What do I need to do about an abandoned gun?

[zembonez]

I see no reason to get the police involved here.

Send the guy a certified letter saying that if he doesn't pick it up within a certain amount of time you are going to assume ownership of it. If he picks it up... fine. If he doesn't... fine. You now own a .22 rifle. Nothing illegal about it whatsoever... plus you have the letter to prove you tried to return it.

 

[scap99]

I could be way off, but why not just hang on to it? It's still loaned out to your daughter, so there's no reason for him to claim your holding it hostage...
In the event that he gets his life put back together, you have something he may value for sentimental reasons to present to him. Hopefully, at that time, he'd be in a good enough state of mind to really appreciate the gesture.

 

[zembonez]

I agree. It's not like you believe he shot up a convenience store with it and dumped it at your house. I don't see any issue hanging on to it.

 

[Glitter and Guns]

I could be way off, but why not just hang on to it? It's still loaned out to your daughter, so there's no reason for him to claim your holding it hostage...
In the event that he gets his life put back together, you have something he may value for sentimental reasons to present to him. Hopefully, at that time, he'd be in a good enough state of mind to really appreciate the gesture.

This is really what I had been planning on doing. But I came here asking because I was worried about having it without paperwork - which I now understand that I don't need. I wanted the paperwork in order just because I tend to be a rule follower and didn't want to do anything illegal. I was worried that if it ever came to the attention of the police (like if it were stolen) that I had a gun in my possession for years that wasn't mine, I could be in trouble for not taking care of paperwork on it.

I have thought about it and I know that he isn't going to call the police on me (or anyone at this point). I am going to make one more good faith gesture at finding his address - if I can I will send him a letter. If I can't find it I am not driving cross country to look for him. After that (assuming I don't hear from him) I am going to call a friend (really an old friend's husband) who is a county sheriff in the county that I grew up in. I will explain it to him and see what he thinks I am legally obligated to do. I hate having the rifle destroyed as it is one of his few links to his grandfather and it was his "first gun". If he ever gets it back together I think he would be very sad if I had it destroyed. We will see if he gets it back together or not. Don't do drugs... they change you.

Thank you all for your advice.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Honestly, you're way overthinking this. Oil it well, put it back in the corner of the closet and forget it. If he comes to his senses later, there it is. If not - there it is. What someone else thinks you should do with it has no bearing - and can lead to rumors that could result in a break-in because "the grapevine" says you have an 18th-century collectible worth $200,000.

 

[Mic]

G&G -

As with the last few posters, I don't think you should turn it in the the police and am glad you're going to make that last ditch effort to contact him.
It's still loaned out to you. I'd say you can continue to use it - just take care of it well. I'd just recommend trying to get it documented somehow. Get 3 notarized letters and send one to him via certified mail (again, if you can get the address). Save one of the others and give a 3rd copy to somebody else to hang onto (if you have a family lawyer or pre-paid legal and you could get them to send it and have it documented that would be good also.

It may be more protecting your butt then needed, but it'd be better than a he said/she said "no really, he gave it to me to hold and I tried to give it back."

And most importantly, good luck patching up an old friendship. Always better to have a friend than an enemy.

 

[Dawico]

If he doesn't have a Facebook page (or something similiar for contact reasons) then I think that makes just him and I.

 

[Glitter and Guns]

If he doesn't have a Facebook page (or something similiar for contact reasons) then I think that makes just him and I.

He did have a facebook page, but he has abandoned it. His email address is bouncing emails. I haven't found him on google+. Phone number that I had is not his any longer. I am going to do a bit more snooping and see if I can find anyone that might know where he is.

 

[itchin]

I have an abandoned Noveske upper sitting in my closet. I have made multiple attempts to make contact with my buddy. I will just continue to hang onto it because he is in stationed in Guam, and may not be able to contact me, although I doubt he would not have Internet access for this long. I just hope everything is ok. I could give a shit about the upper.

