Need Some Input!

[RBA02]

My brother had given me a shot gun a little over two years ago as payment in exchange for work I did on his computer. He now is saying ( two years later ) that he wants the gun back, because he never gave it to me to have, he just lent it to me.

Over the past two years, this has never come up. I thought everything was settled. He is saying that he will report the gun stolen to the cops and let them know that the guy he "lent" it to will not give it back.

I never wrote up a bill of sale nor do I have a written agreement on the transaction ( foolish, I know ) because being brother's, I didn't think a verbal agreement would ever be a problem.

Can I possibly come into any legal trouble from this? I believe there is no documentation needed to transfer ownership of a shot gun from person to person in PA. I have a family and career that I don't want this to affect. But, I also don't appreciate him harassing me on this matter, when as much to my knowledge, was never an issue until now.

I also have a concealed to carry permit, which I know doesn't have anything to do with shot guns, but proves that I am able to own guns.

[Emptymag]

I'd be down one brother and he'd have his precious shotgun.


Sad to say, but it doesn't sound like either one is worth hanging onto.

[normanvin]

Sounds as if you just lost your shotgun.

[Swarner793]

He would put himself at risk of making a false report. He would have to admit he "lent" you the firearm. I doubt any legal authority would charge criminally, but rather treat it as a civil matter. Just as you have no proof that it was transferred to you, he has no proof that it was a temporary arrangement as well.

If you stand your ground and fight it, I doubt you will be charged criminally. You may end up in front of a MDJ for a civil hearing on the matter. Only you can say whether the value of a shotgun is worth it, or not.

Be safe (and avoid sibling rivalries).

Scott

[fttfbass]

Is your brother able to own firearms? Sounds like something a shady asshole would do. Most shady asshole's do something stupid to get themselves prohibited from firearm ownership.

I hope none of the asshole's on this forum take offense. It's the combination of being shady and an asshole that made me draw that conclusion.

ETA-No offense meant to the OP or his family

[RBA02]

Thank you for your inputs! They are greatly appreciated.

fttfbass,
Not so much a shady asshole, as just an asshole in general. He's able to own firearms as far as I know.

The gun is also not registered to him (which I also didn't know at the time when he gave it to me as payment). It's registered to our former step father ( been divorced from our mother for over 3 years now ) and our step father just gave him the gun without formal paperwork. He said if he had to, he would go to him to get it back. I told him that he gave the gun to me as payment under false pretenses.

[QuackXP]

I would imagine this shotgun is not worth a whole lot as he gave it to you for fixing a computer, something around a couple hundred dollars i'm betting max? If he is willing to make a big stink about it with the cops or courts i'd give him the shotgun back and tell him to stick it where the sun don't shine. It would not be worth the hassle for a shotgun I basically got for free.

If I had a shotgun for every time I fixed a family members computer i'd have to build another room just to store them all.

[Shodan]

Give it back to him and forget to mention the slight, barely noticable bend in the barrel that you hadn't previously noticed.

[bmwaudio]

Is your brother able to own firearms? Sounds like something a shady asshole would do. Most shady asshole's do something stupid to get themselves prohibited from firearm ownership.

I hope none of the asshole's on this forum take offense. It's the combination of being shady and an asshole that made me draw that conclusion.

ETA-No offense meant to the OP or his family

yeah there are some on here but almost everyone i met here is really stand up. like the guy that has an Yugo under folder AK that we agreed on a price MONTHS ago, then he backed out saying he was getting a divorce and couldnt sell it, told him i will wait and buy it for agreed price when he could sell it, never heard a word back from him, and now its back up recently in the classifieds at almost 2X the price.....

[streaker69]

Is a step-father to step-son transfer without an FFL legal?