Showing posts with label (602) 279-5233. Show all posts
Showing posts with label (602) 279-5233. Show all posts

Sunday, June 8, 2014

AZ REPUBLIC HELPS SAVE 1 CONSIGNOR'S PRECIOUS ART!

For more details, see the blog posts listed at the bottom of this page.


FYI

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Anglen, Robert  
Date: Sun, Sep 28, 2014 at 9:40 AM
Subject: Story on camelback consign
To: Glenn Michaels 


Story is in today's paper. Your blog is mentioned prominently in the story. Thanks for all of your help. Here is a link:

http://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/consumer/call-12-for-action/2014/09/28/missing-painting-returned-owner/16373445/


BLOGGER EATS CROW, 
THEN CROWS A LITTLE, HIMSELF!









Just last weekend I opined that the Arizona's Republic's June 1, 2014 article (pages E1 & E5) exposing the nefarious doings of Camelback Consign & Design's owner, Mike Burns, had appeared  "far too late to protect the unwary souls who might have been alerted had that story appeared months earlier. Too late, I say, because Camelback Consign & Design had closed at least a week or two before this story ran." 

I was wrong. Thanks to that story, one ElJuana Hermansen, the owner of eight paintings given to Michael Burns for resale purposes - paintings that subsequently disappeared - has recovered at least six of the missing paintings. The story of their recovery is both prosaic and miraculous. It can be found online by clicking the following quote (link) or by turning to page E1 and E5 of the June 8, 2014 Arizona Republic.

"The return of the 20th-century American oil painting, "Silence," by Flavio E. Cabral, was the culmination of efforts by a number of people who helped unravel the mystery of the missing artwork last week, including the art dealer, the owner of the auction house and the buyer of the painting, who willingly gave it back when he realized it had been stolen."
Elsewhere in the story, Mr. Anglen reports that Burns has been served a subpoena by the Attorney General's office. I suppose I can now acknowledge that I was contacted by an entirely different branch of the AG's office than the one that so badly flubbed the dub as reported in my post: AZ's AG: A Chronology of Neglect. The special agent reached me on April 24th. I have since referred a number of other victims of Camelback Consign & Scam to the same special agent. 


Apologies to Mr. Anglen and the Arizona Republic. Kudos, instead. But ONLY as regards this one instance. 

One also reads the following in the article: 
 "Bill Roach, co-owner of the property (where Burns did business - yours truly)... said Burns has left dozens of customers in the lurch."

That is exactly what I've been blogging about for months and months... 

 to no avail. (See the preceding post:  AZ Rep Breaks Consignment Fraud Story... a little too late.) Had the Republic, other reputable news outlets, the BBB or even the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce researched the issues behind this travesty, many, many more people might have been spared the loss of valued items, not to mention the very considerable financial and emotional distress associated with it. Quite frankly, I still think the AG's office might have acted faster, too, however grateful I may be that it has chosen to act at all. 

 And - pray tell - whose taxpayer dollars will fund the police work, the AG's investigation, court trials, etc., that will result from allowing this parasitic beast to feast on the lifeblood of the unsuspecting for so very long?  

