Legionnaire
Contributing Member
Put me in the "move on" camp. But I would contact your state's game commission and see about a replacement tag. Assuming there is time left in the season, one more opportunity to get afield.
Bizarre Event! What to do?
- Thread starter Sniper66
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I'm in the get the deposit back, but don't sweat the meat camp. If it's a small business, they probably can't afford good insurance. 50 to 100 pounds of meat is a lot, but isn't worth losing sleep over.
If it's a larger processing plant, they are probably more able to reimburse you with game farm meat.
In the future, it is very rewarding to process your one kill.
My family had a fire when I was a child. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
If it's a larger processing plant, they are probably more able to reimburse you with game farm meat.
In the future, it is very rewarding to process your one kill.
My family had a fire when I was a child. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
tightgroup tiger
Member
You should still have your receipt to show that you paid your deposit. It would have came from his company so that would be proof enough that gave him money.
But again, There are no guarantees that he even has insurance so you will just have to play it by ear to see what takes place. Even if he can't give your money back now, if he rebuilds and gets back on his feet he can always cut you one up next year for free. Save your receipt and be patient, don't be that guy that demands something now when he doesn't have anything to give. When he is cutting up deer again take another one to him and show him your receipt for the last one you lost in his fire.
Be understanding about this.
Update: No I unwisely did not get a receipt. He wrote the payment on the original cutting order. I should feel lucky because he usually charges the full fee up front which would have been $137.50, which included 25lbs of summer sausage. Saw in the news where he announced he does not intend to rebuild. I'll give him a bit more time before I start calling to see if he had insurance.
Fine Figure of a Man
Member
Assuming he is a stand up guy that just lost his business, I wouldn't pester him over 50 bucks regardless of his insurance.
north east redneck
Contributing Member
It was $50, I'd let it go. A few pounds of good steak will cost that much.
I would contact the licensing authority and request a replacement permit for the lost deer.
I would contact the licensing authority and request a replacement permit for the lost deer.
GooseGestapo
Member
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- Jan 6, 2003
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- 6,145
Color me suspicious!
25+ yrs in Game and Fish and other LawEnforcment tells me something else was afoot. Records are the first thing to burn and what I relied on for going after unscrupulous processors.
My experience is you might get your deposit back from a scrupulous processor but write it off otherwise. Processor is probably just a half step ahead of the state Department of Revenue for failure to pay state sales tax. Now, the DNR and local arson investigators are hot on their trail, too.
Good luck in even finding a warm body to answer a phone call!
BTDT! (But did get to serve the warrants!)
25+ yrs in Game and Fish and other LawEnforcment tells me something else was afoot. Records are the first thing to burn and what I relied on for going after unscrupulous processors.
My experience is you might get your deposit back from a scrupulous processor but write it off otherwise. Processor is probably just a half step ahead of the state Department of Revenue for failure to pay state sales tax. Now, the DNR and local arson investigators are hot on their trail, too.
Good luck in even finding a warm body to answer a phone call!
BTDT! (But did get to serve the warrants!)
DannyLandrum
Member
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2017
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- 439
How about showing some compassion and letting them try to get back on their feet for awhile?
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This ^^^^^ is 100% correct in regards to the monetary value of the meat. There is none legally.
BigSteve57
Member
I know some of the meat processors around here - there are precious few. I think I'd just move on and wish them luck. I'd also offer to help out if I could somehow. Not sure what I could really do but I'd offer anyway.
shoobe01
Member
This is something a lot of folks forget. If by some miracle a small meat processor is all computerized (and really, what are the chances?) there's about a 0% chance they have offsite backup. They do not know who their customers are, what is in any inventory, etc. They are probably calling around and scrounging for who their insurance agent is, and how to cancel shipments to their non-existent store with no money to pay for anything (most storefronts have very little operating margin, and rely on their Big Season. This guys is gonna be deer season, not XMAS, so he is probably near the bottom of his revenue curve and looses this season. Assume he has no money).
It may therefore be reasonable to contact them to get your name on the list, but: as someone who is a customer, would be again if they re-opened so they can have your info to tell you. And oh, by the way I had a deer there, so... They may even want it for insurance claim reasons; But don't push much. That won't help them and may result in explicitly not getting anything back from them.
They may even have their accounts frozen. That can happen for catastrophes, when the business is defunct. The bank will work with insurance and creditors to get people paid, but they may well not be able to write checks even if they weren't hard up.
OK...Here's the outcome of my dilemma. I talked to meat processor by phone. He lost everything. He sounded completely beaten. Said it would cost between $300,000 and $500,000 to rebuild and he doesn’t want a ton of debt at his age. He gave me the insurance adjuster number so I called the guy. He says the policy had minimal coverage for loss of property owned by others (my deer). They have a maximum of $2,050 to split between all the claimants and so far they have about $50,000 in claims. For my deer, they are offering a whopping $5.00 to settle the claim. (OK, stop laughing.) To get any more I would have to go after the processor, which I certainly won’t do. My loss was regrettable but very small. The adjuster told me that one guy had 4 beeves being processed. Now that is a loss. Said the meat guy did not have replacement insurance on the building so his loss is huge. By the way, to those who believe that I could not claim a loss on a wild animal; that is incorrect. The insurance adjuster confirmed that a loss is a loss and the settlement, as meager as it is, belongs to me. I conveyed my regrets to the processor and wished him well.
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