 

[Marlowe]

Well, if somebody loaned me something, I dang sure wouldn't consider it his responsibility to make the effort to retrieve it. I'd be hunting him down, handing him his rifle, and handing him a six pack or something to say "thanks for loaning this to us", no matter what kind of terms I was on with the guy..

 

[Glockster69]

Did you follow this from the beginning Marlowe? If all accounts are true, the OP is going out of his way to reach the loaner. Even tried to return the rifle before loaner left town. Sounds to me like he's doing everything honorably.

 

[Glitter and Guns]

Did you follow this from the beginning Marlowe? If all accounts are true, the OP is going out of his way to reach the loaner. Even tried to return the rifle before loaner left town. Sounds to me like he's doing everything honorably.

Thank you very much. And just for the record "she". One more reason I am not insanly anxious to drive into really bad section of a major city (best guess w his life choices he is living in a bad area). I doubt I can convince a guy friend to drive 12 hours cross Texas and then head into a ghetto as my body guard. If I went alone, it would be my luck THAT would be the day and the location that I would have a flat tire.

 

[Glitter and Guns]

Thank you very much. And just for the record "she". One more reason I am not insanly anxious to drive into really bad section of a major city (best guess w his life choices he is living in a bad area). I doubt I can convince a guy friend to drive 12 hours cross Texas and then head into a ghetto as my body guard. If I went alone, it would be my luck THAT would be the day and the location that I would have a flat tire.

OK, going to follow up on my own post after a couple of cups of coffee. I also don't want to give him the wrong idea. I am concerned that a woman tracking him down and then driving that far to return something that he hasn't been interested in might come off looking like I am interested in more than his rifle. I really don't want the guy showing up on my doorstep at some point thinking I am interested in him as a booty call/boyfriend/room mate/whatever.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Exactly - leave it where it is and get on w/life.

I *do* like the idea of sending a Certified Letter, Return Receipt Requested, to him at his last known address. Keep a copy of it for your own records with the mailing receipt stapled to it. If/when the letter is returned, staple the whole mess together and keep together. Be sure and detail in the letter that you're sending it only because you recognize the familial importance of it, but that if he doesn't reclaim it within 30 days, you will consider it to have been abandoned, and that you'll be free to do with it as you wish.

 

[Mic]

That's cause you fail to understand the power a sexy woman has over men

And you're a gun girl, so you're automatically sexy.

 

[Glitter and Guns]

That's cause you fail to understand the power a sexy woman has over men

And you're a gun girl, so you're automatically sexy.

I figure my "feminine charm" is what got me in trouble with this situation in the first place. I don't want a body guard buddy deciding that I am hauling him off to the other side of Texas for a romantic romp... right? See how this keeps going bad?!?!

 

[TxDad]

I commend you on wanting to do the right thing. But if your so worried about your safety, then just send the certified letter to the last known address and call it a day on this issue. He knows where you are if he wants it back. And since there is no paperwork that you thought there was, there is no problem. Nothing is worth risking your safety, not even family heirlooms.

 

[Charlie]

After reading all the posts, I've must agree with others that you are "waaay" overthinking this thing. Stick it in a closet, attic, etc. and forget about it. If you start including others (friends, Fed-EX, relatives, etc.), you start making the issue complicated and maybe worse. There is no "paperwork" to be had in Texas. You worry too much. Just my two bits.

 

[Glockster69]

And just for the record "she".

Glitter & Guns
DOH!!!
My apologies mam




<note to self: read username>

 

[Glitter and Guns]

Glitter & Guns
DOH!!!
My apologies mam




<note to self: read username>

No worries! I wouldn't have even pointed it out except for the idea that I was obligated to go hunt him down and physically return the rifle. I just think my being a woman makes it a more complicated venture. I know that most of you are more evolved than to make such a mistake, but some of your less evolved brothers would see that as a complete "I came here because I want you" moment. He had expressed interest in the past, but at the time I was in the middle of a rather lengthy and attorney heavy separation and had made it quite clear that I was off limits in every possible way. Our friendship had continued as quite platonic, but especially knowing that he found me attractive makes me a bit more cautious of the signals I might be sending to him. You men make everything so much more complicated! ;-)