No good deed goes unpunished · 1:01am Oct 5th, 2022
Oh boy. It's been a long time.
So over a year ago there was a package misdelivered to my house. The address wasn't too different, just a street off. I've hand delivered mail that accidentally came to me before, no big deal, right?
Well ...
So as I was walking away from their house after leaving their package the wife (as I assume) came out and shouted at me for trying to steal her package. I tried to explain my side, but apparently she had already called the police. Porch Pirates aren't common in the area, but they do come up, so the police weren't inclined to believe me.
Boy booking was an experience I could live without.
Next came court. Well, next is relative: It took months probably because it was low priority. But in that time I was able to canvas my neighbors and collect video from doorbell cameras (trust me, they are worth the expense) to establish time and route of me bringing their package from my house. Though by that time the couple that lived at that house were showing just how unhinged they were to the point where the police were believing me just because of their behavior.
It became apparent that they were sovereign citizens and were trying to coach the prosecutor. Anyway, the case was dismissed and I go happily on my way.
Nope, I've been gone for over a year so clearly it wasn't that simple.
So my lawyer advised me to file for damages. Sounds good to me at this point, and he filed his own suit because they took to harassing him whenever they could.
Now at this point I have a different lawyer as this isn't a criminal defense case.
Then the husband shows up at my door, trying to look intimidating and the moment I open my door he throws a stack of papers at me. They're counter suing.
Now at this time my lawyer advised me to go radio silent since they were claiming that I had harassed them and was using social media to send people to terrorize them. They even filed for a restraining order against me. (not quite realizing that they go both ways.)
At first this was just irritating, I had hoped that this would be over quickly but they were pulling every tactic to delay delay delay. And the court wasn't moving particularly fast anyway. In this time I was fired from my job. My boss was told to by her boss due to a complaint to corporate about me. My boss tried to keep me there, but higher up felt it's better to fire me even as a precaution.
Well, I'm already living with family so I didn't fall that far.
Now it's just waiting for something to happen, and watching the crazy train as they make up crap to try ... legal magic I guess? Anyway discovery and depositions.
I fully cooperate, and my lawyer must have seen his share of people like them as they're demanding to see my social media for their evidence. Then they started insisting I was hiding accounts and posting secretly on the dark web.
I learned about something new ... and wish I hadn't.
Now I'm complying, giving whatever my lawyer says I need to and getting questioned. Guess who refused to do anything they were supposed to.
Yeah they had some argument claiming they were immune to the procedures, and that the court was prosecuting them for their political beliefs. (I guess they're fans of Jones)
Anyway, more delay tactics, more madness, more frustration. And my lawyer says that now's the time to put this to an end. He put in a motion to find against them for obstructing at every step and we're even giving them time to comply as a sign of good will (well, more to defeat any argument that we're being unreasonable.)
And here we are. There's always the chance they'll shape up before the deadline, but I think the odds of that are not even worth considering. They forced themselves into my life for long enough for me to understand a few things about them.
And all this started because I wanted to be nice to them and deliver their package when it came to my house by mistake.
I'd be lying to say it's not made me rethink being helpful in general. I really have had to take time to think about if it's worth the risk. And it's kinda messed me up in some ways, but I live in the world too and I can't just sit it out because of some bad actors.
Sorry I've been away for so long, and sorry I don't come with an immediate update. But I'll get back to things. Maybe a bit slowly, maybe not as polished, but I'll be getting back.
Jesus Christ, that's messed up
I hope you'll be able to sue these a-holes for every penny they cost you.
That said, the 'deliver the package by dropping it under the door' system in the USA never ceases to amaze me. In Poland (and the rest of Europe, I believe), the delivery needs to be signed off by someone so you can't just leave it lying around. Some crappy delivery people sometimes try the 'throw it behind the fence' method, but it can get them in trouble if something happens to the package.
5690548
Well, the suit is likely going to be successful, but it's possible they're judgement proof.
Meaning they have no money or assets which can be used to pay any judgement against them. But at least it's going to be over.
5690548
And on package delivery, Yeah, requiring a signature is a good method, especially when you come to the practice being that once the package leaves their hands it's not their problem. I've seen security footage of a delivery person placing down the package, taking a picture to confirm delivery then stealing it themselves.
But changing it would only be met with complaints until they reverted.
5690588
Well, good luck anyway. Hopefully, they won't be completely broke. Well, at least not before paying you back, anyway
Out of curiosity, are there no parcel lockers in the USA? In Poland, something like this is all the rage:
ocdn.eu/images/pulscms/ODk7MDA_/31ecba04-2dee-4f82-a852-f3ff06862c5a.jpeg
It's basically a delivery locker where you order your stuff to go instead of your home. You get a code and have 48 hours to get your stuff out before it's returned to sender (the machine is on 24/7). One of our startups invested in these machines, placing them all over the place (we have one even in my tiny village), and it's paid off big time. I prefer that for 95% of the stuff I buy.
Do these machines exist in the US
?
5690750
There are parcel lockers, though not many. Honestly, I would like to see more of them, I haven't seen any in my area after all. I know a PO Box acts like one, but there's also American laziness to contend with, and if someone has to step beyond their own door they don't consider it worthwhile.