She Only LOOKS Harmless...

[Broomstick]

How did you find out that your lawyer is going after Pumpkin Harpy again? Presumably he/she wouldn't discuss other client's information with you.

Many court documents are public once filed. So there needn't be any privileged information exchanged for Broomstick to know that the matter is before the courts.

Or... it could be as simple as I spoke not to my lawyer (you are correct, he would never share such information without permission) but to the other party. It's the other person suing her that told me.

[Purple]

Random question. Do you actually look harmless?

[Broomstick]

Yep, pretty much.

Not particularly big, female, wears glasses, heading fast towards middle age... People underestimate my strength, intelligence, and determination on a fairly routine basis. Until they get to know me.

[Zaune]

Yep, pretty much.

Not particularly big, female, wears glasses, heading fast towards middle age... People underestimate my strength, intelligence, and determination on a fairly routine basis. Until they get to know me.

Huh. I always imagined you as the sort of woman who could break me in half like a twig if you were so inclined.

[Lord Revan]

it's probably cause we judge her by the things she's told us, opposed to judging her by the way she looks.

[Broomstick]

Yep, pretty much.

Not particularly big, female, wears glasses, heading fast towards middle age... People underestimate my strength, intelligence, and determination on a fairly routine basis. Until they get to know me.

Huh. I always imagined you as the sort of woman who could break me in half like a twig if you were so inclined.

I probably could, I'm much stronger than I look, mainly because I don't have that hyper-athletic "cut" look you see in Hollywood characterizations, I've got all the curves appropriate to a normal woman, with muscle underneath.

You ever see those Russian grandmothers? The ones with the head scarves and the big smiles all happy to be feeding everyone too much food? That's what I look like.

it's probably cause we judge her by the things she's told us, opposed to judging her by the way she looks.

^ This.

A common reaction of someone meeting me in real life after first knowing me on the internet is "You're tiny!" or "You're cute!".

Think of me as a cuddly, fuzzy little critter with surprisingly big, sharp teeth.

[Zaune]

You ever see those Russian grandmothers? The ones with the head scarves and the big smiles all happy to be feeding everyone too much food? That's what I look like.

And now I'm picturing you as a rather younger and less crotchety and sexually frustrated version of Philo's mother from Every Which Way But Loose.

[Darth Nostril]

Huh. I always imagined you as the sort of woman who could break me in half like a twig if you were so inclined.

Really? I envisaged Broom as a bit under average height, on the lean side and greying with a wiry strength borne from just getting shit done.

[Borgholio]

Think of me as a cuddly, fuzzy little critter with surprisingly big, sharp teeth.

So you're a kitty?

[Zeropoint]

You ever see those Russian grandmothers? The ones with the head scarves and the big smiles all happy to be feeding everyone too much food?

The kind that single-handedly carry logs around?

[Broomstick]

Huh. I always imagined you as the sort of woman who could break me in half like a twig if you were so inclined.

Really? I envisaged Broom as a bit under average height, on the lean side and greying with a wiry strength borne from just getting shit done.

Well... no grey yet...

You ever see those Russian grandmothers? The ones with the head scarves and the big smiles all happy to be feeding everyone too much food?

The kind that single-handedly carry logs around?

Well... did win the ladies' caber toss (half the weight of the men's caber) two years running at the Chicago Highland Games... so, um, yes, yes I am that kind.

[Broomstick]

Looks like I got my last check from the Great Pumpkin Harpy - damn, she had another two years of payments to go! I'd heard a rumor she skipped town, looks like it's now official..

Buck's Shoe Repair closes after tenant 'locked up and left'

It looks like Walter Buck is giving the boot to the shoe business.

This comes after the operator of Feet First inside the former Buck's Shoe Repair in the building Buck owns has seemingly abandoned the business.

"Last week she just locked up and left," Buck said. "No information or anything."

That operator would be Lori Gallion, who signed a one-year lease with Buck in 2011 to bring her store into the space.

Buck said she's one month behind on her rent and that she wouldn't sign a new lease.

"I let her go six months, wanting to know her intent, then she didn't pay rent for a month," he said. "She walked off and left customers stranded. I can't believe people would ever do stuff like that."

Efforts to reach Gallion were unsuccessful. She also owned another Feet First location in Mishawaka but that phone number is disconnected.

