I have a monkey I want to get off my back

[metallicat]

I used to work at a golf course...a co-worker of mine took a golf club from the lost and found bin and was using it for an unknown length of time, until he offered to sell it to me. I bought it from him, and used the golf club. I still have this in my possession. I will have to answer to this on a background investigation, but I am just wondering what some of you think the ramifications of this will be. I would also like to get rid of the club, obviously without making a profit...so I was thinking about taking it to a used sports store to donate to junior golf or something, would that be a decent plan at all?

This happened, with my best guess, probably 4-5 years ago but I can't remember. Thoughts?

[oscarmitre]

There are two aspects to this question both are equally important. Firstly there is the legal aspect. I am not familiar with the criminal code in Canada but the question is would your actions be construed as amounting to theft/stealing/larceny or receiving/dealing with stolen property? If so you might need to take some formal advice on it before you go any further. I know what the actions would amount to in my jurisdiction but that is not relevant to your question.

The second aspect to it is not legal but moral. Do you think what you did was morally wrong? If so, why? If not, why not?

You didn't suggest that you should return the club to the lost and found bin -and there are probably good practical reasons for that but donating it doesn't change the nature of the property in fact it might exacerbate the situation. If the criminal code suggests the property is stolen then donating it doesn't change its status and could embarass those to whom it is donated.

Will it come up in the background check or interview? How?

[metallicat]

There are two aspects to this question both are equally important. Firstly there is the legal aspect. I am not familiar with the criminal code in Canada but the question is would your actions be construed as amounting to theft/stealing/larceny or receiving/dealing with stolen property? If so you might need to take some formal advice on it before you go any further. I know what the actions would amount to in my jurisdiction but that is not relevant to your question.

The second aspect to it is not legal but moral. Do you think what you did was morally wrong? If so, why? If not, why not?

You didn't suggest that you should return the club to the lost and found bin -and there are probably good practical reasons for that but donating it doesn't change the nature of the property in fact it might exacerbate the situation. If the criminal code suggests the property is stolen then donating it doesn't change its status and could embarass those to whom it is donated.

Will it come up in the background check or interview? How?

I have the Criminal Code right in front of me. It would fall under possession of property obtained by crime I believe, but from there, I am not sure where this falls.

What I did was ethically and morally wrong. Ethically because I worked there, morally because I know for myself that it was wrong.

I have thought about returning it to the lost and found bin that it originally came from, I haven't thrown that idea out. It is something that could be done...I am not a member there, I don't work there, but it could be done.

Yes it would come up in the hiring process. On the disclosure form it asks "are you currently in possession of stolen property?" As of right now, I am in possession of it. Another question reads "have you ever been involved, directly or indirectly, in a theft? (E.G- shoplifting, theft of/from vehicle, and theft from family member/friend)". Obviously the question to this, IMO, would also be yes. This last question asks specific dates, what is was, from whom and why. It then asks what happened to the property, and if I do not have it, what did I do with it (how and when disposed of).

[Jynkxxie]

Why don't you just return it to the golf course?

[metallicat]

I could do that, I don't have a problem with it...I just don't know how to approach it. Do I say I found this on the golf course, or do I go and tell them I bought this club which was stolen from this club's lost and found? I have no problems owning up to what I did, but I want to spare some other people the embarassment of this. Maybe it wouldn't get out, but who knows...I have numerous family that are members there, and I wouldn't want their reputation tainted by this at all. Maybe that doesn't sound good to say that, but I don't know.

IMO, the worst thing about all of this is the length of time that I have had this club for.

[Jynkxxie]

Oh I totally agree...about the length thing. But doing the right thing doesn't have a statutory (sp) limit. It is like I tell my guy friends who are too shy to just go up to a damn girl and ask her out...No offense but just go up there, tell them the story and be on with it. It was in the lost and found...it is not like you stole it from the store.

[metallicat]

Thanks Jynkxxie, I like your advice about taking it back to the course. That is probably what I will do in this case, thanks for shedding light on why that is the best option, and I believe I agree with that after thinking about all of this.

