I want to apologize to anyone I haven't been responding to... there is a lot going on and mentally I just needed a break from everything.
I know it sounds very "weak and petty", but it is incredibly disheartening and depressing to have someone make up outright lies about you and to see a group of people chime in and make wild assertions seemingly taking pleasure in hurting you for no reason.
For the people who've been following this fiasco who now question my integrity, I wish I had some magical statement which would put your mind at ease.... but ultimately you know me, or you don't. Those who do know me know that I am honest and fair. I care about our community and our hobby, and I am not the type to exploit someone.
First and foremost I want to make a few things clear.
1.) There was no funny business, animals were consigned.
A.) Animals were consigned at Tibor's request, not mine.
B.) I was done brokering, had recently started a new company (
www.BreederSource.com) and I did not believe that I would need to continue supplementing my income with brokering any longer (something which I am not particularly fond of doing. I love raising animals, but I do not like participating in the sales side, nor the selling for other people side).
C.) Tibor requested help selling animals due to a situation he was in, and having known him for many years I felt bad not helping. Particularly since he was about to start helping me with an apprenticeship in falconry.
D.) BreederSource has not done well and I eventually began brokering again.
E.) At his approval the boas which were not selling were traded for a group of fat tailed geckos, these were eventually traded to a friend in Arizona for a group of Rosy Boas. I received additional rosy boas and alterna in additional trade in credit. This was simply due to the fact that the geckos were not selling, when something isn't selling trading it for something else to attempt to sell is a common practice. The rosy boas someone linked to on fauna for a $1,500 sale price was a 1.1 yearling pair, the pair Tibor owned (and received) was not this pair and was a young mature pair.
F.) When Tibor emailed me again, I was weeks away from receiving a shipment from the Solomon Islands which was a combination of animals for myself and some to resell. For anyone who's dealt with this part of the world, and/or importation you know sometimes things don't go well. A quick Google search of that area would explain about half of what has caused delays. That is neither here nor there, I offered to pay the tab on the consigned animals just to end this. I had no obligation to pay it, other than to myself and my own peace of mind by not having Tibor in my life.
G.) When this failed to occur, Tibor posted me on fauna again, more name calling, more wild statements and more untruths.
H.) I had enough of it all, and although I had previously requested in both email, on the phone and via fauna for him to simply take back his animals I wasn't taking no for an answer. I emailed him telling him that I would be dropping them off on Tuesday at 4:30 and posted this publicly on fauna. I even offered for him to trade for OTHER animals than what was actually his just to make it easier. He declined.
I.) Tuesday at 4:15 I showed up with 2 friends and my wife, cages in tow animals packaged properly glass wrapped in Styrofoam.
J.) Tibor's house is in an area with dirt roads and dirt driveways, his gate goes to the exterior entrance at the street. This gate was closed and locked. I was not stepping foot on his property on my own. This would be rude, and I believe also illegal.
K.) By the time the first cage was unloaded Tibor was standing next to us watching us unload the cages. By the time the last cage was unloaded his son was on the other side of the gate watching.
L.) I set the box of snakes on the cages we exchanged eye contact, and I walked back to the car and we left.
M.) There was no rushing, there was no dumping, and he was most certainly present for the interaction yet made no comments and said nothing.
N.) I certainly didn't feel obligated to help him set up the cages, and share lunch with the man after this ordeal. But that is in no way a dump and run as he's described.
O.) Tibor received no less, and no more than what he was owed, although he was offered more than what he was owed as a peace offering - this was declined.
P.) In spite of the threats to me, my friends, breaking into my community, assertions made about my integrity, and the name calling I have stayed peaceful, humble and kind throughout this. I have taken advantage of and robbed no one. I simply eventually stood my ground and insisted that he take back his property once it become overwhelmingly clear that were was no way to attain a resolution.
It bothers me greatly that my name is being drug through the mud on this, I value my name, I value how the community views me, as I work very hard to improve our community. I devote sleepless nights routinely on projects to help USARK, to assist people with access to disease prevention and testing through The Model Herpetoculturist Program, helping young people and non-profits (for free) build websites to get exposure to help their cause and it truly upsets me to see that all of that can be thrown away over some untrue assertions made by a handful of people and repeated as though they are true....eventually being believed.
I have no interest in marginalizing the board of inquiry, certain people commenting, or Tibor for that matter. Tibor is angry, and although I believe he has been unreasonable throughout this entire situation he is not a bad person. He was unreasonable in this situation (in my eyes) no more no less, disagree with me on my handling of this situation all you want, but to marginalize and vilify another person over a disagreement over how YOU would handle a bad situation just comes across as hateful and mean spirited. I have defended Tibor in the past, even when I disagreed with him. There have been numerous threads in the past here on fauna where there were issues between people and I went out of my way to help, by picking up animals and shipping them to customers and also retrieving stolen property and shipping it to the rightful owner. Pretending that because Tibor and I do not agree over this deal trumps my character is simply offensive.
,and I concur with the second paragraph.