We worked for a private retail store that lost its owner in a house fire. The store sold exotic birds as well as boarding, grooming, and anything else related to the care of parrots. The heirs decided to gift the store to the three employees that worked there. One of the three went and talked the executor into selling the place to her. Once she closed on the sale, she came to the store and fired the other two employees. We had to vacate the premises that same day. Since then she has refused to allow us to come and get our personal property, including our personal birds and personal items that were still on the premises. We now need to hire an animal lawyer to try to get our things back. We have been given the run around trying to get someone to help us and have been told to go to small claims, go to the police, just go get it and because of the complexity of the case, the only lawyer that will help us requires a trust set up which is more than we can come up with on our own.
All we want is to get our things back, and the new owner is refusing to let us and is now trying to sell our things. This is a business that is registered in the state and she is basically stealing our things. Please, any amount will help and hopefully we can get our birds back before she sells them and we never see them again.
HelpGetOurBirdsBack
Fundraising for
B. L. Branham
Fundraising forB. L. Branham
B. L. Branham
Vancouver Washington
$1,000of $10,000 goal
13
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3
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Fundraiser Updates (2)
April 16, 2024
B. L. Branham
I wanted to give you an update and let you know that after going to court, the judge has given our birds to the one that stole them! We were also ordered to pay her for keeping them.
We believe that she won the case because her lawyer convinced the judge that we abandoned our birds. The judge totally disregarded the proof we had that these were our birds and property and even disallowed text messages. We had to represent ourselves as we could not afford the $15,000 retainer the lawyer wanted.
Now, not only has she sold our birds, she has totally destroyed the store that she claimed she was going to improve. This achievement took her less than two years! She is being evicted, has some of our birds that she cannot afford to feed and is relying on donations to feed them, which is still not enough.
We are still trying to raise the funds to get what birds we can out of the situation that they are currently in and to find a place to start a new business for the birds. Any amount helps and all the money that has been donated already was used to pay the lawyer that we did have. Any and all money that we receive will continue to go to trying to get our birds back and working to create a better place for our feathered babies.
Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to read this and helped with donations. Please continue to share this with everyone you know and maybe we will be able to save some of the birds that she is neglecting.
March 08, 2023
B. L. Branham
Hi Everyone,
I want to sincerely thank you for your donations in helping us get our birds back. I just wanted to update you and let you know that although we have sent the store and owner multiple emails about getting our birds back, she has still not given us any kind of response. She has threatened to sell our birds and claims that we have no proof that these are actually our birds. If we have to sue her for our birds - we will but if she releases our property back to us without using a lawyer (which at this point doesn't look promising), any money that has been donated will be returned. Every little bit helps and if you cannot donate monetarily - please help by sharing with all your friends.
Thank you all! It is really appreciated.
Dawn Lafady
$200 • Recent donation
Erika Hatler
$200 • Top donation
Mark Kernell
$100 • First donation
Organizer
B. L. Branham is the organizer of this fundraiser
B. L. Branham
Vancouver Washington
Fundraising for
B. L. Branham
Fundraising forB. L. Branham
Donation protected
👍 0% fee
We worked for a private retail store that lost its owner in a house fire. The store sold exotic birds as well as boarding, grooming, and anything else related to the care of parrots. The heirs decided to gift the store to the three employees that worked there. One of the three went and talked the executor into selling the place to her. Once she closed on the sale, she came to the store and fired the other two employees. We had to vacate the premises that same day. Since then she has refused to allow us to come and get our personal property, including our personal birds and personal items that were still on the premises. We now need to hire an animal lawyer to try to get our things back. We have been given the run around trying to get someone to help us and have been told to go to small claims, go to the police, just go get it and because of the complexity of the case, the only lawyer that will help us requires a trust set up which is more than we can come up with on our own.
All we want is to get our things back, and the new owner is refusing to let us and is now trying to sell our things. This is a business that is registered in the state and she is basically stealing our things. Please, any amount will help and hopefully we can get our birds back before she sells them and we never see them again.
Fundraiser Updates (2)
April 16, 2024
B. L. Branham
I wanted to give you an update and let you know that after going to court, the judge has given our birds to the one that stole them! We were also ordered to pay her for keeping them.
We believe that she won the case because her lawyer convinced the judge that we abandoned our birds. The judge totally disregarded the proof we had that these were our birds and property and even disallowed text messages. We had to represent ourselves as we could not afford the $15,000 retainer the lawyer wanted.
Now, not only has she sold our birds, she has totally destroyed the store that she claimed she was going to improve. This achievement took her less than two years! She is being evicted, has some of our birds that she cannot afford to feed and is relying on donations to feed them, which is still not enough.
We are still trying to raise the funds to get what birds we can out of the situation that they are currently in and to find a place to start a new business for the birds. Any amount helps and all the money that has been donated already was used to pay the lawyer that we did have. Any and all money that we receive will continue to go to trying to get our birds back and working to create a better place for our feathered babies.
Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to read this and helped with donations. Please continue to share this with everyone you know and maybe we will be able to save some of the birds that she is neglecting.
March 08, 2023
B. L. Branham
Hi Everyone,
I want to sincerely thank you for your donations in helping us get our birds back. I just wanted to update you and let you know that although we have sent the store and owner multiple emails about getting our birds back, she has still not given us any kind of response. She has threatened to sell our birds and claims that we have no proof that these are actually our birds. If we have to sue her for our birds - we will but if she releases our property back to us without using a lawyer (which at this point doesn't look promising), any money that has been donated will be returned. Every little bit helps and if you cannot donate monetarily - please help by sharing with all your friends.
Thank you all! It is really appreciated.
Organizer
B. L. Branham is the organizer of this fundraiser
