AcroBoy
Line Up and Wait
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2008
- Messages
- 649
- Display Name
Display name:
Jim N
There has been a great thread on the Beech forum regarding an avionics shop in Huntington, IN. I had gone there many times in the past, as have a number of friends and other pilots from our home field. This shop had a reputation for being a third to perhaps even a half of other avionics shops, delivered on time, and the work was generally done well, with no hidden upcharges.
The other day my radar died, so I called and took it to his shop, but also put a credit card deposit on a used unit he had,since my symptoms sounded like a dead magnetron. Turns out he was playing a shell game with his customers, using their deposits to pay for other work- classic ponzi scheme ala Bernie Madoff.
There were several planes that were completely torn apart, with partially completed wiring harnesses, while several customers had sent huge deposits for the purchase of avionics which never materialized. He was also months late on his hangar rent and house payments as well, as everyone later learned.
Best anyone can figure is that he owes his various creditors 300-300K. He came in one night and removed his computer records, and then skipped town, leaving his house empty. Luckily, he had not touched my plane, so I am out 5K for the radar unit (which the previous owner was never credited, and was also sold to someone else, who has it in their possession).
As of now, police are leaning this toward a civil matter, but of course he has no assets,so nothing to attach. Going to court (if they can even find him), would only result in an empty settlement, so hiring a lawyer and possibly a detective would cost a lot more money than the radar unit.
At least my plane was untouched, while a Bonanza had to have a crew come in and get a ferry permit to fly out, with no panel other than engine instruments.
It is a real mess, but I am now just trying to minimize my losses. There are others that are out tens of thousands of dollars for panel deposits.
Caveat emptor!
The other day my radar died, so I called and took it to his shop, but also put a credit card deposit on a used unit he had,since my symptoms sounded like a dead magnetron. Turns out he was playing a shell game with his customers, using their deposits to pay for other work- classic ponzi scheme ala Bernie Madoff.
There were several planes that were completely torn apart, with partially completed wiring harnesses, while several customers had sent huge deposits for the purchase of avionics which never materialized. He was also months late on his hangar rent and house payments as well, as everyone later learned.
Best anyone can figure is that he owes his various creditors 300-300K. He came in one night and removed his computer records, and then skipped town, leaving his house empty. Luckily, he had not touched my plane, so I am out 5K for the radar unit (which the previous owner was never credited, and was also sold to someone else, who has it in their possession).
As of now, police are leaning this toward a civil matter, but of course he has no assets,so nothing to attach. Going to court (if they can even find him), would only result in an empty settlement, so hiring a lawyer and possibly a detective would cost a lot more money than the radar unit.
At least my plane was untouched, while a Bonanza had to have a crew come in and get a ferry permit to fly out, with no panel other than engine instruments.
It is a real mess, but I am now just trying to minimize my losses. There are others that are out tens of thousands of dollars for panel deposits.
Caveat emptor!
D), he could write it off as a bad debt and effectively recover most of it in less taxes...