Log in

View Full Version : Suing My Old Boss


xilikeeggs0
2008-08-20, 04:56
I'm a carriage driver, and I worked for a company for about 6 months before I left to work for another company (the only other company in town, actually). When I left, I agreed to sell the decorations on my carriage to another employee for $200. He's an honest guy, so I left them on my carriage and he agreed to pay me once I figured out a price for them.

About a week after he agreed to buy them, I told him that I wanted $200 for everything, and he said that my boss told him not to pay me for the lights because I had given them to him (my boss). I told him that I hadn't even spoken to my old boss about it, but that I would take care of it.

The night before I quit, my old boss had called me and asked me to give him my lights in exchange for keeping a horse that I bought from him on his land for 45 days (according to him; I still haven't checked to see how long it really was) as well as some other bullshit reasons. But we had an agreement that the first 30 days would be free, and it would be $1 a day plus feed after that, so at most I owe him $50 or $60 for the 15 days worth of boarding plus the feed. That's nowhere near the value of my lights and decorations, not to mention the time that I spent putting them all on the carriage. Anyways, I told him I would think about it and call him back and let him know. I never called him back; instead I made the agreement with the guy from work to sell them to him because I don't trust my old boss (for obvious reasons).

Since my old boss had decided that he wasn't going to pay me for the lights, I decided to go get them. The place that I worked at is kept locked up except when they're getting the horses ready to go out, so that was the only time I could go. So I showed up as they were getting ready and started taking the decorations off the carriage. My boss freaked the fuck out and started cussing at me and saying that he had an agreement that I was going to give him the lights and that I was doing him wrong by taking them, and I told him that the lights were mine, that I was taking them, and that he could send me a bill for my horse.

He got really pissed off and cut the lights, then had the nerve to block my car in with his SUV, then tell me to get off his property. I told him that I wasn't going to leave until I got my lights, so he called the police. Since he had blocked me in, I also called the police and told them that he wouldn't let me take my stuff and that he had blocked my car in and was holding me there.

The cop arrived about 15 minutes later, and he talked to my old boss first. First he told the cop that I had sold him the lights, then he said that I had given them to him when I quit, then he said that I had traded them for a horse. I'm not sure if he told the cop this as well, but later on he called my new boss and told her that I had cut the lights myself, so he might have told the cop that too but I'm not sure. Anyways, I told the cop that he cut them and he didn't try to deny it, and it wouldn't make sense for him to cut them if they really were his, so I think the cop knew that he was lying. He also told the cop that I had worked for him for over a year when I was really there for less than 6 months.

I'm going to take him to court to sue him for the money for the lights and the flowers that he destroyed. The lights cost me $169 including shipping, and the flowers (that he destroyed) were about $10. However, the price on the lights went up, so I'm going to ask for $300 to cover the lights and flowers, because the lights alone are now $266 before shipping, plus the time I'll have to take to order them and wait for them to arrive, plus gas money to drive to the store that I got the flowers from, etc...

Could I also (and would it be wise to) sue for emotional distress or some other bullshit to try to get more money, or should I just try to get the money for the lights and be happy with that? I was really upset at the time, and I was bawling when I was talking to the cop because he upset me so much by sitting there and lying to him in front of my face, so I think I might have a good case for that, but I don't want to seem too greedy, either. What do you think?

phmeworp
2008-08-20, 13:41
I would have made this post earlier, but I wanted to check on the proper spelling of "Drama Queen".

I assume that the only thing you have in writing throughout this whole mess is your original receipts for the lights and flowers. If not, then this could be a totally different can of worms.

The most any court will award you is going to be the depreciated value of whatever property you lost, not replacement value for new equipment. So on that count you are probably looking at around $100 for the used lights with cut wires.

Pain, suffering and emotional distress are generally awarded only in cases involving physical injury. Courts don't hand out money for inconvenience or aggravation. That might suck, but it is the way things work in the real world.

As a side note, let me get this straight: there are only two carriage houses in town, and you plan to sue the owner of one while you go to work for the other? And obviously, the owners of both know and talk to each other?

Best legal advice you will likely get: Get over it.

xilikeeggs0
2008-08-20, 16:17
I would have made this post earlier, but I wanted to check on the proper spelling of "Drama Queen".

