# It Just Keeps Coming....



## Buffalo21 (Jun 21, 2020)

My brother just called me, it’s rarely a good sign, usually it’s because some family member is in the hospital or just passed away. We’re in family related contact almost daily, through my wife’s Facebook participation, but he rarely use the phone to call me. Well it was bad news of a sort, no one is ill or died, but still, my life has been thrown into a swirling mass.

Growing up, my father was a very successful businessman, running a coal/oil business, trucking firm, gas stations, furniture stores, liquor stores and apartment buildings, he suddenly died when I was 5 yrs old. My mother was never left wanting, over the yrs, the businesses were sold off one at a times, by the time I left high school, it was all gone, except for the very large 4 story warehouse. This morning, my brother, successfully ended negotiations to sell the warehouse and property to a developer, so I have roughly 90 days to empty out my part of what’s left of the warehouse inventory.

I have 2 lathes, 3 milling machines, drill presses, a gaggle of surface grinders (one functional, 4 or 5 for spare parts), canoes, a pop-up tent camper, multiple cars, pickup truck, engines, transmissions, hand tools, chainsaws, etc, etc, etc. all of this stuff now have to find new homes. Some of this stuff, I have not seen or touched in many years. I will have to call about a scrap dumpster in the morning and see if I can find some new storage arrangements for a few of the pieces I want to keep. The vast majority of the stuff has little or no real value to me, it was I was either too lazy or lacked serious motivation to throw it away or get rid of it.

Apparently, I’m basically the last to know, everyone else, who had/has stuff in the warehouse, has either removed it or has already started to clean it out. My brother, unsure the sale was going through, didn’t want to bother me with the minor details until the sale was actually agreed on.

A couple of items, I intend to sell and have prospective buyers for, are a couple of complete 50s era Gilbarco gas pumps, a few Flying A gas station signs and a couple of cigar store Indians. The only bad part of the sale is, I traded any financial interest in the warehouse away for some land and a camp in the Adirondack Mt, years ago, but stored stuff for free for years, now it’s going to cost me.


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## silverhawk (Jun 21, 2020)

Boo! That's terrible news, too. 

joe


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## matthewsx (Jun 22, 2020)

Look at the bright side, you were going to have to do it anyway so now you can't procrastinate any longer. Resist the urge to just stuff everything into another storage, it's not a good plan. 

Ask me how I know....

John


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## mmcmdl (Jun 22, 2020)

Not good news to hear . Where is camp in the Adirondacks ?


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## mickri (Jun 22, 2020)

For all the stuff that you don't want try contacting a local auction company.  You won't get much but you also won't have to move it and it will all be gone within a day or two of the auction.  Your junk is somebody else's treasure.  It is incredible what people will buy.


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## WCraig (Jun 22, 2020)

Buffalo21 said:


> 2 lathes, 3 milling machines, drill presses, a gaggle of surface grinders (one functional, 4 or 5 for spare parts), canoes, a pop-up tent camper, multiple cars, pickup truck, engines, transmissions, hand tools, chainsaws, etc, etc, etc.


If you still have a little lead time, I would imagine you could net a fair amount of cash by bringing an auction company.

If you have less time, you could probably still make a deal with a 'clean-out' company.  They'll pay less but likely they can remove everything in short order.

Craig


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## Buffalo21 (Jun 22, 2020)

I’ve been involved with 3 auctions in my lifetime, I’ll never do another, I’d have a pit dug and bury everything before, I’d endure another auction. But that isn’t going to happen. I made a phone call at 8:30 this morning, the cars, trailer, truck and auto parts are already spoken for, I sent emails out for the gas station stuff and the cigar store Indians. I hear some nieces and nephews and their kids, want/are interested in the bikes and boats and canoes (they have until next Sunday to take it, or the scrapper takes it). I will continue to make calls to get rid of some of the other stuff. 

I do have to find storage for the lathes, milling machines and some of the other stuff, at least long enough to see if I actually have a long term need for them. I’m going from 20,000 to 30,000 sqft (didn’t use all of it, but had it) down to I believe the minimum requirement of about 1200 sqft of storage space.

The cars and misc automotive stuff (plus whatever else he wants/takes) is suppose to be gone by next weekend or two, I gave the stuff away for free, but told the guy, it $100/day if it not all gone by 7/3/20, he will have a key to get in before noon today. He does not get the vehicle titles, until it’s all gone.

I’m in the middle of some minor back issues, 1973 auto accident related, so I’ve been up workIng on this since about 3 am, this morning. So a couple of phone calls, numerous emails, so at least I feel like I’ve started.


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## matthewsx (Jun 22, 2020)

Pole barn at the camp? Shipping containers?


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## Buffalo21 (Jun 22, 2020)

Talked to my brother, the sale is now official, they sign paperwork this morning, now its in the lawyers and courts hands.

