Hero Restoration, Anyone know the latest? 24 24

[Sauce Dog]

On 12/12/2023 at 3:07 PM, Steviehuv66 said:

Latest email from Oregon DOJ.

Honestly, $35 for 30 minutes is a steal. 

[phretbored]

Previously when I indicated that books were stolen I think that was not quite the correct term.

Would embezzlement or misappropriation be more accurate in this situation?

[altair43]

I will give this guy no quarter.  He stole my money and my book.

[Number 6]

On 12/13/2023 at 11:50 AM, phretbored said:

Previously when I indicated that books were stolen I think that was not quite the correct term.

Would embezzlement or misappropriation be more accurate in this situation?

When it comes to the correct term, the lawyers here would probably be in a better position to ascribe a label to what Heroes Restoration is doing to his customers.

Maybe defrauding a person of their books?  Inducing people to part with their property under the pretense that it's going to be handled a certain way, when the actual reality is the work promised isn't done and neither the money nor book(s) are returned.

Edited December 14, 2023 by Number 6

[Sauce Dog]

So Mike seems to be 100% unreachable now. He disconnected his last phone number about a month or so back and even the previous number to the business apparently isn't going to him anymore (I called and finally got through, a guy named 'Tim' answered and says he doesn't know anything and says he has had the number for a while now but didn't specify exactly how long - only that it was for some time. Says he is getting dozens of calls a day and was ignoring them but now is answering them. Not sure if that is legit or what.) 

This means neither phone number everyone is using for ODOJ complaints will be reachable. Likewise, I'm seeing bounce backs on nearly all his email addresses that I've used over the years to communicate with him (I think there are only two left that have not bounced back so I'm unsure of the status of those accounts)

 

[mattn792]

Not a lawyer but recently stayed at a Holiday Inn.  In light of Sauce dog’s latest post and coupled with all of MD’s exhortations that he was going out of business in the locked thread, while then taking on more business, Oregon’s theft by deception statute would seem likely to apply to the most recent victims.

https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_164.085#

[mattn792]

On 12/13/2023 at 8:17 PM, Sauce Dog said:

So Mike seems to be 100% unreachable now. He disconnected his last phone number about a month or so back and even the previous number to the business apparently isn't going to him anymore (I called and finally got through, a guy named 'Tim' answered and says he doesn't know anything and says he has had the number for a while now but didn't specify exactly how long - only that it was for some time. Says he is getting dozens of calls a day and was ignoring them but now is answering them. Not sure if that is legit or what.) 

This means neither phone number everyone is using for ODOJ complaints will be reachable. Likewise, I'm seeing bounce backs on nearly all his email addresses that I've used over the years to communicate with him (I think there are only two left that have not bounced back so I'm unsure of the status of those accounts)

 

It’s downright sickening to think that MD might be in the wind with likely millions of dollars worth of other people’s books.

[Nick Furious]

Which Oregon city are Mike and the comic books thought to be in?  Kind of long shot, but maybe an email to the local newspaper giving a link to this thread would result in a story that gets attention?  That way when he goes to the local farmers market or chickenfeed store the guy behind the counter will be like "aren't you that comic book thief?"  Six figures worth of missing comic books might make a good local public interest story.  

[Domo Arigato]

Since this is comic related and involves the loss of such huge amounts of money for people from a number of different states.....is this something that perhaps @esquirecomics could get involved with?

 

[flchris]

On 12/13/2023 at 9:55 PM, mattn792 said:

Not a lawyer but recently stayed at a Holiday Inn.  In light of Sauce dog’s latest post and coupled with all of MD’s exhortations that he was going out of business in the locked thread, while then taking on more business, Oregon’s theft by deception statute would seem likely to apply to the most recent victims.

https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_164.085#

Could it also be misapplication of entrusted property if books are gone? ORS 165.095 – Misapplication of entrusted property (public.law)

(not a lawyer and not up on my legal jargon/legalese)

[thehumantorch]

On 12/13/2023 at 7:17 PM, Sauce Dog said:

So Mike seems to be 100% unreachable now. He disconnected his last phone number about a month or so back and even the previous number to the business apparently isn't going to him anymore (I called and finally got through, a guy named 'Tim' answered and says he doesn't know anything and says he has had the number for a while now but didn't specify exactly how long - only that it was for some time. Says he is getting dozens of calls a day and was ignoring them but now is answering them. Not sure if that is legit or what.) 

This means neither phone number everyone is using for ODOJ complaints will be reachable. Likewise, I'm seeing bounce backs on nearly all his email addresses that I've used over the years to communicate with him (I think there are only two left that have not bounced back so I'm unsure of the status of those accounts)

 

"If you are being ignored it's because of your lack of understanding"

[Mr. Zipper]

On 11/22/2023 at 10:45 AM, MattTheDuck said:

I don't know what Hero wants.  I am hoping for his cooperation to resolve the situation.

