I found a c02 bottle in a abandoned building

[PatrickStar87]

I work for a A/C company and we got a job at an office building. Its been unoccupied for about a year. Our crew was just logging all the a/c units and changing the filters. It was a big resturant's office building. They had a test kichen im guessing but every thing was torn out of it the whole building was stripped bare. Well i did a little exploring and found this large c02 bottle covered with dust and spiderwebs. I was like "sweet find!"

Until..................... i was robbed

Don't go to the gas shop printed on the bottle to get it filled... apparently the company that fills the bottle that i had doesn't sell bottles only leases them and they don't keep track of what tanks are with which leasee. i went to get it filled and they just took it away from me and said it wasn't mine and i had a stolen tank. I know some of you guys might think i did but i can assure you that no one was coming for it.

Tip: Scratch the name of the company off the bottle go to a smaller operation... I'm really upset

The guy that worked at the gas place that took it was a cool dude but told me that he had to do his job cause the boss was there. but he told me about a guy that will fill regardless of hydro date or bottle sticker.

Just giving a tip out for every one i would hate to see the same thing happen to you. You might buy a c02 tank on craigslist and run into the same problem.

Happy Brewing

 

[brewmonk]

that sucks to have a cool find get taken away, but it WAS theirs. sorry you got your hopes up, but it was very nice of you to return it to them. If you believe in Karma, just wait!

= = =

oh, if you want to repeatedly refill a bottle that's out of hydro, please build it a personal bomb shelter.

 

[PatrickStar87]

i felt like i should have been a stone cold and just walked back out with it but it wasn't in me... Idk there's a deposit on bottles but i wasn't able to get it cause i didn't have the lease information. LOL i should have said yeah i'm that test kitchen from address (x) maybe i could have filled under there bill. Yeah what goes around comes around

 

[brewmonk]

hahahahah!

"...and while you are at it add <something else> to the lease..."

- - -

hey are you in a brew club? i bought a 5lb tank from a guy in mine for nothing (10bucks?)
do you know any indoor pot growers that are going out of the business, that's where I got my 25lb tank.

look around, beer helps those who help themselves

- - -

good luck.

 

[Pick]

Seems funny that they would take it away from you. Even if it is theirs you would think they would refill it to retain a customer.

 

[SanAntoneRR]

Many restaurants lease the tanks as part of their soda or beer tap system. The tanks serve as a backup in case the main system fails. So, it's like a car; stop paying on it and the dealer/finance company get it back.

Sucks for you, but property is property. Like another poster said, karma is a good thing.

 

[PatrickStar87]

Yeah I understand but all im saying is, if you buy a tank second hand or acquire it some other-way (gifted or inherited) don't go to the place on the sticker or you might be making a sad face. Find a place that is "cool" with your business. I deff agree with Pick because ill never go fill any thing up there just because i feel like they dooped me (even though they technically didn't)

 

[splendidus]

The real question is: did they already make the previous leasee pay to replace the bottle? If so and the previous leasee abandoned the bottle, then moral ownership here seems dubious.

 

[PatrickStar87]

The real question is: did they already make the previous leasee pay to replace the bottle? If so and the previous leasee abandoned the bottle, then moral ownership here seems dubious.

No more wisdom, has been spoken before my friend

 

[kinison_fan]

Yeah, but those things are usually stamped:
"Property of xx", not
"Property of xx, unless you pay off the security deposit, or find one in an empty building".

Same issue if you found a bunch of kegs (stamped with the Brewery's name) in an abandoned bar.

Not a case of "Finders, Keepers"...

 

[Sigafoos]

How odd. I have a Pepsi tank and took it to the big CO2 refillers in town and they told me I couldn't get it filled, but that was it (I just walked out with it). I called another branch and they told me I was SOL, no one would take it, but then I found a fire extinguisher place that refilled it without a problem

 

[springer]

if it was over a 20lb they usually are not sold they are leased. I can't buy anything larger from my gas guy. Sorry just because you found it does not make it yours specially if the owners name is on it. The kegs that were referenced also they belong to the brewery and has their name stamped on it. Would you go to jail if you kept then most likely not. I couldn't keep something that I knew wasn't mine and I knew who the rightfull owner was.

