Who took my beehives in Gypsum, Colorado?

[beardance]

A realtor from Prudential that was handeling the illegal eviction of me and my family, lied to a beekeeper and told him or her to come and take anything they wanted in my apiary because I abandoned it. My apiary consisted of 25 double deep Beemax hives with about half that number in live hives, a DOW bear fence with marine battery and fencer and solar charger, about a dozen or more wooden boxes with top and bottom boardsand inner covers, hive stands, 2 wood nucs and some old cardboard nucs not in the best of shape and assorted equipment. She did this all illegally, knowing that I was going to move the apiary. The sherrif deputies knew we were going to move them too. She did it out of spite because I wouln't bow down to her. My son and I spent a full day carefully picking up my $24,000.00 steel building and restacking it after she had it dumped along the road in front of my former residence. Because it was dumped along the road without reasonable care ( the law ), it took a lot longer. My wife called it in to the sherrif that it was stolen. Of course we accused the friendly neighborhood realtor and her husband. We obviously don't put any blame on the beekeeper that came and picked up the hives. We just want them back.

[Gord]

You may never get your bees back, but I would take the realtor to small claims court.
It's a little work, but it's affordable, and you actually have your day in court (without a lawyer).
Go get the papers TODAY, and start the ball rolling.

[shinbone]

beardance - what a bummer! I would think that Beemax hives are relatively uncommon, and so hopefully are easy to track down. I hope you recover your hives and equipment, and I hope you seek full compensation from the realtor for any and all damages she has caused. Perhaps there are criminal charges that can be filed against the realtor, as well?

Just a question: How do you know the realtor told the beekeeper who took you hives that you had abandoned your hives and equipment? That seems to me to be a critical piece of information that you will need to pursue legal action against the realtor.

Regardless, I hope you get your stuff back and that the slimy realtor gets his/her just due.

[Haraga]

Tell us how it came to be that you were evicted?

[gone2seed]

Take Gord's advice.If you were illegally evicted you will win.

[Mr.Beeman]

There is a lot of this story that is not being said.

I would think that if eveything was done "illegally" the police would be pursuing this "theft" and there would be arrests by now.

[Saltybee]

Every state is different. Every set of facts are different.
In Maine even if a tenant leaves valuables behind after the end of a lease I have to pay to store them for at least 30 days. Eviction is only complete after court order and is complete only after being physically done by a sheriff.
You are correct, realtor took possession by giving them away.

Check your state consumer protection agency.

[Saltybee]

No, police try to let private matters settle out before getting in a he said she said situation. Will act when facts are settled.

[Haraga]

Can you find the guy that has your bees and explain the situation to him and ask for them back?

[Kieck]

Why was a Realtor involved in an eviction, illegal or legal?

Was the apiary located on land connected to the eviction?

[delber]

Police I can see depending upon the area could be helpful and could be a major pain. I've read where police have said that it's not their job to "protect the citizen". Really?!? I thought that was their job. But apparently it's not and it has even help up in court. I'd consider taking Gord's advice and look into court.

[bobbarker]

I would also try posting some craigslist ads or putting up posters, asking at any local beekeeping associations, and seeing if you can track down the person that came and got them. Like you say, they likely didn't know the whole story, and thought they stumbled into a bit of good luck with a lot of free gear/bees that was abandoned. Hopefully, that individual would do the right thing if they found out that the realtor didn't have the right to give the stuff away, and let you come get it. Some folks wouldn't do the right thing, but I know I sure as heck would, and hopefully, whoever did get the stuff would too, if you can manage to track them down.

[Grant]

Sorry to hear of these actions. If it was an "illegal" eviction, any good lawyer should be ready to take your case and may do a better job than representing yourself in small claims court. I know they cost money, but my experience has been a good lawyer is worth the cost. I've been through small claims court and I think the judge just looked at length of her skirt before agreeing with her side of the case.

I should have had a lawyer.

Grant
Jackson, MO

[ericweller]

I'm sorry for your loss.
Now, I'm not a lawyer but I watch one on TV and I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express once......
The bottom line that any judge is going to look at is the date on the eviction order, the date the your items disappeared and whether the items you lost was on the property of the land owner. If those explicit facts are honestly answered, you will know how a judge will rule.
Good luck!

[curios1]

Police I can see depending upon the area could be helpful and could be a major pain. I've read where police have said that it's not their job to "protect the citizen". Really?!? I thought that was their job. But apparently it's not and it has even help up in court. I'd consider taking Gord's advice and look into court.

it

[Oldtimer]

The beekeeper who took them would have had some doubts. I know that If I were approached in such a situation, I would have a degree of sympathy for the beehive owner, and would at the least want to talk to the former owner first before removing the hives. Regardless of what the realtor told me I would know there are two sides to every story & sometimes people can fall on hard times.

So the fact the guy just came and took them, shows a degree of being prepared to go with the flow, long as he stands to gain.

At least one person knows who has the hives, and that's the realtor. If legal avenues fail but you can find out who has the hives or where they are, myself, I would not feel bad about stealing them back.

How to get the information, that's the problem. I'm wondering if you took legal action, even if it failed, during the course of the action the realtor may be required to reveal who she told to take the hives and you could use this information later.

[KPeacock]

I hadn't considered theft of bees and gear to be a problem, especially at the level I plan to operate (less than a dozen hives). Is it worthwhile to incorporate a unique identifier on hives and components? I have fabricated and assembled all of my equipment and could easily incorporate an ID tag into a small kerf in the bodies, or do something as simple as branding. My impression of beekeepers as a whole is a very positive. It just doesn;t seem like the type of group with folks into snathing other peoples things. It seems unlikely that a non-beekeeper would attempt to steal a hive as opposed to vandalizing it in some manner. Is this a worthwhile exercise, or extra work? I'm in a very low crime area, but it only takes one...

[beardance]

It turns out we have the DA and Sheriffs department doing a criminal investigation as we speak. Thanks everyone for the kind words and concern.

[Rusty Hills Farm]

I hadn't considered theft of bees and gear to be a problem, especially at the level I plan to operate (less than a dozen hives). Is it worthwhile to incorporate a unique identifier on hives and components? I have fabricated and assembled all of my equipment and could easily incorporate an ID tag into a small kerf in the bodies, or do something as simple as branding. My impression of beekeepers as a whole is a very positive. It just doesn;t seem like the type of group with folks into snathing other peoples things. It seems unlikely that a non-beekeeper would attempt to steal a hive as opposed to vandalizing it in some manner. Is this a worthwhile exercise, or extra work? I'm in a very low crime area, but it only takes one...

Lots of states require all their beekeepers to mark their hives. I know both Florida (where I came from) and Alabama (where I am) require beekeepers to brand their equipment, and the state keeps a record of that brand as part of the registration process. Have you checked with Michigan to see if this isn't the case as well?

HTH

Rusty

[Haraga]

It turns out we have the DA and Sheriffs department doing a criminal investigation as we speak. Thanks everyone for the kind words and concern.

Could you give us the specifics of the eviction?