Victim Restitution - Helplife2.net

[Krynn72]

So this is probably the most specific helplife2.net thread ever made on valvetime.net, but is anyone familiar with Victim Restitution? IE: Someone steals your shit, gets caught, and now they have to pay you back.

Basically, some dude stole my GPS and 120gb Zune MP3 player waaaay back in December 2010, and today I got a letter saying I can be reimbursed. It asks for documentation of the lost items, but also has a checkbox for saying that I dont have any documentation (which is my situation). Mainly, I dont know if I should put down what I paid for the items, or what their value is now, or what their value was in 2010. I mean, right now a new 120gb Zune is like $450 on ebay, but its not sold in stores, and my GPS was like $200 when I bought it, but probably worth like 8 bucks now. Anyone ever had to do this before?

 

[Vegeta897]

You live in Connecticut don't you know any lawyers?

 

[Krynn72]

Only corrupt ones. I'm tryin' to be legit here.

 

[Naph]

Get back what you paid for. Depreciation has nothing to do with goods stolen from you.

 

[Stigmata]

No experience but I think Naph's right. For depreciation to be valid in this, there'd have to be some guarantee that you'd be able to get a 100% identical second-hand copy of what you've lost, and I don't think that'd fly in legalese.

 

[Tacoeaterguy]

Well the main thing, like Naph said, is to get the price you originally payed for the items.

But why not take it a couple steps further?

-Add some money for the trauma and stress the crime caused you.
-That GPS could be a collectible now, so that should boost it a bit.
-If the Zune is going for $450 on eBay, then it's probably worth more if it was retail. Add some for that.
-What about inflation? That should get you a little bit more.
-Technically, shouldn't you also get some for all the stuff you had on the Zune? That makes sense, right? Charge for that as well.

$$$-If you apply all of this, you'll be rolling in dough-$$$

 

[Naph]

But why not take it a couple steps further?

Why work when you can try this all again next year?

 

[Stigmata]

I think we just figured out how to save America's middle class.

 

[Krynn72]

Well, I wouldn't feel right adding for inflation or "trauma". I mean, I was actually fairly amused at the whole thing. I'd never had someone steal stuff from me before (besides a copy of NBA Jam when I was a kid, which pissed me off), so it was a fairly new and exciting experience for me (lol, I'm such an upper-middle class white guy). I did lose one album which I hadnt backed up on my pc (A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All), but that'd be dumb to claim that.

Also, I have no documentation that I owned any of this stuff. Its not like I keep receipts for products I bought 3-5 years ago. I wonder if the documentation they ask for is for proof I lost it, proof I ever owned it, or just so they can verify it's worth. If its the latter, I could probably just print out some pages from the internets. But I feel like I could probably just claim anything, because its not like there's any proof one way or another. I also wonder if I claim, say, $700, but without any documentation, if they'll only give me a portion of it. So if I want to get the actual value I need to be shiesty to counter their shiestyness and just say it was worth like $900.

EDIT: Here's the stuff that was stolen.

 

[TechnoHippyChic]

I think it's supposed to be whatever it would cost to replace them with a comparable item.

I'm guessing this was from your car, did they break the window or was it unlocked?

 

[Krynn72]

Unlocked in my driveway (upper-middle class white guy, remember?)

So I guess I should just put $700, since I can replace them with exactly comparable items for that much (after tax of course).

 

[Tacoeaterguy]

What? You're only gonna claim $700?

With my calculations, you should be pulling at least $3500.

 

[Krynn72]

What are you? A Connecticut Lawyer or something?

 

[Remus]

Unlocked in my driveway (upper-middle class white guy, remember?).

And just like that my sympathy is gone. I've heard about people leaving their car or house unlocked, but I always thought it was just an urban myth...

And I agree with Taco, use the opportunity to "rob" the robber of as much money as possible.

 

[Tacoeaterguy]

What are you? A Connecticut Lawyer or something?

That was strictly advice for your benefit.

However, if I was benefiting from this as your lawyer, we would be claiming somewhere in the region of $20,000

Spoiler

 

[NeptuneUK]

Just do what feels right man. Claim for the original retail value and let them know that you no longer have reciepts, you should get something . No need to try and take it too far because it could back fire.

 

[ríomhaire]

Claim he stole your mental well-being and put down $$$s

 

[bobtheskull]

I'm with Neptune, I'd just go for something based on like for like. Asking for too much could end up with them coming back at you with a big 'Bwahahaha.... um... no'. I don't see the point in trying to make a quick buck out of it, especially since you said that it didn't actually bother you all that much. Just get your stuff back and, well, lock your car!

 

[Raziaar]

You didn't buy them on Amazon or anything? Why would you buy shit from a brick and mortar store!

 

[Krynn72]

You didn't buy them on Amazon or anything? Why would you buy shit from a brick and mortar store!

Never underestimate the power of instant gratification!


Just got a call from someone about it (surprisingly quick response), he said I should send him some print outs of how much it would cost to replace the items, but also that it is difficult to get restitution without reciepts. I figure I'll just update this thread, in case any googlers come this way looking to find out answers to the same questions I had. I always find it annoying to stumble on a thread asking exactly the same thing I want to know, but never has any follow up.

 

[Raziaar]

Never underestimate the power of instant gratification!


Just got a call from someone about it (surprisingly quick response), he said I should send him some print outs of how much it would cost to replace the items, but also that it is difficult to get restitution without reciepts. I figure I'll just update this thread, in case any googlers come this way looking to find out answers to the same questions I had. I always find it annoying to stumble on a thread asking exactly the same thing I want to know, but never has any follow up.

I like my gratification delayed 2-8 days.