Buck said he had "no idea" if customers would be able to get their shoes back. Bill Peiffer, of Valparaiso, dropped off a new pair of shoes at the store March 19. He wanted new insoles put in. He said a woman took his money and said they should be ready in a few days and that she'd call him. When Peiffer didn't get a call, he called the store but only got a phone that "rang off the hook."

"I drove by and it looked abandoned," he said. "It's really upsetting to me."

Mike Connors, who manages the property for Buck, said there are a limited number of shoes in the building and that they would be trying their best to find people's information.

"We're kind of limited, we didn't run the business," he said. "They were pretty helter-skelter in there."

Connors on Friday posted a sign on the business with Gallion's phone number for customers to call.

Buck said he hoped to have a new tenant soon but that it wouldn't be a shoe business.

This isn't the first time the business had troubles with operation. It closed in June of 2011, after two years of operation under Virginia Wihelm during which it closed intermittently. Buck evicted Wilhelm and that's when Gallion came in with Feet First.

[mr friendly guy]

So what happens now? With cases like this how likely are police to look for her, or is that left to private eyes and debt collectors.

[bilateralrope]

What are the chances that she owes money to someone who tried to get it back through violence ?

Is that enough to get the police to start a missing persons investigation ?

[Borgholio]

I'm not sure how the whole thing works, but I imagine so long as she doesn't go totally off the grid, she can be found and served. Broomstick, didn't you say awhile back she could have a warrant out for her arrest if she didn't pay?

[Broomstick]

Honestly, the police are unlikely to expend many resources in pursuing her. There are more dangerous/violent/serious criminals on the loose that are higher priority. It's not that they'd ignore the matter, but unless someone comes forward with information on her whereabouts not much is likely to happen.

Yes, it's possible someone she owed money who is, shall we say, not as law-abiding as myself may have taken matters into his/her own hands.

Someone might have filed a missing person report, but if so, I have no information on it.

Presumably, she took her grandson with her, as she has custody of him, and if so the fact a child is involved might prompt more interest and/or action.

At this point, it's a matter of cost vs. benefits to pursuing her. I will be discussing this with my lawyer, of course.

[Rogue 9]

Well, if a bench warrant is issued for her arrest she won't be driving away from any traffic stops, if nothing else. If she's really as incompetent as she's made out to be, she won't be able to hide very effectively or for long.

[Ralin]

What are the chances that she owes money to someone who tried to get it back through violence ?

Is that enough to get the police to start a missing persons investigation ?

I doubt it is anything so dramatic. Everything Broomstick has said about her makes it sound like Pumpkin Harpy is a stupid and arrogant person whose favorite response to a situation she doesn't like and can't change is to ignore it. Cutting and running is just taking that to the next level.

[Broomstick]

Happy surprise!

The Pumpkin Harpy sent another check! She still hasn't been seen around town, so presumably she sent money from wherever she is now to the court system, which then relayed it to the lawyer and me. Of course, as the lawyer noted there is no saying whether we'll ever see another, or how many, but I was quite happy to receive it anyway.

[Borgholio]

That's amazing. I thought she would be dead by now...

[Zaune]

Assuming the cheque doesn't bounce, of course.

[Beowulf]

Assuming the cheque doesn't bounce, of course.

I wouldn't be surprised to find the court system either required a cashier's check, or the check to be made to the court, with the government then disbursing another check to Broomstick.

[Broomstick]

^ That.

The court absolutely will not accept her personal check - that was established the first time she attempted payment. They accepted cash, once, but after that she was told a money order or cashier's check were the only acceptable payment forms for her legal debt.

Although, probably, if she did do something goddamned stupid like mail a stack of cash to the court system they'd probably take it. After all, it says right on the paper it's good for all debts, public or private. It's just extra handling costs because of needed security annoys the court system.

[Zaune]

I read somewhere that it's actually against federal law to refuse cash if it's in payment of a debt, even if she pulls some passive-aggressive bullshit like showing up with a wheelbarrow full of nickels. Though they may or may not be allowed to tack on the -probably substantial- fees charged by the bank for depositing them.

[Broomstick]

For the most part, yes, it's illegal to refuse cash, either paper or coin, for a debt... with pennies being the possible exception. So nickles and up must be accepted.