Posted on 07/29/2012 5:51:06 PM PDT by Lazamataz
DO NOT EVER DO THIS.
I met a fellow about 7 years ago in the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous. He was getting cleaned up; so was I. We became fast friends. Soon, I was helping him out, and he was helping me.
Sometimes I loaned him money -- a lot -- and sometimes he loaned it to me. Once, I loaned him my car for some jobn interviews. Everything went well.
He contacted me recently and asked if I could rent him a car. "Why can't you rent it?" I asked. Well, he had a valid license but not a physical copy of it. Sure, I replied. I can do it.
I rented the car for him from Enterprise. He paid for the whole deal, including the extended insurance (which I demanded he do). Four days pass, the car needs to be returned or re-rented. No problem, he comes with more money and we re-rent it. Four more days pass, and I contact him. No answers. I call him all day. No answers. Now I am getting worried.
I go to where his last address was, and his girlfriend answers (also in the program of recovery) and she says he moved out some time back. She hints he's returned to using. Now I am getting REALLY worried.
I call and call and call. The next day, I go to Enterprise, and they inform me that because he is an unauthorised driver, no coverage will be afforded me under the insurance. I may be 100% civilly liable. They instruct me to report the car stolen. I call Chamblee police, and an officer comes. Police are always suspicious, and this one is too, telling me "my story does not add up" (but it did! It is what happened!) and informing me that I could and would be charged with a FELONY (Theft by Conversion) if the car is not returned by nightfall.
The guy is still not answering. I might be in SERIOUS trouble for being an idiot -- not for truly being a criminal.
The next day he answers, finally. Tells me not to panic, that the car is fine. I tell him HE and I will BOTH be charged with a felony and that we may be already. He shrugs it off ... "No big deal. I've had felonies before."
Yeah, a comment like that, he's definitely using again.
He promises to get the car to me. I wait at home, calling every fifteen minutes. Excuse after excuse on why he's not there yet. Finally, he stops answering again. Oh crap.
A day passes, I'm reaching out to my 12 step friends to locate him. One person saw him in an apartment complex. I stake it out for a while. No luck.
Another day passes. Enterprise calls me, they tell me they haven't issued a warrant yet, but this will be the final day.
So I start thinking like an addict. I was one, I know how they think. The only interest they (used to be me, too) have is their next hit. BINGO. I text him that I will offer him 100's in cash to bring the car back.
Suddenly he calls. He's willing. I tell him to meet me at my place of employment, where there are armed security guards. He pulls in, he's got 2 friends with him. Hmmm. I lure him out of the car by putting the cash on the ground. He gets out, I get in and order the friends out. The dude says, "Aren't you at least going to drive us somewhere?" Hell no. I'm in sight of armed guards right now, this is where they get out. I let them know they need to leave. I wave to the security guards, they wave back. They had no idea what was going on, but the wave convinced the hoodlums to leave.
This was the most terrifying week I have had in a long time. I was certain I was going to be jailed, with little prospect of an immediate bond, and a loss of job, and a felony accusation that my attorney told me was likely to stick.
All because I was too nice, too naive, and just plain stupid.
Don't let anything like this happen to you. I aged about 5 years.
Long ago I made a rule to never loan something that I might need back. You can still help but avoid the risk.
Nightmare is the proper word. Five days of sheer terror. Loss of a great Federal contractor job (immediately, if you are accused of a felony you lose the job THEN), and if a conviction occured -- which my attorney said would be hard to beat, because the judge instructs the jury: "Read the contract. Who's name is on it? Was the car returned? No? Guilty." -- if a conviction occured, try and get a computer programming job with a felony. Not gonna happen.
I've been in recovery for 11 years now and have seen a lot of this happen. But there have been some true miracles, so don't fail to help another addict.
God's will, not mine.
Yes. If they are active, the next hit is all they care about. I have a friend who rents to alcoholics and addicts (3/4 house). He says the tough ones to get to leave are the alchys. The addicts, he slips them 50 or 75 to scram and they are gone. That next hit is very important to the active addict.
Glad you got through that one, Laz. I keep my program friends at arm’s length. A sponsor once asked me to meet up with someone with $200 as a “huge favor” to him. On top of the booze he had gambling issues. He never brought it up again and seemed to harbor no ill will for my refusal.
I wasn’t referring to the action of renting a car. I meant don’t change your inner nature of being a helpful and generous person.
Sorry you’ve had to go through this ordeal, but by sharing your experience, you have taught us all a valuable lesson. Thank you for the schooling.
Who is that?!?
I will help another addict.
I will not put my name, my legal risk, and my cosign behind ANYONE, addict or not.
I would loan money to someone in the program, but I would do so with no expectation to be repaid, and limit the amount accordingly.
I enjoy your posts, but loaning out a rental car car is insane!
You may be a brilliant web and code designer, but consult me before you make any other business decisions. I'm rather good at it.
They say it's better to be lucky than good, but I like going with a bit of both. Very smooth getting the car back.
Thanks for the story. Sometimes I think I screwed up moving so far away, then I'll hear something like what you wrote and it clears my head and snaps me back to reality.
It had nothing to do with co-signing. It had to do with character evaluation. And while “trusting no one” sounds nice on paper, it makes for a pretty shitty world. So, human beings take risks on their hearts. And learn.
Karma can be a real bitch. If you were a user, it’s pretty likely you stomped on some hearts - hard. I’d say, while shooting rubber bands at the slowly rotating ceiling fan, smoking a cigar and sipping scotch, that that’s probably your reflection point here. Who’d you hurt - and how badly?
You got scared - but you were given the inspiration of how to save your skinny butt, just in the nick of time. That’s Grace.
You can’t give up on people, because if you do, you’re giving up on yourself.
On the other hand, holding most of them in an electrified pen under 24 hour armed guard on a barge in the middle of the Atlantic isn’t such a bad idea, either.
Congratulations on going straight - and welcome back to the challenge of being human.
Can I borrow your car?
/johnny
Wow. The alcoholics are complacent and sedentary? I guess that is where “beer bellies” come from.
I guess in some cases paying the junkies to go away is more effective but if they know where you live they would probably keep coming back, wouldn’t they?
We’ve been feeding a homeless cat and it just sort of sticks around. I bet it would stick around for a while after we stop feeding it, and become really noisy too.
I hope the people who help and minister to these people know enough to keep themselves safe.
Ignorance is bliss -- knowing about the theft charges would have made it much more of a nightmare for me.
The best part of your story is that you're still clean! It's all that really matters.
A lot of people in recovery from drugs and alcohol also need to go to Al-anon. That’s where I learned to detach from the qualifier but also be compassionate and supportive without enabling him or being taken in. Very important skills.
Your Honor, I concede the point.
I enjoy your posts, but loaning out a rental car car is insane!
I had the mistaken impression that the extended insurance covers it when you loan out the rental car. I heard of cases of that, but on further inspection, it's for immediate spouses and coworkers (on business related travel).
Yeah. The company makes a demand for return (usually by certified letter), in my case it was verbal and in front of the officer..... and 5 days later, if it's not there, you get Theft by Conversion. Felony for the amounts we are talking. Your ignorance wouldn't have stopped the charge.
I made it just under the five day window.
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