Wow! I can't imagine that this could happen to someone for calling the police. I would suggest contacting the news papers and the CV association. Regina Armenta www.yogaonwheels.org
--- On Fri, 6/19/09, Kevin Zeese <kze...@earthlink.net> wrote: > From: Kevin Zeese <kze...@earthlink.net> > Subject: [Chat] No good deed goes unpunished > To: "'Charles Village Discussion List'" <discuss...@charlesvillage.info>, > "Charles Village Chat" <chat@charlesvillage.info> > Date: Friday, June 19, 2009, 3:23 PM > > > > > > Your > suggestions are welcome on > the situation below. > > Last > September we saw someone > walk across the alley behind Calvert to the St. Paul side > and pour gasoline over > the door of a garage. We could smell the gasoline > from our house, about > five doors down, and then a person with us went up to it > and confirmed that it > was in fact gasoline. > > We thought this was bizarre and did > not know what to do. > We did not know the > persons intent but were concerned that if there was a fire > it could affect the > whole block of row houses. If a neighbor had seen > someone do this to our > house or the house next door we'd want them to call the > police, so we > did. > > The > police sent out the arson > squad. We never accused > anyone of arson but did report the pouring of > gasoline. > > Recently we found out that the > individual was arrested and held over in jail for three > days, paying a $1,000 > bond to get out. The police wanted to charge him with > attempted arson but > the prosecutors felt they could not prove it. The > police/prosecutor never > called us to discuss whether there was anything more than > gasoline being > poured. > > We > received a letter from a > lawyer, Howard Schulman, threatening to sue us for > defamation because we > accused his client of attempted arson. In the letter > the lawyer > acknowledged that his client did indeed pour gasoline in > the alley. He > claimed it was to kill rats. Pouring gasoline and > other chemicals in the > ally is itself illegal. > > We > wrote back saying that the > lawyer had the facts wrong and we did not accuse anyone of > attempted arson, > merely that he poured gasoline on a neighbors garage -- > something the lawyer > admitted. > > The > lawyer wrote back with a > draft complaint continuing his threat to sue and telling us > to have our lawyer > or insurance company call him. > > We > contacted our insurance > company which initially said they would cover this, but now > say they do > not. They say they talked to the lawyer and that he > does intend to > sue. He suggests we get a > lawyer. > > Of course, getting a lawyer would probably > cost more than > settling the case but we do not want to settle a false > claim or hire a > lawyer. > > We see > this as a legal stick-up > -- the type of thing that will discourage others from > calling the police when > they see a crime. > > Any > suggestions? Any > lawyers or others with experience with > this? > > Thanks. > > KZ > > -----Inline Attachment Follows----- > > _______________________________________________ > Chat mailing list > Chat@charlesvillage.info > http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info > archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ _______________________________________________ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/