Help Me Hank: Auction Troubles

It was supposed to be so simple. Open mike night at a Salem bar, where amateur guitar players could come and share their music

In fact, jam session organizer Jim Swayze had predicted only one problem-- not enough chairs.

Jim Swazey, Jam Session Organizer
"I didn't know how many people were going to show up, and I wanted to make sure I had enough seats."

So then what seemed like such a good idea: his church had chairs! He could just use them for the one night.

Jim Swazey
"Oh they were happy to let me borrow them."

So fast forward: Saturday night, the chairs go in, the music starts, fun fun fun, everyone goes home. Monday dawns, Jim goes to pick up the chairs, but the bar is deserted.

Jim Swazey
"Went back Tuesday, nobody there. My girlfriend went back on Wednesday--nobody there."

The borrowed chairs, still inside. Jim, still upset.

Hank Phillippi Ryan
"So how long were your chairs held hostage in that building?"

Jim Swazey
"Close to and going on 8 weeks!"

Now the last straw: turns out the bar had gone out of business, and everything inside was going up for auction including, according to the ad, the chairs! Jim marched over to the place, and there was the auctioneer.

Jim Swazey
"He said you can't have anything, I've got a piece of paper that says everything in here belongs to me, and I can auction it off, and that's what I'm going to do."

That's when Jim called Help Me Hank.

So we went to the bar on auction day, where the auctioneer insisted he was just trying to do his job.

Auctioneer
"I couldn't give him the chairs until I talked to the owner."

Still we said, the chairs really belong to the church.

Hank Phillippi Ryan
"Clearly you cant sell chairs that don't belong to the auction."

Auctioneer
"Exactly, we weren't going to. We never said we were."

And soon after, the chairs are released! And back at the church- its all seats accounted for. And Jim counting his blessings.

Jim Swazey
"If something doesn't kill you it makes you stonger, and I feel a little bit stronger today."

In fact, the chairs made it back to the church just in time for weekend services.

So what battle are you fighting? Maybe I can help!