August 20, 2012

Newest SNAFU, caution may make you mad


I was recently in a bit of a tight spot, and so I called my friends who live up in Monroe, WA which is unincorporated snohomish county.

Things were going great for a couple of months, I was working my tail off repairing things on the 14 acres they own, handyman type work, roofs, cleaning out the shop etc...

I was told that in order to make more money for the family I could take things from what they called 'the yard sale pile' inside the barn/shop that is located on the property. Most of the stuff I was told I could sell was small items, books, dvds, xbox games, some larger items like a $200 water softner, some odd hand tools and the like. I sold them on Amazon, took a small percentage of the profit for myself, usually less than %10 and gave it to the appropriate parties.

Going through the 'pile' I found something really worth something, a special electricians tool which usually retails for about $1500-$2000. I listed it online for what a used set missing some pieces would normally cost. The entire dealings with the buyer were a nightmare. In the end I made no money, lost over $100 in shipping costs, and finally had the buyer ship the item back to the house.

Here's where all hell breaks loose. I'm 27, we've been friends since infant age.  First the daughter (also 27yrs) who is/was my best friend opens a package marked for me, which is the tool I mentioned, I am out of town for the weekend, I get home the day after the package arrives and is opened. She is in a rage, saying I had no right to steal a tool and sell it online. Immediately I am caught off guard, why so angry? She says it's because I never cleared it with her, well none of the other items I had sold had been cleared before selling either. So now they're accusing me of stealing TONS according to them of tools etc from the shop. Which isn't the case. Most of the tools of which they openly admit they don't really know what was in the shop because it's been closed for years, since the electrical business shut down that used to run out of it.

They immediately told me I wasn't to be trusted and that I wasn't allowed onto the property. They've been holding my mail, and even after I gave them passwords to my seller accounts, opened my camper, car, and anything else they asked refuse to let me back onto the property. I've been living in my car. Then I find out (via my surveillance system, which sadly didn't catch a picture of who) that they broke into the camper, my camper, and rummaged through all my things. Trying to find what they have convinced themselves is 'all the stuff I've stolen'.

I have no good way to move the camper, my only source of income comes through the mail which they wont give me (yes a change of address has already been made), I have no quick way to move my camper, and now she's threatening that something will happen to it if I don't move it. "Time is running out", I'm flabbergasted. The one thing they claim I stole they have. Because I sent it back to the address where they live.

What can I do? Do the give 30 days notice to vacate still apply? How can I get my mail? They're convinced that the tool in question was not in the pile of 'acceptable items' and that means I was stealing it. Although I have given them money for every other item, never lied to them, or done anything to make them think ill of me.

The only reason I haven't reported the break in is I fear that there is some way they can twist the situation around to make it an issue that I attempted to sell that tool for them.

I have in writing that I was allowed to sell things from the shop btw.

Long story short I'm fearful of my home, and as uncomfortable and scary as it would be to stay there I want to not sleep in my car, and want to use my kitchen and eat my food. That's why I got a camper in the first place.

What should I do?

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