PROOF OF OWNERSHIP

[LCSNM]

What documents do you keep to prove ownership of your firearms?
OK if you buy it at a gun store, you get a receipt.

I have never bought a gun at a gun show , but was recently told you don't get a receipt at a gun show.

What about a trade? I traded an old welder for a .22 rifle. Even swap.

I inherited a couple of firearms from my StepDad. Not listed in a Will, just happens to be a 30-06 that killed my first deer.

I was given a couple of firearms from a friend, that got married and the new wife said 'Get the firearms out of the house'.

Information from local LE- - Absent a sales receipt, only speculation as to who the true and lawful owner is .......\

If a need arose, supposedly a national check would be conducted to identify stolen firearms. I hear that is not too thorough.

These questions come to my mind from a personal matter involving my son and the court directing the firearms be released to me. The LE wants to destroy them.

 

[rbernie]

What documents do you keep to prove ownership of your firearms?

None, any more.

OK if you buy it at a gun store, you get a receipt.

But that doesn't mean that I keep it.

Information from local LE- - Absent a sales receipt, only speculation as to who the true and lawful owner is .......

IANAL, but I would expect that absent compelling proof to the contrary, the ownership rights are held by the person possessing the item in question.

These questions come to my mind from a personal matter involving my son and the court directing the firearms be released to me. The LE wants to destroy them.

That being the case, then the court should have a record of the firearms and should have directed their disposition. If not, I'm not sure that the court really has directed their release to you.

 

[LCSNM]

The first court order had an inventory list of firearms confiscated and attached to the court order and the Judge directed they be released to me, the Father. Listing 3 handguns, 6 shotguns and 9 rifles. Makes and serial numbers were listed for most. The M60-10 .357 didn't have a serial no listed on the inventory sheet. A couple of old double barreled shotguns 12 Ga and 20 GA didn't have serial numbers.

Interesting - The request for destruction only states TWO handguns and FIVE shotguns and nine rifles requesting to be destroyed. No identification or serial numbers. on the destruction request. What happened to one of the handguns and one of the shotguns. ??????????

The events of this case by my Sons request to give me the firearms sure made me wonder about proof of ownership of my firearms.

Thanks for the reply. Request for destruction is going back to Court. I have advised my son to collect any and all receipts he may have or a reasonable explanation of how he received the firearms. Time will tell.

 

[crazed_ss]

Since all gun transfers here have to go through FFLs, I keep my copies of the paperwork and receipts if purchased from a retail store. In fact, I keep the paperwork in my rifle cases and handgun case. That way if I get pulled over and the clueless cops want be stupid and claim my SKS is an assault weapon, I can show them the receipt that shows I legally purchased it at the gun shop down the street.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

I don't understand the sequence. The court issued an ORDER that the firearms be turned over to you.

Apparently that did not happen, but why not? Did you go to the police department with a copy of the order and ask for the guns? Since when do police departments get to ignore court orders? If they refused, why didn't you or your son immediately petition the court to demand that the police comply with the court's order?

 

[evan price]

You know what they say, "Possession is .9 of the law" which goes back to common law of England. I believe as long as no other crime involving the firearms has been committed, it would be up to the state to prove the firearms should not be yours.

Personally for my insurance records I keep a journal of my firearms including serial number, date and location purchased, acquisition price, etc. locked away in a mayonaise jar under the porch of Funk & Wagnalls.

 

[Kamicosmos]

Photo of gun, clearly showing serial number. I am actually going to redo all mine to include my driver's licence or passport in the photo to directly link it to me. The photos, along with a sheet detailing the firearm (SN, accessories, value, date of purchase, reciepts if I have them, etc) are all stored in a fireproof safe. This is for security and insurance purposes.

But, it sounds like you are trying to establish ownership of firearms that are not in your possesion. That's going to be hard, or nearly impossible, I guess.

 

[LCSNM]

Reply to Hawkmoon

I don't understand the sequence. The court issued an ORDER that the firearms be turned over to you.

Apparently that did not happen, but why not? Did you go to the police department with a copy of the order and ask for the guns? Since when do police departments get to ignore court orders? If they refused, why didn't you or your son immediately petition the court to demand that the police comply with the court's order?
__________________
Hawkmoon

Evidence Room contains BOTH Sheriff and City Items.
Original Court order directed the Sheriff to return items to Father. Not by name just Father.
I coordinated with the Evidence Room Custodian. Had a BI performed on me and pick up scheduled. THAN, got a call back - - No deal. Property under control of City, not Sheriff. First court order had been signed off by City DA
Back to Court - Changed direction of court to City. Change of DA which refused to sign off and came back with motion to reconsider and request to destroy. Claim of unproven ownership . In court , DA professed it was a scam for my son to get his guns back thru me. I wouldn't give them back as that would put me in violation of the law. But he sure slammed my integrity and character. I wasn't there, as I wasn't informed of that court hearing.
Alot more to be said, but best left alone until the end of the court hearings.

 

[Handgun Midas]

How did these firearms come to be confiscated in the first place?

 

[RangerHAAF]

I keep a listing of my guns along with their serial numbers buried within the memory of my home computer. I'm the only one who knows how to retrieve it and even know what I'm looking at when I pull it up; as well as a hard copy in my safe.

 

[offthepaper]

I had my home broken into last year, and three handguns and accesories stolen. I also had a divorce from wife going on (paperwork going into and out of the house constantly) and was unable to produce the reciepts for said handguns. I really don't know what happened to that folder with ALL my gun reciepts in it. What a friggin' nightmare!!
A young gal from the insurance claims office kept telling me "we can't pay for them unless you have the reciepts". This went on for months, I spoke to her supervisor who told me the same thing. After umpteen more calls/arguments, I went over the supervisors head and was contacted by a wonderfully pleasant woman who told me to just have someone with "specific knowledge" of my ownership of these items, have them handwrite a letter describing them to the best of their ability, and THAT would suffice as a reciept. I was fortunate enough to have my own mother write the letter and it was accepted in place of a original reciept. In the end, they low balled me on the value of the guns, but it sure beat getting zilch for them.
***Moral of the story.....
Don't give up, make a pain of yourself if thats what it takes. Don't take the low payed clerks word that there are no options.
Good luck.