jlwollam Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 What is the best way to recover a vending machine when the business closes? i have the owners name but cant find ant other information on the individual, i placed a letter under door of business (since there is still a lot of equipment in the restaurant) what else can i do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shepherdsflock Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 You may need to find out if the business owner owns the property or if they were leasing. If they were leasing the building, you can contact the building owner and see if they can retrieve the machine for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HHV Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 I was just going through this. Had a 6way NW rack in a laundromat and it closed. There was lease sign on the property with the real estate agent name and number. I had to really bug him and finally he passed on the message to the owner. The owner then had his property maintenance guy call me. We finally hooked up after several calls and I am picking it up tomorrow. This all transpired over a month or more. Persistence is the key though!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Action Vending Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 If it is tough you call and say hey i would like to come look at your property for sale. Have them show it to you and and pull your machines. You go in side and they say "oh your the guy looking at the property" you pull your equimpent and say "no i came to get these thanks, and good luck selling it!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlwollam Posted February 20, 2013 Author Share Posted February 20, 2013 how to go about finding out who the owner of the building is there is no for lease sign or for sale sale sign, this appears to become a nightmare trying to do this but i will keep trying i drive there everyday hoping someone will be there but nothing, it is just frustrating that a business will not have enough common sense to call a vendor and let them know to come pick up thier machine what to do if the business owner removes the machine how to go about that on finding this individual, just ttrying to get all my ducks in a row (if machine is not there what are the odds of sueing and recover the amount for the machine plus the 45lbs of candy (calculated for each 25 cent vend) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musser Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 It can be pretty tough getting machines back. The last rack I lost was sold at a bank auction. I didn't even know the place had closed. The hardest ones have been when property is taken by a state for back taxes, the next hardest have been bankruptcy sales. You really need to have a unique identifier and very good records in these cases. Even then the possibiliteis of getting your stuff back from the state or a bank can be very hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 If it is tough you call and say hey i would like to come look at your property for sale. Have them show it to you and and pull your machines. You go in side and they say "oh your the guy looking at the property" you pull your equimpent and say "no i came to get these thanks, and good luck selling it!" We have a winner! Even if he was just renting the property, you could pose as an interested buyer in his business equipment. Whatever gets you in the door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronsidney Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 We have a winner! Even if he was just renting the property, you could pose as an interested buyer in his business equipment. Whatever gets you in the door. I got cussed out one day for this!! i had tried several times to get property owner or realtor to come meet me to pick my machines up and no response or "call tomorrow" etc.. so i finally called them and acted like i was this big restaurant chain and we was in town that day and needed someone to come show the property(as i was in town with my truck and didn't want to drive back so i made it urgent)..the lady who showed the property was just a secretary as the realtor was in a big meeting or something.. she came and when i proceeded to get my machines she flipped out and called her boss.. he had to leave the meeting and rush to meet me cause he didn't understand what she was saying about me picking up my equipment..He then almost proceeded to get his arse whooped when he started cussing me!! He was big talk until he found out i wasn't some stooge that worked for him and proceeded to walk up to him cussing back!! I think his secretary took a big delight in me checking this guys attitude and putting him in his place,he was a real prick that thought he was some king or something and thought he could talk down to people. I think i kinda got excited a bit and felt like i was back in my working days and i was getting to cuss out a prick supervisor or something,it got my heart racing.. If i would have GOT MY arse whooped i would of course never shared this story!! lol ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agapevending Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I'm dealing with this right now, I had a small Tech school that never reopened after Christmas. today I found it had realtor sign on the door. So I am trying to get in touch with them to get my machine back. I'm going to keep calling them every few days until I have it back. I hope i have no problems. Kinda like the J G Wentworth add it's mine and I want it NOW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allsnax Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 You can get owner info from the county assessor's office. Once you have it, send them a certified letter explaining the situation & describing your property. If they fail to act you can file a small claim action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Priusjames Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 I guess all we can do is mark them as "stolen from..." I put my Ham Radio call sign on my equipment, it's a federally issued unique identifier that can easily be traced on the Internet. Do I think it'll help me get them back? Probably not, it's mostly something to let them know they have some bad karma coming their way. Good luck James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agapevending Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 The other day I conntacted Child search. To see what they said, sense I am part of there vending out reach program. They said to try one more time to conntact the place where my machine is, and if i don't hearanything back. to take the cops. Which should not be very difficult Sense my wifes cousin is married to a County sheriff in the copunty where the machine is. Hope it