Sorry I don't see the issue here .. Its their property

 

[PatrickStar87]

So if i stamped it with my name its good to go? Cause that would be easy.

The office building had to have paid for it (making them the rightful owners?) cause the building had new owners (who we were working for to check out the a/c system) and it was still in there. So i guess the rightful owners are the old tenants who left it in the building that they no longer have access to.

My problem now is that i realize that the gas company charged someone because they didn't return a bottle and got that bottle anyways.

My main purpose of the post was to give a tip to any one who gets a bottle second hand, be it bought, inherited, or found to call and see if they will fill a bottle regardless what the sticker says (apart from c02 of course). Cause like i said and sigafoos reiterated some places don't care what the sticker or stamps say as long as its in working order they will fill it and sell you the c02

 

[Yunus]

moral of the story, do an exchange from another company on your first tank, then have the new unmarked tank refilled if you prefer that method.

 

[JefeTheVol]

"no good deed goes unpunished"
or
"possession is 9/10's of the law"
or
"a tank saved is a tank earned"

Pick your lesson.
-Jefe-

 

[Synovia]

Many restaurants lease the tanks as part of their soda or beer tap system. The tanks serve as a backup in case the main system fails. So, it's like a car; stop paying on it and the dealer/finance company get it back.

Sucks for you, but property is property. Like another poster said, karma is a good thing.

Most likely they charged the company for the tank when they went out of business, or whatever. Which would make it not their tank anymore.

 

[PT Ray]

They had no right to snatch that tank, it was unprofessional and illegal. If the tank was in your possession it is yours as far as they are concerned. Ultimately if they feel differently it would be up to them to pursue it through the courts. Even then their claim would be against the person the tank was leased to. If they were professionals they could have explained the situation and tried to accommodate you so everybody is happy.

 

[Beernip]

Maybe you should consider yourself lucky that they didn't have you pay off the last years worth of the monthly lease cost. As the new "owner" of the bottle you want to take the benefits of the bottle but not the obligations that it comes with. You say fair is fair.

You are complaining that you found a car running on the street with the keys in it only to complain when the police take it away from you with a slap on the hand. hahaha

 

[Johnny_Crunch]

finders keepers?

 

[LVBen]

Maybe you should consider yourself lucky that they didn't have you pay off the last years worth of the monthly lease cost. As the new "owner" of the bottle you want to take the benefits of the bottle but not the obligations that it comes with. You say fair is fair.

You are complaining that you found a car running on the street with the keys in it only to complain when the police take it away from you with a slap on the hand. hahaha

And when you take your car to the dealer to have it serviced and they take it away from you because it says '(fill in the car company name here)' on it, you are SOL! Just 'cause it has their name on it does not mean it is theirs!

 

[klyph]

If the tank is stamped, bondo and spray paint are your friend.

 

[bad67z]

When it comes for gas cylinders and in this case(it appears to be) a 50lb. Co2. Cylinders this size (about 52" tall) are almost always rented or leased to the business so they don't "own them".

I worked for a welding distributor and unfortunately, for anyone in this situation, they do have the right to "take back" their property. This is unless you have documentation proving that you purchased the cylinder in question.

The ring around the shoulder of the cylinder has raised letters that states the company that owns the cylinder (ex: Airgas, Praxair etc.). This is how a gas supplier keeps their cylinders separated from other gas company's. They can cost up to $300 each and they take their investment very seriously.

As to buying one off of CL the 2.5,5,10 (and some 20 lb) varieties are generally what is referred to in the industry as "customer owned". and aside from the possibility of it being "out of test" you should be ok.

Laws and company policies differ from state to state, so check with your local gas distributors to be sure.

Hope this helped clear up any confusion.

Cheers...

 

[ErieShores]

I found my cylinder at work and I know for a fact it didn't belong to my employer. It had a sticker on the top from a company in Florida and I'm some 2000 miles from the listed address. Subsequently, I removed the sticker, had it hydro-tested and now consider myself the new owner.