For example, the following was posted to my blog on March 31, 2014 at 2:00 PM: 
 I, too, have been victimized by Mike Burns quite recently and the whole debacle has been traumatizing. 
In October of 2013, I consigned highly valuable family antiques and collectibles with Mike Burns, owner of Camelback Consign and Design, and have painfully regretted the decision. Like others, he was the nicest guy when it came to removing the items from my recently passed grandmother's apartment and my house, as I was going through a divorce at that time.
  He promised not to sell one piece until we'd sat down and gone over each line item and agreed upon the pricing. Well, I could never get him to commit to sitting down with me to discuss the value(s) of the items. He always had an excuse, lie, or story about why we could not move forward. 
  The beginning of 2014, I borrowed money for a plane ticket, hired more movers, rented a moving truck and paid Mike Burns a visit at his shop. Immediately after entering, I saw a lot of my stuff with prices displayed as well as "sold" signs. I couldn't believe it! I was horrified. I was able to recover some items, however, the majority is still missing (and we're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars as well as the sentimental value). I called the police who did respond, however, did absolutely nothing except tell me to hire a lawyer.
Last I checked, theft is unlawful, why is this crook getting away with this? And repeatedly??? Mike Burns proceeded to tell me the rest of my property was offsite at another storage location or at Brinks...some kind of highly secure storage venue. I offered to take my movers and truck to the offsite storage location yet he refused to tell me the address. Instead he promised his movers were bringing my stuff and that he's pick up my silver at Brinks as well as the 17th century dining room chairs he sold to a "friend".
 I went to his store and waited all day and all night for five consecutive days. I was literally begging him for my stuff, tears pouring down my face, sitting in his shop at 1:00am. I finally realized that I was powerless -- he did not care of my circumstance or that I came all the way back to claim what is rightfully mine because he is a predator and crook. There never were movers allegedly bringing the rest of my property...Mike Burns was prepared to sit it out with me until I would just go away, which I finally did. I had no choice at the time. I had to get back to Alabama and begin a new life, find a job, etc. 
 I did hire an attorney is AZ to write a menacing letter to Mike Burns demanding the immediate return of my property and included a manifest of missing items. Mr. Burns did not respond. 
 After losing my grandmother (I was her caregiver) and my husband, I moved back to Alabama (my home state) and continually called and emailed Mike Burns. Not only was he at many times unresponsive but he knew he had me over a barrel, as he'd also volunteered to have his "professional movers" move my furniture I was taking with me back to Alabama. Six weeks later I was still sleeping on a blow-up mattress with not one piece of furniture in my new rental house. I finally got in touch with one of his "professional movers" who after paying him $7k delivered roughly 60% of my furniture. Yes, this gets confusing. So, now Mike Burns has in possession my antiques and collectibles as well as the furniture and items (I) NEVER agreed to consign. 

As it happens, certain items belonging to Courtney, the lady who wrote that post - delicate, antique porcelain birds - were waiting to be unpacked at the very point I was removing my remaining items from the premises of Camelback Consign & Scam. They have yet to be returned or paid for, according to Courtney. 

I also recall Burns telling me about the very valuable paintings he expected to receive and quickly sell at some point. (I simply can't recall the date. I believe he said that expected to be able to pay me off from his commission on the sale.)


God knows I tried.


ON THE LIGHTER SIDE:
"When he arrived in the late afternoon, Burns came with five paintings and contended that he was working with the FBI."





































A Little Speculation Goes a Long Way!

HEY! Wow, if Mike was working with the FBI, what you think the chances are that, Justin, his son, was working with the NSA or CIA? No wonder they got away with so much for so long. They were probably trained agents gone rogue or something. 

That might also explain why they didn't have any hard assets in their own names. They kept the loot and their assets socked away in secret bank accounts or forgotten underground fallout shelters from the 1950s that only agents would know about. 

On the other hand, maybe they worked for S.M.E.R.S.H.!  Wowie. Stay tuned to this blog for further updates to this astonishing story.

DON'T KID YOURSELF. 
Mike Burns wasn't born yesterday. He wasn't born on the Fourth of July, either. NOPE. Mike Burns was born on 9/11 in 1952. He was destined. 
I don't know if the truth will set you free. But fuss loud enough with a big 'nough bunch a friends and I swear folks 'll do near anything to get you to shut up. Fast as they can. 

URGENTLY SOUGHT: ITEMS STOLEN OR NOT PAID FOR #3 (10/05/14) 
URGENTLY SOUGHT: ITEMS STOLEN OR NOT PAID FOR #2 (10/05/14)
COURTNEY'S INCREDIBLE CONSIGNMENT VAMPIRE STORY  (10/3/14)
ANONYMOUS COWARD DENOUNCES CONSIGNMENT VAMPIRE (10/01/14)
MIKE BURNS & REGINA EMERY EVICTED FROM CONDO
VERA MANUZ Denies Aiding &  Abetting  Mike Burns
JUST IN CASE: FRESH SUITS FOR BURNS (8/31/14) 
AG FILES "CIVIL" SUIT AGAINST CONSIGNMENT VAMPIRE (8/31/14)
CONSIGNMENT VAMPIRE UPDATE UPDATED (8/31/14)

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Sunday, June 1, 2014

DEAR MIKE: Notes to and on the Consignment Vampire

For more details, see the blog posts listed at the bottom of this page.


