Did I handle this correctly??

[FROGO207]

About a year ago a friend (just a friend not real close) asked me to hold a couple of rim fire pistols for her. She was afraid that her husband was going to use them on himself or her. Of course I said yes and had her sign a statement with date, serial#, and her permission to have her firearms in my possession etc. I told her when she wanted them back that I would get them for her and give them back TO HER so she could do what she wanted with them. He has since gotten a handle on the problem (I am told so anyway) and life goes on.... Fast forward to this Thurs (yesterday) evening and HE approaches me and in a nice sort of way ? and demands HIS firearms back ASAP. I tell him that they are in a safe deposit box and he will have to wait until the bank opens. In the meantime I call the wife and ask her if it is OK for me to return them to him. She says yes, Then I tell her that I need to sign them back over to HER (and be done with it):banghead:. After I write this I will be delivering them.

The problem is that he is not a dumb person and there is the real possibility that this may happen again. If it does I think he will head over here and try to get them back from me again as I was the one he now knows she chose to leave them with last time. I really don't want to have the local sheriff over with an search warrant looking for his stolen guns he thinks I have!! If this does happen I plan to tell her that she needs to take them to the local PD and have them store them there in the evidence locker or get a safe deposit box for them so that I don't have to deal with this again. I will also call then and log with the local PD that this is what I told her to do if that does happen. The outcome is that by her telling him where the firearms were the security of them remaining hidden by me is now non existent as he now knows I had them. She has lost that option unfortunately. Would you have handled it any differently or same as me??

 

[NG VI]

Probably about the best you could do. Well hopefully you won't need to test it later, but I'd say that's about the classiest way to help out you could have come up with. If it is in a safe deposit box in the bank, that's about the best you can do.

 

[mongo4567]

It seems to me like your alarm is a little more than warranted. If the guy isn't violent/mad I wouldn't be too concerned. I would just explain that I am happy to give them back, but that my dealings are with the lady. He should understand...if he doesn't, call the police yourself. I have a feeling that the police would be more than understanding. I don't think that there would be any search warrants even if you decided to keep the guns and denied you had them.

If the help is needed again, I would just be there to keep them. If the situation ever took a turn for the worse, the guy would have a restraining order against him. I don't know that the police can hold firearms for someone in a situation like this.

 

[bullseye308]

Have her put them on consignment at the local gun shop at 5 times the normal price. Worst cast she pays a small storage fee. Only she will be able to pick them up, not him.

 

[erichtmobile]

Sounds like this has the potential to get way too dramatic way too fast, I would return them and give her some pricing on safe deposit boxes. Or have her post them for sale here on THR

 

[beatcop]

You've put yourself into the middle of someone's drama...no good deed goes unpunished. If this fool goes and files a report that you've stolen his guns you may not get pinched, but will have a "situation" to deal with.

Return the guns asap...forget the police storing anything, not happening. If the lady wants to make something disappear she can certainly excercise a little brain power herself.

You are on the right track though, when the realtionship sours who will be seen as the male distraction? Possibly you? Homicidal spouse knocking on your door?

You seem to be a thorough guy, how's this for covering the bases: Take the guns and statement and drop them at the local PD, let the rightful owner claim them...done. They can check for protective orders, convictions, etc before returning them...you will be absolved of any unintended issues.

 

[FROGO207]

Thanks guys for the thoughtful responses. I already gave the guns back to her last evening. I will sure think twice about helping that particular pair again however.:banghead: I will still help others in a heartbeat as needed. Thank goodness most of the world is a reasonably sane place.

The local PD is right out of Mayberry RFD and they would offer that service for a resident without a problem, part of the reason I live here. The next town over is a much different story.

 

[stbarsh]

Mayberry?

Have Andy and Barney hold them for her!

Seriously, though, good job!

 

[rocky branch]

No good deed goes unpunished.
You might be more of a meddler than the helper you think you are.
Just food for thought.
Other folks personal affairs are not good places to venture.

 

[shockwave]

You sort of wonder why the little lady was using you as her safe deposit box. She was perfectly able to get her own. Never a good idea to get involved in a domestic dispute.

 

[gunnutery]

Your heart was certainly in the right place, but the problem is; the guns are owned by both the husband and wife, so be careful denying someone their own property (it sounds like you were fine dealing with the husband but there was advice to the contrary on this thread).

After this situation is taken care of, I would politely tell the lady of the safety deposit box prices as already mentioned in the case that such a need arises again.

 

[bannockburn]

FROGO207

I'm going to have to side with those who would say it would probably be best not to get invoved at all in this particular situation. I think a more prudent approach to this would have been to tell her to take the matter up with an attorney, rather than yourself or the local PD. Or as others suggested, she should have looked into getting her own safety deposit box for storage.

 

[Hann]

I help my friends with I can. I think you did the best you could. Nothing more should be expected from you.

 

[FROGO207]

The reason that she approached me in the first place was that she knew I have several gun safes and she wanted a secure place for them. I just added the extra security of a deposit box .....because. At no expense to her BTW as I already had one.

 

[Patriotme]

You are putting yourself in a bad situation for a friend that is not even that close. Doesn't she have family that can hold onto the guns? Others on this thread are correct. She can get a safety deposit box or find some way to store the weapons.
She's worried her husband is going to use the weapons on her? He's better now?
Man, you are setting yourself up for a big legal fight when this guy wants his guns and sends the cops to your house.

 

[buck460XVR]

I will sure think twice about helping that particular pair again however.

Smart decision. Gettin' in the middle of a domestic dispute with firearms involved is not the place for the average civilian who is just a casual acquaintance. Good way to get yourself shot. If her husband was chasing her with one of the firearms, yes, but in the situation you described, the local police are better prepared to help her.

 

[Average Joe]

Return the guns to their rightful owner, and be done with it. Your getting yourself in where you don't belong.

 

[Webbj0219]

There is a verse in the book of proverbs, cant remember the chapter. Says something like, to get in the middle of a quarell thats not your own is like grabbing a dog by the ears. In other words its usually not a safe thing to do. ive heard of something like this happening to LEO's that are breaking up domestics, sometimes they get it from both sides. They break up the fight then get attacked by both the husband and the wife.

 

[GRIZ22]

Have her put them on consignment at the local gun shop at 5 times the normal price.

i doubt any gunshop is going to do that. They need to sell the guns to make any money.

Of course I said yes and had her sign a statement with date, serial#, and her permission to have her firearms in my possession etc.

He can claim they are stolen and get all teh sheriffs and warrants he wants but this signed statement says they aren't stolen. have her signed "picked up all, date" and keep the statement in case he tries to sign a complaint.

 

[danprkr]

On another thread a guy mentioned pawning them for a small amount, and paying interest every month to keep them stored at the shop. He'd then pay them out for hunting season. You might recommend something like that to her.

And, I'd think long and hard about getting involved in something like that again. Just way too much potential for drama. But, live and learn. Good luck with it.