LoL. Its just a really weird world sometimes.
So all weekend I've been stessing. I'm about to have heart trouble. I just keep getting ready for this big climatic fight with cops, lawyers, eviction notices, explosions, car crashes, the works.
I call and verify the apartment manager is there go I go down. When I walk in they are falling over themselves to apologize.
Apparently after the cops left my place they went over to the apt office to get her story. She gave her side, which for the most part was the same as mine. After comparing the stories the cops basically told her they she had no valid complaint against me. They did tell her that she was in the wrong not to hand over my property regardless of any fight or argument. She should have handed over my package and then if she felt I had been rude to her, take it up with the manager later. I guess she didn't take it very well and started going off on the cops yelling and crying. Then she got up grabbed her stuff and just left. Just left. Didn't lock up, didn't contact her boss or any co-workers. Just left. I guess the cops were finished with her and had no reason to stop her.
The cops had to walk around and find one of the grounds people and let them know there was now no one in the office. She never came back. The grounds keeper didn't have keys to lockup the office. He had to call the manager, who was home sick with the flu or something. She had to drag her butt out of bed and drive over to man the office until she could contact one of the other agents.
It wasn't clear if they had contact with her later, but they suggested I let them know immediately if I see anyone suspicious hanging around my building (frankly, all my neighbors look a little suspicious to me). They also suggested I keep my vehicle parked out in the main open area for a while where it is in clear open view. Great. The .45 is staying loaded with hollow-points and in my bedside table for a while.
Its so stupid.
First of all the manager said she handled the phone thing all wrong. If it was going to be a lengthy call you should have paused to handle me first. She should not have been on her cell. They had been having trouble with her on her cell with personal calls during her shift. (She apparently is having all these personal issues and the other employees have been having to cover for her a lot.) And she CERTAINLY should not have gone on to finish an entire second conversation with me waiting.
She did not HAVE to see my drivers license. They could ask for one if they didnt recognize the tenant. But she knew exactly who I was. They can accept either the UPS slip or a drivers license. Even if she felt like she needed one, a Xerox copy of my license is in my apt file in her desk. She could have just pulled it.
Finally, unless I had become violent or threatened her, she had no right to not hand over my property after I had brought all requested identification. Hand over the package and take it up with her boss later.
Oh, and she REALLY should not have blown her cool and abandon the office unsecured without notifying anyone. ;o)
So she is basically not employed there anymore and I have my camera. And you want to know something really funny? I am now feeling a slight ting of guilt that she is fired. I hate to see anyone lose a job. I guess I could have been less angry at being kept waiting. I mean in the grand scheme of things whats 30 extra minutes out of your life. In the end if I had gotten my camera, a written letter of apology for the management, and a promise to council the employee on proper customer etiquette, I would have been satisfied with that. All I want is my stuff and to not be ****ed with. The same two things I wanted last Sat morning.
On a side note, the box did have a noticeably crunched in corner. It was stamped fragile all over so I doubt that happened at UPS. Maybe, but I doubt it. It looked to me like someone held the package over their head and gave it a good toss onto the floor.
Luckily it was very well boxed. There was an outer box, Styrofoam panels inside surrounding a second box lined with egg-shell foam. The second box didnt show any deformation. I havent used it yet but plugged it in and made some sanity checks. It appears fine.
What creeps me out is that I feel I was probably lucky. She apparently told the cops pretty much what happened; stupidly still thinking she had been in the right. She could have easily made up any crap she wanted, like accusing me of threatening her or trying to grab at her. There would have been nobody to back up my story as we were alone. I dont have any confidence in our jury system.
Oh well. Lessons learned all around.
And thanks all for the support and great advice and information.
Regards,
Wab
