Results 1 to 3 of 3
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    1

    Exclamation Accused of Stealing a Television Given to Me as a Gift

    My question involves criminal law for the state of: Kentucky

    The value of the television was around $900 a few years ago. It was purchased by a friend at Best Buy with a warranty. The television stopped working correctly (it would power ON then power OFF repeatedly if the power cord was plugged in) about a year ago and my friend gave it to me because I didn't have one at the time and I thought that I might be able to fix it.

    After researching the issue further it was evident that this was a common problem with this make and model as well as a costly repair so the television sat in my home for a little over a month until I helped that same friend that gave me the TV move into a new house. During the move I came across the owners manual for the television along with what looked like an extended warranty. I asked my friend about it and they said that it was purchased with a warranty but that it was probably expired. We looked closer at the paperwork and found that it actually had about 2 weeks before the warranty expired. My friend jokingly made a comment about how it was a good thing that I volunteered to help her move and that was all that was said. The next week I took the TV to the Geek Squad, filled them in on the issue it was having, signed the papers and picked it up about a week or so later.

    Fast forward about 6 months, that friend and I had a falling out that escalated into her demanding everything she had ever given to me or bought for me via means of blocking me in parking spots and waiting on my front steps for hours at a time. Yelling and saying that she was not leaving until she came inside so we could talk, then demanding the TV when I refused to answer.

    This finally ended when she showed up at my house and became violent. She had been drinking and was making threats against me but I did not want to call the police because she had, at one time, been a good friend. Three hours later, my girlfriend came by to check on me because she couldn't reach me (I had turned my cell phone off because the "friend" that was still yelling at me through the door was calling back to back because I had asked her to leave when I answered the first few times). She harassed my girlfriend from her car to my door and was asked to leave several times. When my girlfriend used her key to enter, she was pushed into the house, they immediately got in each others faces, I kept asking her to leave but she kept pushing and yelling. My girlfriend and I both tried to get her out of my house but she just kept trying to push past. Two more friends showed up and attempted to help me keep her from going any further into the house but when my girlfriend stepped to the side to call the police my "friend" ran past to the television and jerked it from the wall. She said it was hers and that she would leave. It was a cheap shot personal attack because she knew I could not afford a television like that and I just wanted the violence to stop so I told my friends and girl friend to let her by. She sat the TV on the porch and ran back in to hit my girlfriend but I grabbed her cell phone that she had left beside the TV. I yelled at her, got her attention and threw it near the street in front of my house. She went after it, I locked the door and called the cops but she was gone by the time they arrived.

    Do I have rights to the television? Can I press charges? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Inland Empire
    Posts
    1,410

    Default Re: Do I Have To Give Back The TV My Friend Gifted Me

    Quote Quoting rach2l
    View Post
    My question involves criminal law for the state of: Kentucky

    The value of the television was around $900 a few years ago. It was purchased by a friend at Best Buy with a warranty. The television stopped working correctly (it would power ON then power OFF repeatedly if the power cord was plugged in) about a year ago and my friend gave it to me because I didn't have one at the time and I thought that I might be able to fix it.

    After researching the issue further it was evident that this was a common problem with this make and model as well as a costly repair so the television sat in my home for a little over a month until I helped that same friend that gave me the TV move into a new house. During the move I came across the owners manual for the television along with what looked like an extended warranty. I asked my friend about it and they said that it was purchased with a warranty but that it was probably expired. We looked closer at the paperwork and found that it actually had about 2 weeks before the warranty expired. My friend jokingly made a comment about how it was a good thing that I volunteered to help her move and that was all that was said. The next week I took the TV to the Geek Squad, filled them in on the issue it was having, signed the papers and picked it up about a week or so later.

    Fast forward about 6 months, that friend and I had a falling out that escalated into her demanding everything she had ever given to me or bought for me via means of blocking me in parking spots and waiting on my front steps for hours at a time. Yelling and saying that she was not leaving until she came inside so we could talk, then demanding the TV when I refused to answer.

    This finally ended when she showed up at my house and became violent. She had been drinking and was making threats against me but I did not want to call the police because she had, at one time, been a good friend. Three hours later, my girlfriend came by to check on me because she couldn't reach me (I had turned my cell phone off because the "friend" that was still yelling at me through the door was calling back to back because I had asked her to leave when I answered the first few times). She harassed my girlfriend from her car to my door and was asked to leave several times. When my girlfriend used her key to enter, she was pushed into the house, they immediately got in each others faces, I kept asking her to leave but she kept pushing and yelling. My girlfriend and I both tried to get her out of my house but she just kept trying to push past. Two more friends showed up and attempted to help me keep her from going any further into the house but when my girlfriend stepped to the side to call the police my "friend" ran past to the television and jerked it from the wall. She said it was hers and that she would leave. It was a cheap shot personal attack because she knew I could not afford a television like that and I just wanted the violence to stop so I told my friends and girl friend to let her by. She sat the TV on the porch and ran back in to hit my girlfriend but I grabbed her cell phone that she had left beside the TV. I yelled at her, got her attention and threw it near the street in front of my house. She went after it, I locked the door and called the cops but she was gone by the time they arrived.

    Do I have rights to the television? Can I press charges? Any help will be greatly appreciated.
    After all that I have no clue if you still have the TV? If you still have it, keep it and tell psycho to pound sand. I also suggest a restraining order. If you no longer have the TV, move on. TV isn't all that.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    38,867

    Default Re: Do I Have To Give Back The TV My Friend Gifted Me

    You can file a complaint with the police if you wish. It is up to the prosecutor to file and press charges if they believe they are warranted. If you are speaking of her taking the television, most likely there would be no charges as you allowed them to take the television. It would likely be pushed off as a civil matter.


    It sounds like you have a valid claim to the television except for the possible exception of when you allowed her to take it. That could be explained as you have simply to cause the violence and situation at hand to be stopped without allowing for one to take what you did as actually relinquishing the television to them because you believed they were still the owners. If it goes to court, it would be up to the judge to make the call.

    1. Sponsored Links
       

Similar Threads

  1. Credit / Debit Card Fraud: Nanny Accused of Stealing Gift Card
    By jandjwishard in forum Criminal Charges
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 03-12-2011, 08:34 AM
  2. Defamation: Accused of Stealing
    By wrongfullyaccused in forum Defamation, Slander And Libel
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 06-03-2010, 05:44 AM
  3. Retail Fraud / Shoplifting: What Should I Accept in Gift Card for Being Falsely Accused of Shoplifting
    By castaneda_1989 in forum Criminal Charges
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 04-08-2010, 06:09 AM
  4. Credit / Debit Card Fraud: Accused of Stealing a Gift Card from Work
    By legalcareerontheline in forum Criminal Charges
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 10-26-2008, 08:44 PM
  5. Defamation: Accused of Stealing
    By cmdy in forum Defamation, Slander And Libel
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 08-02-2006, 08:33 AM
 
 
Sponsored Links

Legal Help, Information and Resources