The storage issue, may be settled already, I found out the developer, is my nephew’s FIL (my other brother’s son) and his brother, they want possession ASAP, legally we (I) have 90 days, they are hoping for a much quicker turnover. I made a offer and we shall see where it goes. I offered, to be out no later than July 30th, if they gave me 2 shipping containers, at the back of the site, rent free until 6/30/21. That would give me more time, it would be a lot of paring down, but is probably workable. The nephew’s FIL seemed to be willing, but the brother was hesitant. The only leverage I have is the 90 days, so we shall see. This would allow them to start their project this year, in the good weather.


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## matthewsx (Jun 22, 2020)

I negotiated a similar deal when I sold my shop, I could store stuff in a 53' storage trailer on the property for some time. If I remember correctly the trailer was only about $1800 and I bought it long before I sold the property. 

John


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## WCraig (Jun 23, 2020)

Buffalo21 said:


> I’ve been involved with 3 auctions in my lifetime, I’ll never do another ...


If you don't mind, what went so badly wrong?

Craig


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## Buffalo21 (Jun 23, 2020)

Property stolen 
Property damaged
Lawn tore up
Incredible clean up (grounds and building)
Questionable accounting by the auction company
Irate purchasers, coming back, even though, everything was sold as is (auction company refused to return anyone’s calls, including mine)
People showing up 2-3 days later, looking for leftovers


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## Buffalo21 (Jun 23, 2020)

The deal is off, I received a irate call from one of the developers, saying they would do nothing and I needed to vacate immediately, I told them according to the contract, I had 90 days, from the contract date. My lawyer call him and told him, it’s 90 days, before they get possession, they were told 90 days, is 90 days, not a day earlier, unless i agree to it, in writing. Trust me when I say, after his phone call, it will be 90 days, down to the final hour. The previous arrangements to get rid of stuff is going ahead, as scheduled. There will be a couple boxes or crates, left in the warehouse, until the last second allows.


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## matthewsx (Jun 23, 2020)

Or they can pay you to get it done sooner....


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## matthewsx (Jun 23, 2020)

Is it one of those deals where they're converting it to fancy "loft" apartments for fancy people? If so I'd say every day is worth about $1000.  

John


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## Cheeseking (Jun 24, 2020)

Careful storing machines in shipping containers. Depending on the weather conditions those things 
might as well be called “rustomatic chambers”.


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## Cheeseking (Jun 25, 2020)

.


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## Buffalo21 (Aug 9, 2020)

UPDATE

I have completely emptied my inventory out of the warehouse, roughly 50 days before the required date, except for a large crate full of tractor-trailer brake drums (going to the scrapper) and an Ammco brake lathe (will probably have to pay someone to take it), that will set there in the warehouse shipping bay until the final date allowed. According to the paperwork, they can not enter the building to work, until I sign off, which will be the final day allowed, boy I’m glad I’m not bitter!!

I found another storage facility, I am currently down to 4 surface grinders (all the same model, between the 4 I should have one workable one) 2 lathes, 3 vertical milling machines and one large horizontal milling machine.

The sale of the warehouse inventory, allowed me to pay off the smallish balance due on my grandsons college debt (Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday). Now I have to go through the lathes and milling machines and sell if they are really needed or just holding on for ownership sake.


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## Papa Charlie (Aug 9, 2020)

Buffalo21 said:


> The deal is off, I received a irate call from one of the developers, saying they would do nothing and I needed to vacate immediately, I told them according to the contract, I had 90 days, from the contract date. My lawyer call him and told him, it’s 90 days, before they get possession, they were told 90 days, is 90 days, not a day earlier, unless i agree to it, in writing. Trust me when I say, after his phone call, it will be 90 days, down to the final hour. The previous arrangements to get rid of stuff is going ahead, as scheduled. There will be a couple boxes or crates, left in the warehouse, until the last second allows.



 I would have done the exact same thing. I respond equally to good and bad.


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## Buffalo21 (Aug 9, 2020)

The developers were constantly calling my brother, to have him prod me to get out sooner. Last week my brother’s lawyer called them and said cease and desist, the next time they call, my brother will file a harassment charge. As I went to school with the two developers (brothers), they were a$$holes then and still are, they know me well and will not call me, so we wait. The paperwork I have to sign, would then allow them a actual building permit, the zoning and permitting issues have already been approved, they just need the actual okay to start work. The warehouse renovation is the center piece of their riverfront development plans, they already own all of the property surrounding the warehouse lot, the town has already told them, until the warehouse project is done ( or at least started), no other construction can be started.

My brother has allowed them access to the actually property, just not the building (I have to sign off), they are staging material for the renenovations, and are chumping at the bit to get started. I heard all 8-10 of the apartments/condos have already been sold, and they are in this until the end. They want to get in and work out all of the finish dimensions and plans, until they call and beg me, it will not happen and at any way, not for free.

Apparently the developer (the two brothers) are as stubborn as I am, so I believe this will go to the final contract date.


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## Papa Charlie (Aug 9, 2020)

They reep what they  sew.


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