.

I buy and resell a lot of big toolboxes. Every one has got a story, and if I believe it's legit, and paid for, I go for it. Receipts, and the age of the box help me decide. But so does the story. If I hear: "I worked at the local Chevy dealer for 20 years, until they made me Service Writer, so now I don't need my tools anymore", I know my chances are excellent that the guy could not have escaped his Tool Truck creditors. You can check with Snap-on, MAC or whatever, or do a UCC search on the owner's name if you're still in doubt. But the OP's story adds a couple of other wrinkles that make it legal quicksand, and all angles need to be checked. A large toolbox can be a huge investment, and I'd hate to lose my money. It's not supposed to be a gamble.

 

[devoncoolman]

If your going to keep the box at home then go for it. I probably wouldn't buy the box. But the tools are fair game in my opinion. Tools arn't tracable. Buy the box if you want but don't go showing it off to any mac dealers.

 

[tonydanzah]

Go for it, never call mac. Never look back.

 

[Shadowdog500]

I may have the option to get involved in a kind of complicated situation. My one friend's dad is storing an entire shop's worth of tools for his mechanic friend who turned crack head. The mechanic went bankrupt and lost everything in a messy divorce with his wife and then my friend's dad (who is a farmer and therefore has tons of storage) volunteered to store all of his tools including a custom made Macsimzer that is massive. It has to be at least 12' wide and over 6' tall. Since the mechanic was supposed to lose all his business in the bankruptcy I don't think he was legally allowed to take all the tools. In addition I have my doubts that the Mac dealer was ever paid in full for the Macsimizer. Does that mean that I should stay away even though I think it is a possibility to get the Macsimizer at about a tenth of the original price. It would need keys and probably locks replaced so would there be any issue getting parts since it is probably illegally held. It is a memorable box so it is doubtful that it would be possible to hide it from anyone. I don't want any trouble with it so is it more work then it is worth?

I clearly worded this very badly to be getting answers like this. I would be buying it directly from the crackhead who is supposedly "sober" right now. He is very good friends with the farmer who is storing it for him. I want to know, if it is potentially not paid for completely if I would have trouble dealing with the Mac dealer or if it just an issue between the ex-mechanic (crackhead) and his Mac dealer. I definitely don't want to do anything illegal or morally wrong that is why I am asking this. So when a mechanic who owns his own shop goes bankrupt does he lose his own tools and are these supposed to be the banks right now? If so I doubt the farmer knows since he is a really nice guy.

Let me see if I can boil this down.

1)Mechanic owns tools outright or owes Mac for tools before bankruptcy.
2)Mechanic gets hooked on crack and loses his wife and business and files for bankruptcy.
3)Mutual farmer friend stores tools for crackhead mechanic.
4)You have a chance to buy tools from crackhead for a smoking deal.
5)You use the word stolen, but I can't see where he stold them from another person. If anything he may have an unpaid debt on the tools, that you would have cleared up before taking possession.

As much as I don't like dealing with drunks and drug addicts you may be walking away from a smoking good legitimate deal so the crackhead can get his next fix(which is of most importance to him)

There are "tools of the trade" conditions in bankruptcy that says that the bank can't take a trademan's tools if he goes bankrupt. Most states allow a tradesman to keep around $3,000 current street value in tools. If the tools are worth more than $3,000 the bank can take the tools in excess of $3,000, but if the tradesman offers to pay the bank the cost of the excess value of tools over a set period, the bank must accept the payments.

This assumes that the tradesman owns the tools outright. If the tradesman still owes MAC for the tools, then the tools belong to MAC and the bank can't take them, but MAC can if the mechanic stops paying MAC for the tools.

Find out if the crackhead owes MAC for the tools, if he does the tools belong to MAC. Perhaps you can broker a deal with the crackhead and MAC to settle his debt with MAC and get ownership of the tools and get a recipt from MAC that you paid for the tools in full).


If he don't owe MAC for the tools, and he sells them to you for less that the "tools of the trade" terms in your state for bankruptcy, then that must be what they are worth on the street, and he is in the clear. If he sells them for more than the tools of the trade value, he may owe the bank the excess amount.

Do some research, and check it out before simply walking away.

Chris

 

[foreverfalcon40]

The odds of a KRA-1000 not being paid for if you buy it from the original owner are pretty slim. What's it been, 20 years since those were made?

I think when you're looking at a box that's less than five years old, there's a much greater concern.

I buy and resell a lot of big toolboxes. Every one has got a story, and if I believe it's legit, and paid for, I go for it. Receipts, and the age of the box help me decide. But so does the story. If I hear: "I worked at the local Chevy dealer for 20 years, until they made me Service Writer, so now I don't need my tools anymore", I know my chances are excellent that the guy could not have escaped his Tool Truck creditors. You can check with Snap-on, MAC or whatever, or do a UCC search on the owner's name if you're still in doubt. But the OP's story adds a couple of other wrinkles that make it legal quicksand, and all angles need to be checked. A large toolbox can be a huge investment, and I'd hate to lose my money. It's not supposed to be a gamble.

