Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Pennsylvania
I own a pooltable company. I refurbish, re-cloth, buy and sell tables.
i received a call from a friend. He asked me to collect 12 tables from another storage facility. The other facility was had water issues and the tables were wet. Myself and another company went retrieve the tables. The tables were wet and damaged. I took them to my dry climate controlled shop where they have been stored for two plus years. I never asked for nor received rent. There was some question as to the actual number of tables due to the messy way they were stored in the original wet facility. I am now trying to close my own shop. I have been asking this friend to move or find a facility to move the tables to. No storage,help, or funds have been offered. The person has made it clear they want money instead of the tables back in their possession. What are my rights. I cannot take on the expense of moving the tables again. The owner wont pick them up. I must close the shop. Can i just dispose of, give away or sell the tables. How does bailment apply/
1 Answer from Attorneys
When you hold another person�s property, you become responsible for it. However, you are well within your rights to tell him he can get them or they will be considered abandoned. It is his responsibility to pay to remove them and you don�t owe him any money. On the other hand, you can certainly make a claim for storage value.
He would have to sue you for the value but you will have as a defense your proof that you advised him to get his property and he will have refused.
If you have debts that you cannot pay, you could consider a bankruptcy. That would eliminate any potential obligation for the tables and he cannot sue you after that.
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