FYI

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Anglen, Robert  
Date: Sun, Sep 28, 2014 at 9:40 AM
Subject: Story on camelback consign
To: Glenn Michaels


Story is in today's paper. Your blog is mentioned prominently in the story. Thanks for all of your help. Here is a link:

http://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/consumer/call-12-
for-action/2014/09/28/missing-painting-returned-owner/16373445/


SELECTED NOTES TO & ON 

THE 

CONSIGNMENT VAMPIRE 

(AKA LOVE'S LABORS LOST)

1.
October 4, 2013

Mike Burns
Camelback Consign & Design
1030 E. Camelback Road
Phoenix, AZ  85014

Mike,

I can’t help it, I like you. You’re personable. You’re energetic. You deeply dislike “the Troll.” Dad’s name was “Mike.” He was in the antique business, too.

It appears that our business relationship is about to conclude. Our three-month contract expires on October 9th. I've not yet received a penny because your check bounced. How can I renew?

It’s not necessarily your fault when a client does you wrong. However,  a successful businessman like you must have reserve of some sort – or a line of credit – that would enable you to meet immediate obligations. If you can’t pay me, how on earth will you buy that new building?

You promised me a copy – from the start – of an inventory with a list of sales prices that I could review and use to obtain insurance. Multiple times. I still don’t have it.

You promised me a copy of the complete estate inventory with original valuations more than three month ago. Multiple times. I still don’t have it.

You offered to give me an affidavit long ago. Then, at more or less the last minute, you said it would be available the next day. That didn’t happen, either.

You haven’t kept your word. Your commitments aren’t reliable.

Complaints have started piling up about Camelback Consign & Design on the BBB website. KPHO Channel 5 recently published an article about a parallel issue another client had with you. The trend isn’t looking good.

Look, despite everything I’ve written, I still want to do business with you. I don’t want to add to your problems. I absolutely don’t want to deal with the hassle of picking up all of the items we consigned with you, moving them into storage again, and finding another dealer I can work with. I have much better things to do with my life.

My sister and I put many, many valuable items in your hands: things we love, things our parents loved. We trusted you to treat us well. Now’s the time to deliver, Mike.

Sincerely and respectfully,

  
Glenn Scott Michaels
2.




3.



4.













5.

From: Glenn Michaels 
Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2013 4:21 PM
To: camelbackconsignanddesign@yahoo.com

Subject: Hey, everybody makes mistakes. // glenn michaels

None of us are immune from stress and bad snap judgments. We are, after all, merely human. Our potential for divinity comes down to admitting past mistakes, correcting our errors, and trying hard to avoid making more of them,  if at all possible.

Please! Let’s resolve this like gentlemen.

Neither of us will – I’m sure – ultimately feel better about ourselves because we decided to try our hand at mud wrestling. Nor would we be better people for it.
We want to evolve up (!) as opposed to working our way down to the lowest common denominator. And sadly, it’s pretty low.

Meanwhile, although it truly pains me, I have to do what I can to protect what is actually mine. I imagine you would do the same.

Glenn Michaels 

 (Note: The following image was included at end of the email.)












After work, on November 5th, I distributed 11 four-color fliers depicting a pair of antique Chinese jars I had consigned with Mike Burns under the doors of antique and consignment stores located on 7th Ave between Camelback and Thomas. I also left one at the antique mall on the corner of Central and Camelback. The jars were never reported sold. Nor were they returned. 





On November 6th, Mike Burns called me. He asked if I had been distributing fliers to other antique stores? I confirmed that I had. The rest of the conversation went something like this:

“What do you want from me?” he asked.

“You know exactly what I want from you. I want you to honor your contract. I want to be paid. I want the stuff that hasn't sold.”

“How do you expect me to take care of business if I have to deal with this, too? For every action there is a reaction. I just want to get you out of my life.”

 “And this is the reaction. I told you that if I weren't paid things would happen and you wouldn't like it.”

“I have your things back from Christies and Sothebys, I was getting valuations. ”

“Mike, I’d like to believe you. But nothing you’ve told me to date has happened. I can’t believe you.”

“Are you trying to ruin me? Fine. Ruin me. I’ll close my business and declare bankruptcy.  I’m going to sit down with my lawyers.” 