Sorry, if my story was mis-leading. My home box set-up is not stolen. I have simply outgrown it. In the market for another one to mate up next to it since this one has the full size top box. If I can not find another one in my area locally, I will pick up a triple and build from there.

Point being, there is nothing wrong with having a nice tool box at home. Store more tools to do more things that generate money. Chances of on e of your customer's knowing that the tool box in his home garage is stolen is slim to none.
I would go for it and keep it home. No one would know and keep it that way. Heck if you do not trust the people who are selling it to you. Have one of your buddies buy it. God for big someone talks, your buddies house is empty. if you are really paranoid put it in a storage unit for a few years under someone else's name and pay cash.

 

[old_biker]

get friends in a local MC bike club to go get it from the crack head, & then you get it from them. the trail will stop there, & only idiots would bother the MC, lol.

keep mouth shut about box, & any decals, emblems, etc. I would remove & then it would be a blank canvas for new mechanic & biker stickers.

 

[3baygarage]

The basic concept of "mine" vs "not mine" seems to be lost in today's society. Stuff not sold by the owner to me, or given by the owner to me, is not mine.

This thing sounds terribly unclear as to who owns it. The possibilities could be the ex-wife, the mechanic, or Snap On. Or possibly the farmer could be if he goes thru the legal process for abandoned property. That is if the property was abandoned by the legal owner. None of those are the OP. Finding out who legally owns it now & buying it from them sounds like the only right way to own it. Even then if it's not the mechanic down the road might it not be worth it.

I used to work with a Scot who would say in his heavy accent "I'll not be made a thief for a dollar" when someone was trying to sell the 'fell of a truck" type stuff. I think it was Martin Luther who said "Temptations are like birds. You cannot stop them from flying overhead. But you can keep them from building a nest in your hair."

Good on the OP for trying to sort it out & not just buying it outright. It sounds like an amazing deal that he really wants, but he also wants to do the right thing. If he was an immoral man there would have been no question. Who he is tomorrow will depend on his answer.

get friends in a local MC bike club to go get it from the crack head, & then you get it from them. the trail will stop there, & only idiots would bother the MC, lol.

keep mouth shut about box, & any decals, emblems, etc. I would remove & then it would be a blank canvas for new mechanic & biker stickers.

Wow this thread is still going? Now there's a possibility that Snap On owns the Macsimizer? And biker gangs? This turned into a soap opera. Who is the father of this poor child abandoned on a farm anyway?

 

[finn]

I didn't realize there were so many crooks on this site...

 

[Mandres]

It's been a while since business school, but I was under the impression that the U.C.C. protects a buyer in good faith from having an item repossessed?

If you buy the box from fella in good faith MAC has no way to recover it right? That point of law always struck me as interesting and non-intuitive. I'm not a lawyer.

 

[FullRaceMerc]

Wow this thread is still going? Now there's a possibility that Snap On owns the Macsimizer? And biker gangs? This turned into a soap opera. Who is the father of this poor child abandoned on a farm anyway?

My mistake. Mac, not Snap On. I stand corrected. I think the point is still valid.

I didn't realize there were so many crooks on this site...

A little unnerving, isn't it. I'm new here, & this thread doesn't fit in with the early impressions I had of this place.

Here's my 2 cents (Add it to my earlier post & you're up to 4 cents ). I take a certain joy in using my tools. The skills involved, the craftsmanship in the tools themselves, memories involving where they came from all add to that. When I use a tool that my grandfather used for a lifetime, it means something to me. The Proto torque wrench that was a gift from my boss over 35 years ago still brings back good memories. The new tools that I have bought recently are cool to work with as well.

I can't imagine possessing a tool that might belong to someone else. Most of the people I have worked with would consider taking another man's tools to be the lowest of the low. The few who saw it differently got off with some of our tools, but who knows what they are doing for a living today. They sure aren't working around any of us.

Buying in good faith? Seems like a stretch after the first post.

 

[PMD1966]

Years ago I was told "if you have to ask if something is wrong, it is wrong".

 

[Will S.]

Don't do it.

You knew it is wrong before you ever posted. And let's say you go for it and get all happy and excited about the sweet deal that you got. Remember, one day, maybe even years from now, some guys will be coming to you, and telling you that so and so wants his stuff back, and they are there to get it. You want to have that lurking in the back of you mind, every day?

Don't do it.

 

[bobbycos]

Years ago I was told "if you have to ask if something is wrong, it is wrong".

I walked away from this thread and the toolbox

OP should do the same

Let someone else deal with the headache

 

[boostedgt]

farm will have an estate sale one day and someone in this thread will be posting LOOK WHAT I GOT followed by multiple "you ****" lol