don't come to that. i see it kinda like the J G wentworth commerical on TV. IT'S MY MACHINE AND I WANT IT NOW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazenevenson Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 Make a few attempts, if you cannot recover your equipment that way contact your local sheriffs office they can assist in asset recovery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lake Cities Vending Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 I lost one and I just kept on driving by when I was in the area. One day there was some new people there looking to rent the place. I told them it was my machine and they let me get it. They are thinking about opening the restaurant so I gave them my card. I have been driving by at least once a week. They are remodeling now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Snacks Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 The police can't really help. Only a judge can authorize a police officer to enter someone's property in this case. A local cop told me this when I had a similar situation. He also advised me to never enter a location uninvited to recover stuff, Otherwise I could be charged with trespassing. I had to get a lawyer to write a "threatening" letter to the landlord One day after they received it, the landlord let me in. But I had to pay $250 for that letter. It was worth it since I had a rack, 2 gas pumps and a hoop in there. Would not have been worth it for just a double head. Some landlords can be real pricks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazenevenson Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 Most definitely, If you can ever have a lawyer draft up a generic letter of intent that you can keep on file just in case this happens that may be beneficial as well. You never know when you are going to need such a letter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaTurtle Vending Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 i lost 10 machines last year alone. Out sucks balls, but I keep going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazenevenson Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 Ouch nasty, how did you end up losing ten in one year if you don't mind me asking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaTurtle Vending Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 I lost some through break ins at the business. Other vendors stealing them. (this one pissess me of the most) businesses close and the people take them.etc. etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazenevenson Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 Nasty sounds like a crappy year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lake Cities Vending Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 I lost some through break ins at the business. Other vendors stealing them. (this one pissess me of the most) businesses close and the people take them.etc. etc Thats the one you see for sale without key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agapevending Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 So Jax you are saying that the local police or sheriff can't do anything unless i have a court order. or something from a lawyer. What about the DA is there away he could help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Snacks Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 So Jax you are saying that the local police or sheriff can't do anything unless i have a court order. or something from a lawyer. What about the DA is there away he could help? Well, I am no legal expert, just sharing an experience. What do want the police to do? Break down the door for you? Or maybe arrest the landlord? I am not trying to be a wise guy here here. And is this considered a criminal matter or a civil matter? I am not really sure. Generally speaking even when a crime of theft is committed, the police don't really give a s*#t about stolen gumball machines. In your case (similar to mine) this would probably be considered a civil matter between you and the landlord. Not really sure what the DA could do for you in this case. No crime has really been committed since the machines are still sitting in the building - no one has stolen them yet. You just need the landlord (or the next business owner of that space) to open the door and allow you to remove your equipment. If the landlord refuses to cooperate, then only the courts can help open that door. My lawyer letter was simply a bluff (to get that door open) since I had no intention of suing. In my case it worked. Just keep communicating (or leave messages) with the landlord and drive by the location periodically. I had a similar situation at a Chinese buffet. Once again the landlord was a prick and did not really care. After all, he had his own problems to deal with. The tenant clearing out the space and leaving with no notice in the middle of the night. This landlord stopped communicating. So I just kept driving by any time I was in that area. I had another location near there and routinely stopped by to inspect the closed location. I could see my machines through the window, so I was not really worried. Then one day, I get a break. I see 3 Chinese guys sitting in front of the restaurant. At first, they thought that I was the landlord. They were schedule to meet the landlord any minute. Once the guy showed up, I explained my situation but he was still hesitant. But he finally let me take the equipment after verifying my identity. It took almost 8 months to recover that equipment. I am no legal expert. But keep plugging at that landlord and keep driving by - the timing may get lucky one time . Use lawyers and the courts as a last resort. But honestly, I don't really see what the cops or DA can help you with in this matter, other than maybe to give some guidance. Also maybe consider doing what Glenn posted a while back. Call the landlord and pretend to be a prospect interested in renting the space. Then set an appointment to meet. And remember... (Most) Landlords are pricks, (most) landlords are pricks, (most) landlords are pricks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VendingExperts Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 I had a machine in a restaurant that closed. I drove by to service it. Low and behold they filled bankruptcy and had closed quickly at the end of the month. There was my machine, just like a lonely prisoner, locked up inside. I had to make a few calls to find the landlord. The leasing office just happened to be in the same building. She was very nice, came down with the key and let me get my machine. It has only happened to me once, but my experience was somewhat simple and painless. I wish you the best! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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