I assume that the only thing you have in writing throughout this whole mess is your original receipts for the lights and flowers. If not, then this could be a totally different can of worms.

The most any court will award you is going to be the depreciated value of whatever property you lost, not replacement value for new equipment. So on that count you are probably looking at around $100 for the used lights with cut wires.

Pain, suffering and emotional distress are generally awarded only in cases involving physical injury. Courts don't hand out money for inconvenience or aggravation. That might suck, but it is the way things work in the real world.

As a side note, let me get this straight: there are only two carriage houses in town, and you plan to sue the owner of one while you go to work for the other? And obviously, the owners of both know and talk to each other?

Best legal advice you will likely get: Get over it.

Yes, I have my receipts.

And yes, there are only two companies here and I am suing my former one while working for the current one. Your point?

disobey_the_norm
2008-08-21, 01:56
Don't bother.

Imagine this on Judge Judy...you'd be the dumbass arguing over nothing that people laugh at and hate.

Egh @ contemplating tieing up the courts time with this stuff.

The God Damn Devil
2008-08-21, 22:46
Egh @ contemplating tieing up the courts time with this stuff.

It's civil/small claims court. That's what it is there for.

nau06248
2008-08-24, 18:25
For goodness sake. Wise up.

I recently got screwed out of twice as much and I just want to forget about it. Suck it up, learn the lesson and move on!!!!

xilikeeggs0
2008-08-24, 23:11
It's civil/small claims court. That's what it is there for.

That's the way I see it... What's the point of having something if you're not going to use it?

disobey_the_norm
2008-08-24, 23:57
That's the way I see it... What's the point of having something if you're not going to use it?

Like your vage...let's go ho'...just kidding...

Can't people take law into their own hands?

ScaryDangerous
2008-08-25, 01:50
if you have your receipts and you win, you won't get your asking price first off you will get what you paid for them, or the lights. but i wouldn't be surprised if you lose your case because you have a horse now, and you trespassed on his property.

xilikeeggs0
2008-08-25, 05:27
if you have your receipts and you win, you won't get your asking price first off you will get what you paid for them, or the lights. but i wouldn't be surprised if you lose your case because you have a horse now, and you trespassed on his property.

So because I bought a horse from him in a totally unrelated transaction, I'm going to lose my case?

God Like
2008-08-25, 07:14
imo ...a horse is better than lights...ask for the horse

Punk_Rocker_22
2008-08-26, 01:37
Best legal advice you will likely get: Get over it.

/thread

You're out 160$, 110$ if you trade them for the horse rental

Not a big deal, I lose/gain more then that in a night of poker.

xilikeeggs0
2008-08-26, 17:58
imo ...a horse is better than lights...ask for the horse

I have the horse... I bought her 2 months before this whole thing happened.

The God Damn Devil
2008-08-26, 20:07
Fuck it. Maybe you can just work out a deal for the price of the lights being taken out for the boarding and feed for the horse. If you did take it small claims, they find him liable for your loss but they would also find you liable for moneys owed and more than likely deduct that from what ever they awarded you.

So lets say at the time of your post your lights and stuff was valued at 160 dollars but you owed him 60 at that point for boarding and feed. That is 4 bucks a day for the 15 days. It is now 6 days later so tack on another 24 and that means you owe him 84. So at this point in time he would you for the value of your stuff minus what is owed him, 76. Offer up that he let your horse boarding and go for another 19 days and you call it even. Of course you would have to take a closer look at the numbers but that is the general idea.

If he accepts, everyone makes out.

Case closed. Hopefully.

Knight of blacknes
2008-08-26, 22:46
a) The horse

The horse has nothing to do with this since that is a totaly different transaction to which both of you consented

b)The flowers

With the reciept you are able to proof that they were yours and he damaged your property. When the settlement is done, ownership decents immediataly upon you, NOT upon arival. So even if the original owner has'nt delivered yet, it is yours. If he damages it, it is his fault and he must cover the costs of repair/replacement.

c) The lights

Same as with the flowers, however: Sueing for money is not a good idea in this case if you want the lights. Since the value of the lights has gone up this would mean that he (your boss) has to pay you a bigger amount that you paid for them. That might not hold up in court. Settle with him that he pays you for the flowers and either repays you for the lights a get replacements for them. If he refuses to do that then seu him just to return the money OR to provide replacements.

xilikeeggs0
2008-08-27, 18:23
Fuck it. Maybe you can just work out a deal for the price of the lights being taken out for the boarding and feed for the horse. If you did take it small claims, they find him liable for your loss but they would also find you liable for moneys owed and more than likely deduct that from what ever they awarded you.

