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I'd like to get your opinions and advice. My wife has a co-worker and friend who's husband fell of the wagon. She wanted to get the handguns out of the house so gave them to us for safekeeping. Then she told her husband she got rid of them.

It turns out the husband spent the bill money instead of paying the bills so she's wanting us to sell the handguns for quick cash. I could take them to a pawn shop or something for a quick sale, but I'm concerned about what would happen if her husband decided to report the guns stolen. I figure it would be better to escort her to where ever she wishes to make the sale and let her make the transaction herself.

Do you guys have any suggestions? BTW, the guns won't bring a lot of money. They are a .45 Astra A-75 and a Taurus model 85 .38 special.

She'll get more money through a private sale.

You may consider posting them here with pictures and prices and see if they are purchased by members here.

While not required, you may advise her to get a bill of sale with the two parties information on it. That way if he reports them stolen, she will have proof that they were not.

I'll pray for your friend and her husband. It sounds like they are in some rough times.

TxRVer wrote:I'd like to get your opinions and advice. My wife has a co-worker and friend who's husband fell of the wagon. She wanted to get the handguns out of the house so gave them to us for safekeeping. Then she told her husband she got rid of them.

It turns out the husband spent the bill money instead of paying the bills so she's wanting us to sell the handguns for quick cash. I could take them to a pawn shop or something for a quick sale, but I'm concerned about what would happen if her husband decided to report the guns stolen. I figure it would be better to escort her to where ever she wishes to make the sale and let her make the transaction herself.

Do you guys have any suggestions? BTW, the guns won't bring a lot of money. They are a .45 Astra A-75 and a Taurus model 85 .38 special.

You are correct. I would not have them at my house. Get them back in her posession. She can hide them at home or what ever she wants to do.
If he finds out where they are & turns them in stolen, then she hides under the couch like ALMOST EVERY wife of alcoholics do, you are in big Big BIG trouble. If they get in a fight & she tells where they are, the 1st thing you know about it could be when the PD or SO knocks on your door w/ questions at best & a warrent at worst.

I have pastored a church for 34 yrs. Sir you are now in the BIG MIDDLE of a domestic dispute. It just has not exploded yet.
You asked for suggestions so the guy that has been around this for 34 yrs strongly suggests:
Get out of this.
Get rid of the guns on your property.
Even if you escort her to a pawn shop I can see all kinds of trouble. ie: "you convinced her to do this," & she hides under the couch again.
If she lies TO her husband about where they are, she will lie again When he wants to know how they got there.

When I give advice I usually say w/ tongue in cheek, "my .02 cents & most think it worth about half that." Not this time.

On this one I will tell you the only good thing that can happen is nothing.
There are 10,000 or more bad things that can happen.
I hope you take my suggestions & get out of this fast & tell your wife to do the same.
Best help is to point her to a womens shelter.
LT.

I was going to put in my two cents' worth, but after reading longtooth's post, I think his advice to extricate yourself from this situation ASAP is worth following.

Longtooth made an excellent post, and I don't think I can expand much upon that. Wise words indeed!!

FWIW - my wife and I have many friends which are for the most part seperate from each other. Whether it is due to interests, the activities they are involved in, or whatever. I will say one thing - I would NEVER get involved in a mess like that, for one of her friends - and rarely would I ask her to get involved in a mess like that for my friends. The legal implications being what they are, only my closest friends/blood family would be worth me sticking my neck, and my family's security/well being on the line for that sort of issue.

Its a woman thing to get involved in junk like that, but your best strategy for this would involve exiting the situation entirely.....

Great post and wonderful advice LT!!

LT offers great advice!

I'll briefly touch on a legal point. If the guns are community property, i.e. purchased during the marriage with community funds, then the wife can sell them as could her husband. If he owned the guns before they were married, then they are his separate property and she cannot sell them. There would be a very good argument that the guns are stolen property.

In addition to the reasons LT gave, I would suggest 1) not participating in the sale in any way; and 2) getting the guns back to her - NOT HIM! You don't want to be sued for arming someone you had reason to believe would be a threat to himself or another person.

Chas.

Charles L. Cotton wrote:
I'll briefly touch on a legal point. If the guns are community property, i.e. purchased during the marriage with community funds, then the wife can sell them as could her husband. If he owned the guns before they were married, then they are his separate property and she cannot sell them. There would be a very good argument that the guns are stolen property.

In addition to the reasons LT gave, I would suggest 1) not participating in the sale in any way; and 2) getting the guns back to her - NOT HIM! You don't want to be sued for arming someone you had reason to believe would be a threat to himself or another person.

Chas.

A few of those 10,000 bad things I was thinking about.

Two excellent posts from LongTooth and Charles.

I agree with them whole-heartedly.

Russ

Thanks for all the great comments and suggestions. I have to agree with most of them since you're thinking along the same lines as I was. At this point the friend is more concerned about her husbands safety than hers since he's been depressed. The handguns are community property and we'll keep them for her until she's ready to sell them. She's a level headed profession and I trust her not to disclose the location. We won't get involved as far as the sale.

Thanks to all of you for responding.

Does she have a good locking case or box to keep them in?

UPDATE: Yesterday she came to the house and picked up the handguns. Everything is going well for them and she's accepted a promotion requiring a move to Georgia.