 

[PT Ray]

I think statue of limitations would apply. If the co2 place has a defaulted lease on one of their tanks for over a year and never makes a legal effort to retrieve it then their right to the item is eventually lost. If someone brings it in a year later to have filled either fill it or explain why you won't, but you can't keep it. If you do, hope you don't get challenged in court.

Don't take advantage of the system but don't have one pulled over on you.

 

[bad67z]

I think statue of limitations would apply. If the co2 place has a defaulted lease on one of their tanks for over a year and never makes a legal effort to retrieve it then their right to the item is eventually lost. If someone brings it in a year later to have filled either fill it or explain why you won't, but you can't keep it. If you do, hope you don't get challenged in court.

Don't take advantage of the system but don't have one pulled over on you.

No unfortunately, the statute of limitations would probably not apply. I is not uncommon to have 1,5,10,20 year leases. The gas provider would have not defaulted on the lease, they are the lease holder. It would be the responsibility of the lessee to return the cylinder to the lease holder.

And if it is a rented cylinder. There are daily or monthly charges accrued as long as the cylinder is presumed in the possession of the renter. These charges are billed to the renter monthly, until such time they return the cylinder or they are billed "loss of use" charge for the cylinder. Up to $300 in some cases.

If you read the fine print on the invoice you sign when you pick-up or have compressed gas cylinders delivered. It states you agree with the transaction total and assume responsibility for their property (cylinders) regardless weather they are rented or leased. In reading this document you will find they have all legal aspects well covered.

Sorry I may not have all the legalese correct, I'm not a lawyer nor did I stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I sold compressed gas for more than 8 years and have been in the middle of more of these situations than I care to count.

Cheers....

 

[Austin_]

No unfortunately, the statute of limitations would probably not apply. I is not uncommon to have 1,5,10,20 year leases. The gas provider would have not defaulted on the lease, they are the lease holder. It would be the responsibility of the lessee to return the cylinder to the lease holder.

And if it is a rented cylinder. There are daily or monthly charges accrued as long as the cylinder is presumed in the possession of the renter. These charges are billed to the renter monthly, until such time they return the cylinder or they are billed "loss of use" charge for the cylinder. Up to $300 in some cases.

If you read the fine print on the invoice you sign when you pick-up or have compressed gas cylinders delivered. It states you agree with the transaction total and assume responsibility for their property (cylinders) regardless weather they are rented or leased. In reading this document you will find they have all legal aspects well covered.

Sorry I may not have all the legalese correct, I'm not a lawyer nor did I stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I sold compressed gas for more than 8 years and have been in the middle of more of these situations than I care to count.

Cheers....

Good to know. Both posts were informative. Thanks.

 

[Wellshooter]

Buy or steal your first cylinder, after that always EXCHANGE. Don't ask them to fill it, this causes an ownership determination and a hydro check. You could probably have exchanged it without incident.

 

[JeepDiver]

I

The guy that worked at the gas place that took it was a cool dude but told me that he had to do his job cause the boss was there. but he told me about a guy that will fill regardless of hydro date or bottle sticker.

I wouldn't get within 5 miles of that guys shop, when a compressed air bottle blows it isn't a pertty sight.

ruptured scuba tank

 

[bad67z]

PatrickStar, as stated earlier I would not recommend steeling a cylinder or anything else in that case but...

Here is a cylinder in your area, looks to be a decent deal:

http://orlando.craigslist.org/for/1663302565.html

 

[PatrickStar87]

Right on bad67z... Ill have to check my finances as they run fairly low these days. Ill prob stick with my recycling of bottles cause its free.

Thanks

 

[brewmonk]

offer him 10 bucks.

then when he says no, call up a local brew club, and start asking again.

(good luck, I'm gone.....)

 

[Tlylebrew]

Some people on here crack me up. The OP did nothing wrong, its not like he stole the thing, and better yet he was trying to let other folks know what could happen if they purchase a used tank of Craig's list. You try to make him out to be a criminal. All I can say is WOW!!!