So lets say at the time of your post your lights and stuff was valued at 160 dollars but you owed him 60 at that point for boarding and feed. That is 4 bucks a day for the 15 days. It is now 6 days later so tack on another 24 and that means you owe him 84. So at this point in time he would you for the value of your stuff minus what is owed him, 76. Offer up that he let your horse boarding and go for another 19 days and you call it even. Of course you would have to take a closer look at the numbers but that is the general idea.

If he accepts, everyone makes out.

Case closed. Hopefully.

I tried to get him to subtract the amount I owed him for the horse from the amount I wanted for the lights, but he wanted to make it an even trade because he was adding in a bunch of other bullshit that I shouldn't have to pay for, like a new battery for the electric fence, grain that she wasn't getting, and shoes that were on her before I bought her. I got her out of there almost a month ago. I don't want to think about what he would have done to her if I hadn't.

I tried to go file against him yesterday, but the address that the cop gave me was the wrong one, so I got the right address now, and I'm going to go there tomorrow.

xilikeeggs0
2008-08-27, 18:27
a) The horse

The horse has nothing to do with this since that is a totaly different transaction to which both of you consented

b)The flowers

With the reciept you are able to proof that they were yours and he damaged your property. When the settlement is done, ownership decents immediataly upon you, NOT upon arival. So even if the original owner has'nt delivered yet, it is yours. If he damages it, it is his fault and he must cover the costs of repair/replacement.

c) The lights

Same as with the flowers, however: Sueing for money is not a good idea in this case if you want the lights. Since the value of the lights has gone up this would mean that he (your boss) has to pay you a bigger amount that you paid for them. That might not hold up in court. Settle with him that he pays you for the flowers and either repays you for the lights a get replacements for them. If he refuses to do that then seu him just to return the money OR to provide replacements.

I have the flowers; I was able to get them into my car and lock it. It was a 10' rope sort of thing of flowers, and now it's about 5' because he ripped them. The flowers were only $10, so I'm not too worried about them anyways. My main concern is the lights.

He destroyed the lights, so I don't want them now. I wanted the lights, which is why I went to get them. But what would I want them for now that he cut them? Now I want the money so that I can buy replacements. He won't give me anything, which is why I'm going to sue him.

Knight of blacknes
2008-08-27, 21:06
I have the flowers; I was able to get them into my car and lock it. It was a 10' rope sort of thing of flowers, and now it's about 5' because he ripped them. The flowers were only $10, so I'm not too worried about them anyways. My main concern is the lights.

He destroyed the lights, so I don't want them now. I wanted the lights, which is why I went to get them. But what would I want them for now that he cut them? Now I want the money so that I can buy replacements. He won't give me anything, which is why I'm going to sue him.

Basically he destroyed your property. Show the judge that the lights were yours and demand repayment from him.

The God Damn Devil
2008-08-28, 00:02
Well that sucks. So much easier to just make it right without having to go to small claims court and you weren't obligated to attempt a peaceful resolution. So fuck him. Hope it works out for ya and you get what's owed.

ICEMAN1968
2008-09-09, 23:25
Forget about the stupid lights and flowers!

The horse is your's, right? I'd find a wild meat butcher (they have them in Indianapolis), or a dead stock removable company and get the horse taken away since it's yours.

This will stop your old boss from making money off your horse, and eliminate any further room and board payments to the old boss.

I don't care if you loved the horse or not!

Either do one of the above options, or find a new stable for it, but I'd either start my own business, or be prepared to pay on a regular basis.

ICEMAN1968:)

Eden's Garden
2008-09-10, 03:58
I got her out of there almost a month ago. I don't want to think about what he would have done to her if I hadn't.

ICEMAN, she already got the horse out of his stables....

Zonko
2008-09-19, 18:45
That's the way I see it... What's the point of having something if you're not going to use it?

You should crash to claim on your insurance.