German lawyers wrangle over pensioner's WW2 tank in basement

[Still Waters]

Lawyers in Germany are wrangling over how to deal with a pensioner who stored a World War Two tank, anti-aircraft gun and torpedo in his basement.

The items were removed from a house in the northern town of Heikendorf in 2015 with the help of the army.

Prosecutors and defence lawyers are now negotiating possible penalties, including a suspended sentence and a fine of up to €500,000 (£427,000).

The defendant, aged 84, must also find new homes for the monumental items.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57965260

[Duke Wellington]

3 hours ago, Still Waters said:

Lawyers in Germany are wrangling over how to deal with a pensioner who stored a World War Two tank, anti-aircraft gun and torpedo in his basement.

The items were removed from a house in the northern town of Heikendorf in 2015 with the help of the army.

Prosecutors and defence lawyers are now negotiating possible penalties, including a suspended sentence and a fine of up to €500,000 (£427,000).

The defendant, aged 84, must also find new homes for the monumental items.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57965260

Seems a bit mean, lots of people have war memorabilia.

I have a director who I used to work for living about 15 houses away. He has an army truck, Humvee, and Sherman, all in his drive. Obviously WW2 memorabilia can be eyebrow raising, but it doesnt have to mean any odd tastes or strange views.

Edited July 27, 2021 by Cookie Monster

[Helen of Annoy]

Just put it all back in grandpa's basement and make it a mini-museum. 

[Buzz_Light_Year]

He'll probably end up having to donate the items to get out of the charges.

That tank would cost a museum 10's of thousands of dollars to obtain.

[Jon the frog]

People like that should be rewarded for conserving and caring for these items without using them wrongfully. So many piece of machinery and tools are destroyed without any left.

[jethrofloyd]

Maybe he just rents a tank when films about World War II are being made?

[toast]

The collection

[Seti42]

Too bad the US isn't as strict about deadly crap you can own...

[Helen of Annoy]

10 hours ago, Seti42 said:

Too bad the US isn't as strict about deadly crap you can own...

Yes, but except the torpedo (  torpedo in a basement... ) these are historic vehicles that are not dangerous at all.   

[tortugabob]

The German government is ridiculous.  They should be glad he saved them.  They're part of history and many museums will want them.  Woke culture is destroying everything.

Edited July 29, 2021 by tortugabob

[tortugabob]

On 7/27/2021 at 4:48 PM, Seti42 said:

Too bad the US isn't as strict about deadly crap you can own...

Too bad there are so many mixed up people in the USA.

[toast]

8 minutes ago, tortugabob said:

The German government is ridiculous. 

What has the German government to do with that story?

[aztek]

none of those things were functional weapons, WTF, they remind me of another German gvmnt, in 30s and 40s,

[aztek]

On 7/29/2021 at 5:52 PM, tortugabob said:

Too bad there are so many mixed up people in the USA.

oh yea, they come from all over the world

[Buzz_Light_Year]

On 7/27/2021 at 3:48 PM, Seti42 said:

Too bad the US isn't as strict about deadly crap you can own...

Yeah your right. First of all let's start with your vehicle. Vehicles kill and maim more people than weapons of all kinds.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/2020-fatality-data-show-increased-traffic-fatalities-during-pandemic

Quote

While Americans drove less in 2020 due to the pandemic, NHTSA’s early estimates show that an estimated 38,680 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes—the largest projected number of fatalities since 2007. This represents an increase of about 7.2 percent as compared to the 36,096 fatalities reported in 2019.

Yeah Apples and Oranges, yet it's still something you own.

[Seti42]

16 hours ago, Buzz_Light_Year said:

Yeah your right. First of all let's start with your vehicle. Vehicles kill and maim more people than weapons of all kinds.

You cannot compare cars (or any utility, tool, vehicle, etc.) with guns (or weapons of any kind) for one simple reason.

A weapon only has one purpose: to kill. 

Vehicles, tools, utilities, etc. all have many purposes...None of those purposes are killing. Any injury or death is not the goal, unlike with a weapon.

Edited August 1, 2021 by Seti42

[Buzz_Light_Year]

2 minutes ago, Seti42 said:

You cannot compare cars (or any utility, tool, vehicle, etc.) with guns (or weapons of any kind) for one simple reason.

I guess you missed the part about comparing apples and oranges.

Weapons are also tools especially when it comes to self-defense.

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-guns-self-defense-charleston-20150619-story.html

Quote

The gun lobby trots out an annual figure of 2.5 million such instances. But an analysis of five years’ worth of stats collected by the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey puts the number much, much lower — about 67,740 times a year.

Just imagine what would have been the outcome in those 67,740 times a year where people lacked the tool to protect ones property or life.

 

[toast]

The district court of Kiel has sentenced the former owner of the devices to a suspended sentence of 14 month for unauthorized possession of weapons, ammunition and explosives. In addition, he was sentenced to a fine of 250k Euros (296kUSD). It was agreed in court that he has to sell the military stuff within 2 years, a museum in Seattle has already indicated interest for the "Panther" tank.

[Myles]

They should have given him a reward, not punished him.   I hope he can afford the penalty OK.  

[toast]

1 hour ago, Myles said:

They should have given him a reward, not punished him.  

A reward for breaking laws?

[jethrofloyd]

Uppdate:

German pensioner given hefty fine for WW2 tank in house

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58077039