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So I got a pretty cool old dude for a neighbor, I was chatting to him about why I leave home at all hours of the morning for BASE when he made a pretty good suggestion.

Stick with me for this next bit,
He asked me if I want him to write me a letter stating that I purchased my rigs from him and they are his property until paid for, he would then give this letter to my land lord. He said that would protect my gear from confiscation if I wasn't so damn stealthy and got caught by the police, they can't take what doesn't belong to me, right?

Can anyone with legal knowledge or experience in this area please give me some input on the facts and if this will work or not?

I think it depends entirely on your location as the law varies greatly. I know in parts of the US though, if property is used to commit a crime it can be held no matter what the circumstances regarding ownership happen to be. I suppose if the property was stolen its a different story, but that wouldn't make apply to this scenario.

Just don't get caught.

+1

My first car was stolen when I was in high school. It was a piece so it wasn't that huge of a deal. When they got it back they said it was used in a home burglary and that it was evidence. I never got it back because it was seized by the state since they found it on a state jurisdiction highway. My insurance paid for it and I had the option of buying it back from auction. Not sure if it's the same, but if you're going to do research it might be a direction worth exploring. Besides, lying isn't good karma. We know the laws even if they are bullshit. I'd just try and not get caught so you don't have to fight your conscious (if thats something you think about).

With a conscious like that how do you even break into B's to jump? or jump anything illegal for that matter?

I'm just interested in protecting my assets. I am super stealthy... some would liken me to a ninja ghost
but there are some high profile jumps here that are nearly impossible to not get caught on, hence the post.

I also thought that it wouldn't work, but there must be some loop hole for us to keep our rigs safe. I can handle a fine, or some time in a holding cell, but if my gear gets confiscated I'm pretty screwed.

Oh well, i'll just have to be extra stealthy

There are some people who just don't do illegal jumps. It seems weird to me, too, because of my background in BASE, but there are more and more of them all the time. Everyone gets to pick what jumps they are going to do for themselves.

Don't get me wrong. I love jumping. It's an obsession and an addiction that I couldn't fight even if I wanted to. And I do jump less than legal objects. But I try not to stack up charges or dig myself a bigger hole than I have to. If I was into jumping before I had kids it might be different, but it's hard for me to tell them whats right when I know my actions are hypocritical.

Thats just me, and to each is own. I think the really rebellious jumps that take a ton of research and stealthiness are TOTALLY AWESOME, and I will live it vicariously through you guys. As far as being a BASE jumper, I guess I'm a puss if there is such thing in this sport. But I'm okay with that.

That is roughly equal to guy who gets caught smoking marijuana asking if he can keep his pipe....

Or having the NPS confiscate your car for speeding in Yosemite valley.

impound... you impound cars... and thats a good idea thanks

Tom Mentioned
There are some people who just don't do illegal jumps. It seems weird to me, too, because of my background in BASE, but there are more and more of them all the time. Everyone gets to pick what jumps they are going to do for themselves.

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When I'm outside of Kenya i.e. South Africa or UK etc I have far fewer reservations regarding illegal jumps as my perception is that the penalty for trespass and other misdemeanours in these countries is far less than what we have here in Kenya where the laws are really up for interpretation at street level. This effectively means that should one get apprehended you can get away with a relatively small “fine” paid there & then however if things don't work out there is the potential to lose your work permit, business investment, job and get deported.

I seriously doubt that the police here will take gear, but I want to cover all my bases in the eventuality that they do.

In South Africa a small sum of money can usually get you out of almost anything, but there are some jumps that do not qualify for a "spot fine", if you know what i mean.

A couple of guys got arrested on an object recently and it got me thinking about my rig. They even each took bribe money to the sum of triple the fine! That should get you a happy ending with your get-out-of-jail free card in SA

The main problem with your suggestion is the assumption that the SAPS follow logical thought or the laws themselves. I'm fairly certain if they confiscate the rig that they will make you follow years worth of paper work, complaints and court cases before you can get it back.

This suggestion coming on the heels of a police constable shooting an unarmed woman outside a police station for blocking his vehicle or something equally as absurd.

I just don't think using logic will work with local police - a bottle of brandy might though.

Impound, confiscate, steal, same difference. Since we are renaming what NPS LEOs get off on doing, here is another one: gerbilling.

Rangers get plenty of practice with that one as well.