I am still open to comments about this in general and problems I may run into in an eventual hiring process.

[Peen]

Am I the only one sitting here thinking that "its a freaking golf club, and it happend 5 years ago... forget about it already" :p

I cant even remember mutch stuff from 5 years go hehe

[metallicat]

Am I the only one sitting here thinking that "its a freaking golf club, and it happend 5 years ago... forget about it already" :p

I cant even remember mutch stuff from 5 years go hehe

Maybe, maybe not. I didn't post this to get ridiculed, and if people believe I am being too cautious, there isn't much I can do about that. With that said, I think theft is a serious crime.

[Jynkxxie]

Yes but Metal is different...He has a concious (sp). We need to preserve people like that...;)

No, I understand, I think you might be being a bit over critical. But if you have something that does not belong to you it is best to just return it. I mean did you hear about that little girl who found 700 big ones at a store, was nice enough to return it and ended up being able to keep it! Cuz no one claimed it. You can't change the past only better the future...

I personally think that you are gonna get there, there will be all new employees and stuff and no one is really gonna say to much about it. But I would still return it. To get that off my chest.

[metallicat]

Thanks again J, I appreciate it. I do know the people that work there still, although they are different from who was there when this incident took place.

[Jynkxxie]

No problem.

[oscarmitre]

Just an aside. The application form asks the applicant some pertinent questions but I think it's almost self-defeating. It asks if the applicant about stolen property, theft etc Fair enough. But this is the paradox. If a candidate is honest (hands up all those who have never ever done anything in their entire lives to date that would not fall under those questions) the candidate may be disqualified. If the candidate is dishonest then they may be accepted. The force loses an honest candidate while getting one who is prepared to lie on the application form.

And if a candidate can honestly say they never did anything wrong then they're applying for the wrong job :D

Not that this helps you in your dilemma.

On reflection I think Jynkxxie is right. Perhaps I have been doing this job too long and I am a bit technical but if you were to return it to the place it came from and were up front about how it was obtained and that you were returning it in good faith then it would not be stolen property. How far you go in being up front is up to you. I wouldn't mention the job application and the fact that you obtained it from another person complicates it a bit but if I were running the place I would shrug my shoulders and call it no big deal.

But then I get guilty about overdue library books so perhaps I should just keep quiet.

[Norm357]

Am I the only one sitting here thinking that "its a freaking golf club, and it happend 5 years ago... forget about it already" :p

I cant even remember mutch stuff from 5 years go hehe

Not being a smartass but I think he is right. How old were you when this happened? 15 or 16? I think the best bet would be to return the club. I know this dosnt help much sorry.

[metallicat]

Just an aside. The application form asks the applicant some pertinent questions but I think it's almost self-defeating. It asks if the applicant about stolen property, theft etc Fair enough. But this is the paradox. If a candidate is honest (hands up all those who have never ever done anything in their entire lives to date that would not fall under those questions) the candidate may be disqualified. If the candidate is dishonest then they may be accepted. The force loses an honest candidate while getting one who is prepared to lie on the application form.

And if a candidate can honestly say they never did anything wrong then they're applying for the wrong job :D

Not that this helps you in your dilemma.

On reflection I think Jynkxxie is right. Perhaps I have been doing this job too long and I am a bit technical but if you were to return it to the place it came from and were up front about how it was obtained and that you were returning it in good faith then it would not be stolen property. How far you go in being up front is up to you. I wouldn't mention the job application and the fact that you obtained it from another person complicates it a bit but if I were running the place I would shrug my shoulders and call it no big deal.

But then I get guilty about overdue library books so perhaps I should just keep quiet.

I understand...chances are, I won't get DQd because I put this on an application, but who knows. I would rather put it there than leave it out.

By returning it, I can leave one of those two questions I posted earlier blank, which is better than having them both filled out.

I plan to return the club, and yes, you have helped with my dilemma.