Catching up here. Has any effort been made to reach an agreement with Mike to send a small group to his location to take possession of the books, who can then distribute to the proper owners?

He gets the responsibility off his plate and people get their books back. Seems more efficient and likely to get results than legal action, threats, etc.

[mattn792]

On 12/14/2023 at 11:11 AM, Mr. Zipper said:

Catching up here. Has any effort been made to reach an agreement with Mike to send a small group to his location to take possession of the books, who can then distribute to the proper owners?

He gets the responsibility off his plate and people get their books back. Seems more efficient and likely to get results than legal action, threats, etc.

I believe this solution was floated to him in the locked thread and went nowhere.

[Dr. Balls]

On 12/14/2023 at 10:11 AM, Mr. Zipper said:

Catching up here. Has any effort been made to reach an agreement with Mike to send a small group to his location to take possession of the books, who can then distribute to the proper owners?

He gets the responsibility off his plate and people get their books back. Seems more efficient and likely to get results than legal action, threats, etc.

Based on the reasoning he's established, his combative nature in this situation and refusal to communicate - my guess is that he's not interested in assisting anyone at all. Logical problem solving is not really his thing at this point.

[mosconi]

I haven't read this entire thread and don't know if this has been suggested already, but how about finding his home address and someone going in person with law enforcement to reclaim all the stolen property.  If he refuses to answer his door, obtain a search warrant to recover the stolen goods in his possession/property and put an end to this fiasco... 

Just saw your comment Mr. Zipper and looks like we are thinking alike  

Edited December 14, 2023 by mosconi

[mosconi]

I believe a search warrant with law enforcement involved would be a solution that does not involve Mike's assistance or approval...

[wardevil0]

On 12/14/2023 at 12:11 PM, Mr. Zipper said:

Catching up here. Has any effort been made to reach an agreement with Mike to send a small group to his location to take possession of the books, who can then distribute to the proper owners?

He gets the responsibility off his plate and people get their books back. Seems more efficient and likely to get results than legal action, threats, etc.

The problem with this is that if Mike released the books to anyone other than their proper owners he would definitely make himself vulnerable to liability.  It also assumes Mike has an organized record keeping system that definitively links each book to its rightful owner and not just a stack of Silver Age keys on a TV tray.

[Number 6]

I don’t want to discourage anything that might help, but I’m not sure how much going to a local newspaper or TV station would help. 
 

Normies still have a really hard time grasping why anyone would pay large sums of money for old comic books, but then to take it a step farther and try and explain why people then take said expensive comics along with even more money and send them to a complete stranger to be tinkered with…I just don’t know if general audiences will be able to get past “why to adults waste good money like this” to see clearly what Heroes Restoration has done. 
 

And at this point, how much would Mike care about a public shaming that would come from such an article or spot?  Honestly, short of law enforcement showing up I don’t think anything is going to compel him to give those books up now. The more I think about it, I suspect he feels the hobby ‘screwed him over’ and is responsible for his business failing (nothing to do with any bad decisions he made) and the the hobby “owes” him this. 
 

Again, not trying to discourage anyone taking the ball and running with it when it comes to “local exposé”, I’m just feeling increasingly pessimistic about this getting resolved in a satisfactory way for the victims. 

[Mr. Zipper]

On 12/14/2023 at 1:00 PM, wardevil0 said:

The problem with this is that if Mike released the books to anyone other than their proper owners he would definitely make himself vulnerable to liability.  It also assumes Mike has an organized record keeping system that definitively links each book to its rightful owner and not just a stack of Silver Age keys on a TV tray.

Understood. Obviously there would have to be an organized process like the owners signing a release to allow the third party to take possession... maybe spearheaded by a trusted dealer. If there is no record keeping system now linking books to owners, then the third party would have the same issue HR would face -- no way to know what books are whose. The best case scenario would be the books are still in the shipping boxes with the submission forms, but unlikely if payment was charged upon receipt. 

Sadly, I don't think there is a perfect solution. It's going to get messy either way. But maybe a third party administering the returns is the best hope for the least messy outcome possible.

[shadroch]

On 12/14/2023 at 10:11 AM, Mr. Zipper said:

Catching up here. Has any effort been made to reach an agreement with Mike to send a small group to his location to take possession of the books, who can then distribute to the proper owners?

He gets the responsibility off his plate and people get their books back. Seems more efficient and likely to get results than legal action, threats, etc.

That would blur the lines of responsibility.  He could give back half the books and claim the person he gave them to absconded with them.