Thursday, May 12, 2011

A lesson learned and something to consider

Life continues to catch me off guard at the oddest times.  On Tuesday my sister-in-law Aide told me that her abusive ex-husband is back in Minnesota again.  My first thought was ‘I hope you’re not planning to go anywhere near him without protection’.  I did ask her why she’s mentioned it, and Aide said that it was something I should think about.  We had been discussing how to raise money to pay for the remaining immigration appointments and travel arrangements, but it took me a moment to remember that Marcos owes me a fair amount of money and a sincere apology.  It’s an interesting story that may serve as a warning to any women in my position to not allow yourself to be taken advantage of.
Back in January of 2005 Alberto purchased a van that he was going to use for work.  He bought the vehicle from his boss, who insisted that someone transfer the title before anyone else drove the vehicle.  Being that I trusted Alberto, I signed the title when he asked the favor of me with the understanding that he would be the only person to ever drive the van.  Marcos was working with Alberto at the time and for some unknown reason began a slander campaign between the boss and Alberto.  Marcos told Alberto that the boss didn’t want to work with him anymore and that he should stop coming to work.  Alberto who is really a trusting soul, believed everything Marcos had said to him and so he left the van at the boss’s house after the last conversation. 

At this point I had no idea what was going on until the first accident occurred.  Marcos had been driving while under the influence and apparently hit another vehicle while driving the van that was still in my name.  After we learned of the first accident, I called the police to find out if I could report the vehicle stolen.  I was told that if I submitted a report and the vehicle subsequently found, the at-fault party would be arrested which happened to be Alberto since he had permission to use the van at the time of its disappearance.  The day Marcos fled the state; he managed to hit either a pedestrian or someone on a bike.  The van did not have any insurance on it at the time of the accident, so imagine my horror when I receive a bill for subrogation from the insurance company that paid this gentleman’s medical bills.  I now owed $1,470 to an insurance company that had every intention of collecting from me in any way possible.  Needless to say, I paid the insurance company their subrogation claim as I had no other choice.  I had hoped that Alberto would have learned his lesson, which in a way he did since he never again allowed someone else to drive a car that was in my name.  This was not the first incident where something happened to a car that was in my name, and coincidentally it was a vehicle that Marcos was driving when he was arrested for a DUI.  That situation was different as I signed for the vehicle to get it out of the impound lot and when the vehicle was sold a few months later, Aide did not make the buyer go to the DMV with her to sign over the title.  I received a $90 parking ticket in the mail which I also had to pay since I had no proof that the vehicle was no longer mine.
When I spoke with Alberto tonight and I told him what Aide had said about her ex-husband, he said it couldn’t hurt for me to get his number and attempt to collect some money regarding the debt.  He reminded me that we had spoken to Marcos shortly after he fled the state, and Marcos had said he would pay me back the money the insurance company had demanded from me.  If Marcos agrees to pay me the money he owes me from 6 years ago, well then I would have to meet him somewhere.  Being a woman of some intelligence, I don’t want to meet him alone nor do I want him at my in-laws house for any reason.  I’m sure he probably knows where Aide and his children are living, but in case he doesn’t I do not want to be the one who gives him that information. I still have all the paperwork from the insurance company and the DMV when I attempted to force the title out of my name.  I even have the notice the junkyard sent me by mail when the van in my name came into their possession.


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