>You must receive many emails about MTP and Molluscs Net recently.

Hi Donald

Whatever the truth might be, I hope that true (not legal!!) justice
is done, that all is resolved and that Molluscs Net returns to normal
and the auctions resume.

As usual I was very late in paying for my winnings in the last
auction... in fact it may be good that I hadn't paid when trouble
broke out... and hope that the specimens will still be waiting so
that once all is well again I can pay for them and receive them!
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin
New Zealand
<[log in to unmask]>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut
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X-Sieve: CMU Sieve 2.2
Date: Sat, 08 May 2004 22:56:01 +0800
From: Donald Chan <[log in to unmask]>
X-Accept-Language: en
Subject: MTP and Molluscs Net
X-scanner: scanned by Inflex 1.0.12.7

Dear friend,

You must receive many emails about MTP and Molluscs Net recently.

I am sorry. This email may reach you late. It was because I consulted
with my solicitor and I was trying my best to help suppliers first. And
I need some time to get evidence and support. Sorry for the buyers you
may not know what happen is in the Molluscs Net.

You may not know who I am if you are new in the Molluscs Net. But if you
joined the Molluscs Net before 2002, you must know who I am. Most of
them are, in fact, I considered as my friend rather than customers.

This is a long story.

I met a beautiful girl in secondary school when I was 14. Her young
brother was 12 at that moment. Now I am 35 and the beautiful girl
becomes my wife. I know Benny over 20 years. He is my wife’s young
brother. He sent email talking about there was no relationship between
us on April. What can I say?

I bought Molluscs Net from Bret Raines, the first one who designed and
owned the net, five years ago. I did not know any thing about internet
when I bought it as I was only a shell collector. The auction ran
smoothly and all dealers updated worked fine because Bret tough me lot
of things.

As the cost was very high I told Bret I could not afford it pay off in
one time so he agreed with the installment payment for 5 years. Then I
started to pay him every month for three years.

Benny could not get any job here due to his personality. Although he got
it, he could only do one day to maximum three months. He could do more
than few years before however he changed too much in recently years. As
we worried about it, so my wife strongly recommended that the net was a
good for him to improve his daily life. As we trusted him, we never
signed any legal document before. I just closed my company and stopped
the installment of the net. Then he opened a new company and he
continued to pay it. Then I started to teach him how to make photos and
all stuffs related to the net.

Note, as we trusted him, we never signed any contract. Bret’s email
could prove it. I asked Bret before he started to pay the installment
however Bret said that it was not necessary as Benny was my brother in
law and he trusted him also. However, it caused a big problem in the
shell world because of my wrong decision.

Note my old company name was “Molluscs Trading Post” not Benny’s “MTP”.
If you are old enough in Molluscs Net, you must remember it. Please
compare Benny’s message.

Note, I never sold the business to him. I only stopped the installment
then he continued to pay the rest and he paid the web hosting more than
two years. I asked my solicitor, according to the law of Hong Kong, he
is the owner of Molluscs Net. Because of privacy, I could not attach the
information for everyone. If you need further info, I could send you to
prove he paid the installment and he paid the web hosting more than two
years. Bret could also prove it.

I think it is not important who the owner of the Molluscs Net is. The
most important is who the proprietor of MTP is. This is Benny. If you
see the attachment, it is no doubt he is the owner.

The copy of company search from Hong Kong Government attached which
could prove Benny is the sole proprietor of the company MTP. It is easy
to get it here and there is no privacy. Everyone could get it. However,
if you are in oversea, you must ask solicitor or friend to get it from
the Government here. If you need hard copy I am pleased to send you or
let you know how to get it.

Benny is just using an excuse that he is not the owner of the net then
he keeps all the money and he does not pay the suppliers. However, he
does not understand what the position he is. If you doubt, you will see
the result very soon as suppliers are fighting their money and shells.

If you remembered, my auction was small when I did as I had full time
job I did not have enough time to run it. For that moment the total lots
should be 200-500. However, when Benny took over it, the total amount
increased from 500 until recently 1000. Now I still have full time job,
do you think that it is possible to run such big auction by myself?

Because of financial crisis, unfortunately, I went bankrupt on July,
2002. However, I gave up my business on late 2001 and Benny started his
business on Jan 2002. The reason of my bankrupt was due to the price of
my property dropped over 68% and I lost more than 200,000 USD. During
that period, due to health problem, my wife lost her job. I did not have
enough money to pay the installment of my property so finally I went
bankrupt. I though I did not need to let every body knew I went bankrupt
because I was not the owner of the company "MTP" and I was not the owner
of the net.

Note the date was different from Benny opened a new company. So it was
not the reason I stopped the company due to bankruptcy.

Another reason why I gave up the business in late 2001 was I was working
in Government institute.  One of the suppliers knew my colleague. I was
stock when my colleague asked me about the shell business. The supplier
is still in the list. I am pleased to let you know as I do not want to
put his name here. I never told him the detail it was one of the reason
why I gave up the business. But if you need prove I think he is willing
to answer your question. Now he is one of my best shell friends in Hong
Kong. I told Bret when I gave up the Molluscs Net so you could also ask
him for confirmation.

Benny promised to release the company and the net just after the March
auction. My sister was interested in the business as I could help her so
she opened an account. To avoid many changes, she opens the account with
same name "MTP". My sister only received few checks from Benny then he
changed his mind. Now he is keeping everything. Do you think that we
will steal Benny's money?

Mr. Howard Leung, certified public accountant, of Y.K. Leung & CO. is
willing to prove my sister consulted it on April. He also contacted with
Benny to let him know the details. However, Benny refused all the
suggestion and he was lying that all the bills and receipts of “MTP”
company were in our hand. You could reach Mr. Leung at
[log in to unmask] for confirmation.

If Benny’s message is true, he already called police officer. However,
until today, my sister and I are well without any problem. As all I am
telling you the truth. Someone is lying. It was because it caused by
him, not ours. He always changed his mind and decision. As we trusted
him, we never signed any document before. However, when we considered
that he always changed his mind and my sister asked him for sign the
contract, he refused. Interesting?

I only help on shells issue. As he does not know it of course I am
willing to help. Even a sheller I don't know, I am pleased to answer or
help them.

It was strange that Benny told you I took money from his bank. I don't
have right to withdraw money as the bank account is under Benny's name.
Of course he could tell you I took it by different ways, let see the
result after legal action.

As for Hong Kong taxes, next payment date should be January of 2005. It
is strange that he keeps money over 8 months and he keeps the money more
than enough. Why?

My sister’s proposal is Benny holds more than HKD 200,000 (USD 26,000)
to pay his tax, in fact, after we consulted with accountant here, he
will only pay HKD 10,000 – 50,000 or even no need to pay depends on the
expenses. Then my sister will help to pay all the debits of his company.

Benny was committing suicide about 10 years ago. Fortunately, he was
alive. My wife and I picked him up from hospital. We noted that he had
same symptom recently. I don’t want to let you know this privacy but it
could prove that Benny must have some health problem.

Just a question, why Benny keeps all the money and shells even my sister
asks him to buy his company and everything including debits and he
refused my sister’s proposal? I also told Doug Thorn, the biggest
supplier in Molluscs Net, our suggestion and he sent email to him. The
result was the same without any reply. I am asking for third party to
buy all the company from Benny, the result was the same without any
reply. I just wanted to say, why? My friend called him recently but
Benny only talked with him first time. He cut the phone even without say
“Hello” in second and third time If it is true that he does not have
enough money to pay his tax, why he refused all our suggestion and
communication? I think you must have answer yourself. Here is the email
my friend just sent him. Please see what Benny’s replied.

Continued...

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