A post no photographer ever wants to make....

[ThroughTheIris]

Extremely long story short...due to a stalking incident, I had to relocate. I had just a few days to make the decision and plans. I had no job lined up, a temporary home with a spare room where they agreed to store my belongings...and a solid plan to do freelance photo shoots to support myself until I really got myself back together.

Where I moved from, a ran a full time photo business. Had well over 25k in equip....it was my life.

Once I arrived here, it took my two weeks to find a room to rent in va beach. I was promised it would be a drama free, drunk free home and that couldn't have been farther from the truth. I refuse to live in, yet another, high stress situation. Over a course of one week I decided I'd rather sleep in my car than remain in that house. By some sort of "3am coffee at Wawa" magic, I met someone who took me in and has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. Ok, sappy crap aside...the weekend after I finally had a place to call "home" (this is 2 week after I had moved out of the house where my belongings were stored) we made arraignments to go pick it all up and bring it to va beach.

When we arrived...I knew it was bad. All of my boxes had been ransacked...and once I dug through the remnants of my things....Every piece of my photo equipment was gone...a list far to long to type right now...tv, my sons xbox, games, blurays...you name it, if it had value, it was GONE. The tenants all played stupid with the cops like they had no idea what happened.

So the after effects...I have no cameras....I have no income...my once source of solace, gone. (Not having a pity party...more of a "how DARE someone do that to someones livelihood") I know someone will ask if it was insured..no..that was stupid on me, I know....even Gary Fong bitched me out over that one...lol. So now instead of making money, I'm spending borrowed money on lawyers for grand larceny charges.

It's devastating...15 years of acquiring the "tools of the trade" for it to disappear over 2 weeks. But luckily, I have an amazing support system and I know stressing won't fix it, what's done is done and now I just have to roll with the punches to attempt to replace what I had built up.

 

[sm4him]

I'm sorry you've had that experience. When you recover, I hope you'll take the "no insurance" thing to heart, because you now know from personal experience that, while it may SEEM like insurance is a luxury, it's not.

But on another point: If this had all happened to me as the result of a stalker…I think I wouldn't be posting anything at all on the internet for awhile, least of all something that even generally refers to said stalker. You'd be absolutely amazed how one online clue can lead to another...

 

[Designer]

Uh, help me understand this. I presume you mean somebody else is the thief, not you. But you say you are paying a lawyer "for grand larceny charges".

What does that mean?

Who is being charged?

If you are being charged with grand larceny, what did you do? Did you steal somebody's stuff?

 

[waday]

Sorry to hear all of that. Also sorry to hear it wasn't insured.

Good luck on the lawsuit.

As sm4him posted, and relating to your earlier post regarding your IG account, you may want to rethink posting such personal information online, unless your IG account has changed since all of this happened.

I've actually known several people (mostly through family/friends/hearsay) that have had very bad incidents with stalkers, several which led to physical violence and one which actually led to murder. Stalkers are no joke (which you are well aware), so be careful.

 

[Didereaux]

Either a candidate for the 'Darwin Award', Thorazine-Lithium treatment,or a scammer. I simply don't believe that story. No photographer with all those years experience, and equipment would go off in a car and leave the cameras in some hell hole. Nope...phonier'n a three dollar bill.

 

[Didereaux]

Uh, help me understand this. I presume you mean somebody else is the thief, not you. But you say you are paying a lawyer "for grand larceny charges".

What does that mean?

Who is being charged?

If you are being charged with grand larceny, what did you do? Did you steal somebody's stuff?

Also you don't pay a lawyer to file criminal charges. ONLY a prosecutor may do that! this whole thing smells like a Gulf shrimp boat in August.

 

[480sparky]

Not belittling you or making light of the situation, but I find it hard to believe that you'd put all your worldly goods in a house full of complete strangers, then leave for a week.

 

[W.Y.Photo]

Not belittling you or making light of the situation, but I find it hard to believe that you'd put all your worldly goods in a house full of complete strangers, then leave for a week.

I keep all my worldly goods in an apartment full of strangers every night. I also sleep there and call it home.

But yes.. $25,000 is quite a lot of someones net worth to leave unattended.

 

[ThroughTheIris]

Regarding said stalker, he is no longer a threat. I'm well aware of the ease of access to personal information on the internet and I assure you I am no longer in danger.

Regarding the charges, they are being filed on those who agreed to house my belongings due to the amount of evidence that they were responsible for the stolen items.

Regarding Didereaux, while I appreciate your kind words, I admittedly am quite ignorant to the correct legal terms that will be involved in this case. There will be lawyers involved and there will be costs involved. So my statement was still quite accurate. Secondly, no intelligent person would just hop in a car and have no money or other option to store my property with a person whom I've known for 3 years and trusted? Hind sight is 20-20. When your safety is on the line, you tend to have to make large, life-altering decisions with little time to think, plan or rationalize. So your theory that I am a candidate for the "Darwin Award" or in desperate need to be medicated is quite mature and sympathetic. I surely do appreciate it. As for your idea of me being a scammer....who, exactly, am I trying to scam by simply venting my devastation over an event that occurred in my life that some may empathize with. Not once did I ask for anything from anyone so I fail to see where a scamming motive lies. I'd appreciate it if you took your callous remarks and judgement elsewhere.

Good day, Sir.

 

[ThroughTheIris]

Perhaps I should have specified that the home where my belongings were kept was the home of a long-time, trusted friend. Who is, obviously, no longer held in that regard.

 

[W.Y.Photo]

That's horrendous. I couldn't imagine if that happened to me. The person responsible should be tarred and feathered.


If you want, when you find out who's guilty, we could schedule an appointment. On the side of my photography business I'm a freelance tar-and-feathering master.

 

[ThroughTheIris]

How are your skills in breaking knee caps?

 

[W.Y.Photo]

Good, but I charge extra for that. Gotta put food on the table after a long days work!!

 

[Mr. Innuendo]

Either a candidate for the 'Darwin Award', Thorazine-Lithium treatment,or a scammer. I simply don't believe that story. No photographer with all those years experience, and equipment would go off in a car and leave the cameras in some hell hole. Nope...phonier'n a three dollar bill.

Where's the scam?

 

[ThroughTheIris]

Some people are just miserable people and try to make everyone around them miserable as well. I pity people who try to dull my sparkle....cause it'll never happen. Stuff is stuff...I have my family...reason enough to never go a day without smiles and laughter.