3 years ago my wife and I moved from NM to AZ for my wifes job. I did not
get a job as quickly as I would have liked. We fell behind on the payments
on my truck and it was repossessed. The towing company found a firearm
that I had in the truck and turned it over to the PD. When I went to pick my truck
back up the tow company gave me a card with a case number on it. I was
told just go down to their evidence storage and show them this and pick up
your fiream.
When I went to the evidence building I was treated with
hostility even after I tried to explain that this weapon was in no way tied to
a crime and it was only a "safe keeping" measure. I was given the name of
an officer that had been assigned to the "case". When I called her she
explained that because I was not the registered owner of the firearm that
she could not turn it over to me. I explained that it was a private party sale
and neither AZ or NM requires firearm registration. The firearm was in a
vehicle registered and insured in my name, the it had not been reported
stolen, I provided Serial number, description of the firearm and even what
brand ammunition was in the magazine. She told me she needed some kind
of actual proof. So I realized that gunsmith's keep records on firearms they
work and I had some work done on it in NM. I called her when the gunsmith
sent me the paperwork and was supposed to set up a meeting. We went a
month or more playing phone tag to set up a time to meet. Around this time
we found out that my wife's pregnancy was high risk and that our baby had
been diagnosed with spina bifida, suffice to say dealing with the PD became
the last thing on my mind.
Flash forward a couple years and my daughter
has made it through several surgeries and life is starting to return to
normal. Going through some boxes the other day I came across the
paperwork and case # and my annoyance with the PD's, for all intents and
purposes, theft of my property came rushing back. I called the PD to check
up on it and did find that they have not sold or destroyed it yet. But when I
talked to the officer in charge of the case she had the same ol attitude and
said she doesn't know what she can do and that she'll have to look into it. I
a feeling she is just going to brush it aside again. What recourse do I have,
where should I go from here? Sorry for the long rant guys but I am just so
annoyed and feel a bit helpless.
get a job as quickly as I would have liked. We fell behind on the payments
on my truck and it was repossessed. The towing company found a firearm
that I had in the truck and turned it over to the PD. When I went to pick my truck
back up the tow company gave me a card with a case number on it. I was
told just go down to their evidence storage and show them this and pick up
your fiream.
When I went to the evidence building I was treated with
hostility even after I tried to explain that this weapon was in no way tied to
a crime and it was only a "safe keeping" measure. I was given the name of
an officer that had been assigned to the "case". When I called her she
explained that because I was not the registered owner of the firearm that
she could not turn it over to me. I explained that it was a private party sale
and neither AZ or NM requires firearm registration. The firearm was in a
vehicle registered and insured in my name, the it had not been reported
stolen, I provided Serial number, description of the firearm and even what
brand ammunition was in the magazine. She told me she needed some kind
of actual proof. So I realized that gunsmith's keep records on firearms they
work and I had some work done on it in NM. I called her when the gunsmith
sent me the paperwork and was supposed to set up a meeting. We went a
month or more playing phone tag to set up a time to meet. Around this time
we found out that my wife's pregnancy was high risk and that our baby had
been diagnosed with spina bifida, suffice to say dealing with the PD became
the last thing on my mind.
Flash forward a couple years and my daughter
has made it through several surgeries and life is starting to return to
normal. Going through some boxes the other day I came across the
paperwork and case # and my annoyance with the PD's, for all intents and
purposes, theft of my property came rushing back. I called the PD to check
up on it and did find that they have not sold or destroyed it yet. But when I
talked to the officer in charge of the case she had the same ol attitude and
said she doesn't know what she can do and that she'll have to look into it. I
a feeling she is just going to brush it aside again. What recourse do I have,
where should I go from here? Sorry for the long rant guys but I am just so
annoyed and feel a bit helpless.
