Anything i can do?

[emmy21]

Ok... so this is a long story but to sum it up I was dating a guy and we moved into his parents house. The family is full of lies between the wife lying to the husband and the son lying to the parents. It was very stressful to be in the family but needless to say two questions are in concerned here..... First my (ex) boyfriend had "stole" more like con my grandmother into giving him money in the intentions it was for my bills but instead who knows where it went.. so a few months later he had told me that his mother couldn't give him any money and that his dad could but that we had to lie (once again) to him and say it's for school. I had been coached for 2 years not to discuss money with the father and to lie to him or ignore him when it came to that. The dad ended up giving me a check for 1500$ but was told by the boyfriend to the dad that it would be paid back in a month. I assumed that this was all just another lie given to the husband to cover the moms tracks. Well awhile later I move out because we had broken up. I paid my grandma back the money that was "borrowed" which was 1500 as well, the ex and I had a mutual agreement that he would pay his father back. Now when i moved out i had left my year old plasma 50 inch flat screen t.v. under the assumption that it could stay there "stored" till i could come get it and had a place to put it. I have text messages from the mom saying "no sense in moving it around just keep it here". So once again I am under the assumption I can come get my t.v. at any point! Well it was there for about 3 months and I am now able to come get it and have a steady home. The problem is the mom and dad of the ex will not let me have my t.v. (proof of purchase and warranty in my name only). They said i need to pay them the 1500$. The father did have me sign a promissory note stating it would be payed back in a month but the mom smoothed that over and from what I understood was just a paper to cool tight money pants down. Now here are the questions.....

Don't i have full authorization to come get my t.v.? I had a cop come with me a few days ago and the cop said if they don't want to give it to me then she cant force them? How is that true even though i have proof of purchase and ownership?

Second questions... in regards to the 1500 owed to the ex's father. Am i legally bound to that? I am a college student and he knows i do not have that money. He wont give me the t.v. till i pay him the 1500 but the t.v. was never collateral! As well the ex and I worked it out so that he payed his family and I payed mine since debt was equal on both sides. Am i going to get screwed and have to pay him? He claims he is going to take me to consultation court over it but all he has is an non notarized promissory note signed by me, the ex and the dad.

Please help and answer.

Emmy

[Sierra]

Sorry Emmy, but from what I can make out of your story, this is a civil matter. Consider small claims, an attorney, or simply write it off as experience.

[pac201]

1500 dollars is not that much money...




provided you don't make the same mistake twice...

[PapaBear]

Ah, the innocense, or stupidity, of youth in love. Never, never, never, do again what you have done! It is ill advised that you lie to obtain things. Now, that aside, this is totally a civil matter and you need to obtain information from an attorney. Since you probably cannot afford one, contact the legal aid society in your town for assistance.

[retdetsgt]

I don't know the laws in your state, but in Oregon you can file a claim in Small Claims Court and not need a lawyer. You pick up the forms at the courthouse, fill them out and serve papers on the other person. The two of you would appear in court not unlike Judge Judy's, but without the drama.

No lawyers and the verdict in binding. The maximum claim here just happens to be $1500.

But the police have no way of knowing if the TV really belongs to you or not. Even with a receipt, they can say they bought it from you and you can't prove they didn't. We simply aren't in the business of taking property from one person and presenting it to another.

Good luck.