A few months ago I found a GPS and Aquapac at Pelican Point, and as people here saw we put in a lot of effort trying to find the owner, both windsurfing business people and forum members.

A few weeks ago I decided to learn how to use it, downloaded all the software and charged it up. Nothing was stored in it and the owner had not set his name/phone in the settings.

Then I dragged a waypoint file I had created into Google Earth - and there was Waypoint no 0 on a driveway in Wavell Road Nedlands. I went over to give it to them, cycling many K's out of the way in the bloody dark, and no-one was home (or came home while I was there feeding their bloody mosquitoes). I wrote them a letter" to the 'windsurfer of the house', valuable item of kit found", and cycled off into the night.

A couple of days later I had a call from the householder! It was his 16 year old son's. He asked if I could bring it over.

Well, remembering the effort I had put in, and the very slim opportunity the guy had given me to find the owner, and that he had done sweet f-all to get his toy back, not bothering to check the forums, the shops or the Pelican Point Windsurfing hire team, I just though he could contribute SOMETHING to respect others effort on his behalf, and asked him to pick it up either from my work (5 km away) or my home (10 km away). The dad was rREALLY loath, tried his best to get me to drop it off, and I weakened and said I might be over that way in a while.

Here we are, a month after and the folk haven't bothered to phone again or try to get it back. I thought to drop it off, as I wanted to get rid of the business, and my wife went beserk: I paid in to find them, they can respect it enough to collect it themselves.

What do you think; auction it here and donate the money to a Burma appeal?

I suspect son was loathed to tell Dad that he had left behind at Peli that brand new gps he had been pestering his Dad to buy him. So Dad was in the dark about it's disappearance and 16 year old son didn't have the wheels to drop in to the shops to see if it had been handed in etc...

Unfortunately, the law has funny little things like "theft by finding" so you probably can't hang on to it now that you have identified yourself.

I'd say if Steve at Windforce doesn't mind. Get him to hang on to it and the owner can pick it up there during shop hours. He often collects things left at Peli because invariably the forgetful owners pop in asking if anyone has handed in said "lost" boom , extention etc .

If the owner hasn't picked it up by next summer, perhaps it could become a demo/loaner gps for those regulars who turn up at Peli and forget to bring their own gps in the hurry to get down for a good day.

If & when the lazy little Sh#t turns up, tell him you misplaced it because you care about it & value it less than he does.

If it was my kid I would give him a SOBH & make him walk to your house, apologise for stuffing you around & give you a reward.

Carrying a carton that far should learn him!

He just doesn't deserve to have it!
Put it in the drawer & in 6 months time donate it to someone that would appreciate it.

Nah, its theirs and I don't want it unless they abandon it.

I got a camera under that cops+3-month rule once, but knowing who the owner is restarts the issue in a different way. I WANT to hand it over, just at zero further inconvenience to me.

It sounds like the thing will haunt you as long as it is in your possession.
Jump on your bike and drop it in their letter box and consider your self clever for solving the mystery with a way point.

Maybe the hopeless b*stards lost your details

Just do as Goo Screw said, but when you're good and ready

That really sucks, good on you Chrisper for trying to do the right thing.
Reminds me of when I found a wallet in the beach carpark. It only had $20 in it plus what I am assuming to be a quantity of something the coppers would like to find. All credit cards, id etc still intact.
I tracked the owner down and he was so ambivalent about it he didnt seem to care. Then I realised he was off his tree.
He then asked if I could drop it into his house. I told him he could collect it from the local cop shop. Changed his attitude quickly. I arranged to meet him at the beach as I didnt want him to know where I lived. For my trouble I kept the $20.
He didnt even notice. He mumbled some words which I assumed were a thanks etc and wandered off.
Always wondered if he is still alive or in the big house.

JayBee said...

ChrisPer said...

Nah, its theirs and I don't want it unless they abandon it.

This is the crux of the issue here ChrisPer. There is a legal difference between "Possession" and "Ownership". You can not "Own" the GPS unless it has been "abandoned" by the previous owner. I believe Australian law gives the "Finder" superior rights over everyone except the "True Owner".
Possessors must take "reasonable steps to acquaint the true owner with the found thing". What constitutes reasonable? Is a phone call reasonable? I would think so, but the law may not.
While you are the possessor you cannot sell the item irrespective of how long you have possessed the item.

If you had not done the right thing and contacted them you would have a better case for "abandonment", but now they know you are in possession of their item. I dont think there is a timelimit on their collecting the item.

I would give it to your local police (you dont have to do any more travel then is necessary - that is the owners responsibility) and give them the details of the person you believe is the owner (they may have to present a receipt to prove ownership) - but request that if the owner doesn't claim it, you want it returned to you. This allows transparancy, and the police can transfer legal ownership to you if it is not claimed. They will be your independent third party showing you made reasonable efforts to return the product.

JB

Of course its different for land rights.

Found GPS story is now (I hope) closed. Put it in their letterbox on Saturday morning; no-one answered the door.

(hey how about that storm... I went to Peli, no wind. Went to Dutchies and saw the storm coming... rigged up, but the size of those lightning bolts was above my Oh ****-ometer maximum, so I never launched.)

I thought I would come off looking like a Woolies Hot BBQ Chicken, already bagged in my wetsuit. But ALIVE and with miscelaneous bits BBQd off, THEN unconscious while I drown... thats MILES better!