The phone went dead.

I never received the two jars.  

 6.






















7.



8.























9.











10.

April 24, 2014: Text to Mike Burns:
"I’ve called Joe Ducey, too. 
"Wouldn’t it make sense to pay up and avoid the shitstorm that is certain to come? You’ve screwed so many folks it can only be a matter of time until the AG, IRS or another heavyweight comes calling with handcuffs for you and your associates, don’t you think? It’s never too late – or too soon – to repent."

The text message was prompted my the information that Joe Ducey ( Call Joe: Joe@abc15.com)  accompanied by a cameraman - had taped Mike Burns (aka the Consignment Vampire) in the course of a surprise confrontation with several other victims as part of an upcoming news segment.  Apparently, I wasn't convincing.  


About Mike Burns: My 2 Cents

I think Mike Burns is an intelligent guy. Very flawed, but nonetheless intelligent. Smart enough to scam a lot of other fairly smart folks and and almost smart enough to get away with it. In fact, had he chosen his victims with more care, instead of scamming nearly every consignor who walked in the door for something over six months and maybe a year, he would still be at it.

A psychiatrist told me that another acquaintance of mine who had put himself into an equally miserable position and refused to extricate himself was actually fulfilling a subconscious desire to punish himself. 

Since Mike had to know he couldn't get away with his scheme indefinitely, I see a strong parallel. 

I can believe he wanted to punish himself. I find a little harder to understand his need to punish his sons, his (ex?) wife, his colleagues and his clients. Maybe he blamed them / us, in some way, for putting him in the untenable position he found himself in.

Years ago I wrote an article about gifted children. In the course of my research, I learned that approximately 10% of the US prison population tested out as intellectually gifted. 

Today, I suspect that various social and psychological factors (such as ADD, bi-polarity, etc.) can combine to  frustrate the ability of an otherwise highly capable individual to live "by the rules."  The survival instinct being what it is, needs unmet through legal means are perhaps satisfied in other - more thrilling and fulfilling - ways. 

Crudely put, Michael Burns likely has a screw loose. But, if that's true, it suggests, at least to me, just opposite of what conventional wisdom seems to tell us. 

It doesn't mean that Mike Burns is 
an irretrievably broken human being. 

Quite the contrary, it suggests that Mike Burns is, in fact, eminently fixable. What he needs - MAYBE - is the help of someone handy with a screwdriver. The sort of someone who can help him open up, locate the lose screw, tighten it, re-calibrate and stay that way. 

You better believe that I'm angry at Mike Burns. But the way I see it, it's always better to fix something that can be fixed and made useful, rather than just throwing the damn thing away. Recycling ain't just for inanimate trash, you know. I think it can work for people, too.  

 I think Mike Burns probably led his sons into the darkness. They loved him and they followed... when they should have known better. 

 Now they need their father to lead them back into the light.   

 Redemption happens. Now and then. And now would be a very, very good time to see a bit of it in action. 

 Glenn S. Michaels June 24, 2014.

DON'T KID YOURSELF. 
Mike Burns wasn't born yesterday. He wasn't born on the Fourth of July, either. NOPE. Mike Burns was born on 9/11 in 1952. He was destined. 
I don't know if the truth will set you free. But fuss loud enough with a big 'nough bunch a friends and I swear folks 'll do near anything to get you to shut up. Fast as they can. 

URGENTLY SOUGHT: ITEMS STOLEN OR NOT PAID FOR #3 (10/05/14) 
URGENTLY SOUGHT: ITEMS STOLEN OR NOT PAID FOR #2 (10/05/14)
COURTNEY'S INCREDIBLE CONSIGNMENT VAMPIRE STORY  (10/3/14)
ANONYMOUS COWARD DENOUNCES CONSIGNMENT VAMPIRE (10/01/14)
MIKE BURNS & REGINA EMERY EVICTED FROM CONDO
VERA MANUZ Denies Aiding &  Abetting  Mike Burns
JUST IN CASE: FRESH SUITS FOR BURNS (8/31/14) 
AG FILES "CIVIL" SUIT AGAINST CONSIGNMENT VAMPIRE (8/31/14)
CONSIGNMENT VAMPIRE UPDATE UPDATED (8/31/14)

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