As much as $600,000 in baseball memorabilia stolen from Don & Charlie's In Scottsdale

[Ronnie73]

Originally Posted by nolemmings

If you knew anything about the place or its owner, you would be VERY reluctant to suggest nefarious behavior. Another article stated the baseballs were worth between $200-$600K, “according to a police spokesman”. If I were to guess, an employee or even the owner himself was so caught off guard by the theft that he remarked without much reflection, especially since the true value of the baseballs being worth far less is pretty easily researched.

For those unfamiliar with the restaturant, here is a more thorough story about Don & Charlie’s. To call it iconic is no understatement, as you will see comments from George Will, Bob Uecker and Bud Selig, and Harry Caray ate (drank) there so often he was probably entitled to receive his mail there.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/ente...es/2922922002/

The place was (is for two more weeks) a flippin museum. There has been some talk that it may resurface, although it can never be the same. Good thing Scottsdale got another hotel/resort to literally stand in its place--Lord knows that's just what the city needed

Sounds like it is/was a great place. To bad the story didn't go into detail for the sale two years prior and now the official closing. Was it a pressured sale, or was the property owned by someone else and was out of the hands of the restaurant owner? Or was it just a great deal of money for the property? It just doesn't make much sense to me to plan a closing for what sounded like a profitable and popular business.

[nolemmings]

Originally Posted by Ronnie73

Sounds like it is/was a great place. To bad the story didn't go into detail for the sale two years prior and now the official closing. Was it a pressured sale, or was the property owned by someone else and was out of the hands of the restaurant owner? Or was it just a great deal of money for the property? It just doesn't make much sense to me to plan a closing for what sounded like a profitable and popular business.

There was a zoning change that allowed for the hotel to be built. Actually, I need to point out something I just discovered myself-- the hotel was going to keep a scaled down version of the restaurant and is even going to be named in honor of Don and Charlie's. That is great news if it comes to fruition.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...le/1745940002/

Here is a pic of a typical wall in the restaurant, taken from the above article. The bar, although small, is also chock-full of stuff, including some 1969 Cubs artwork on one wall with many autos.

[toppcat]

To say this is a scam without knowing the facts is ridiculous, c'mon. And whatever the value some spokesman places on the balls, their insured value/replacement cost is all that matters when a claim is filed.

[1952boyntoncollector]

The can use Deans cards as their expert and get it to 3 million.


Still i always feel bad for the actual thief in this situation if there is a pumped up insurance claim...what can the thief really say if someone says 300k of cash stolen from car....'nah i only stole 120k'

[Exhibitman]

Insurers don't just roll over on major claims like this. Google "examination under oath" and the cooperation clause of a policy: the owners of the place are likely going to undergo a forensic accounting analysis of their last three years' taxes and finances akin to an IRS audit, then be examined in depth about the specifics of the loss. The insurer will likely retain an expert in sports memorabilia to create its own market valuation on the loss once it has the details pinned down.

[Kenny Cole]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Insurers don't just roll over on major claims like this. Google "examination under oath" and the cooperation clause of a policy: the owners of the place are likely going to undergo a forensic accounting analysis of their last three years' taxes and finances akin to an IRS audit, then be examined in depth about the specifics of the loss. The insurer will likely retain an expert in sports memorabilia to create its own market valuation on the loss once it has the details pinned down.

Yeah, there will likely be several EUOs. They will want to see the insured's books for several years and, if they have other businesses, the books from those businesses too. I would imagine that there will ultimately be a failure to cooperate claim because carriers think they are entitled to everything, no matter how tangential, and at some point the insured will call bullshit on that and bow up because it is bullshit. Then there's the referral to the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) for fraud. Pretty standard stuff. Seen it 1000 times.

To some degree the amount of hassle depends on the carrier, but the script is pretty predictable, particularly if it is being reported as a Large Loss according to the carrier's internal policies regarding the amount of the claim. Then it generally goes to a different unit and a different adjuster. If the claim is being presented as over $200K, most carriers are going to view that as a Large Loss. Hope it all works out and don't envy them.

[Rich Klein]

[QUOTE=Exhibitman;1866399]Insurers don't just roll over on major claims like this. Google "examination under oath" and the cooperation clause of a policy: the owners of the place are likely going to undergo a forensic accounting analysis of their last three years' taxes and finances akin to an IRS audit, then be examined in depth about the specifics of the loss. The insurer will likely retain an expert in sports memorabilia to create its own market valuation on the loss once it has the details pinned down.[/QUOTE

Back in my Beckett days I talked to insurance people on at least a one a month basis about issues similar to this. Those usually did involve cards and amazingly every vintage card anyone had was automatically at book price (in those days nm or better pre-1980 pre-grading) And there was the time I was in daily contact with the FBI over a Wagner (card was real, the back story was more fascinating)

Adam is correct, the insurance company won't just pay the money without a detailed investigation considering the $$ involved.

Rich

[1880nonsports]

fake claim?

[Santo10Fan]

Originally Posted by 1952boyntoncollector

The can use Deans cards as their expert and get it to 3 million.

I like that

[Duluth Eskimo]

That Ruth is as fake and the claim