Hello,
My father met an antiques dealer about 3 years ago - let’s call him John.
John told my father he could sell a painting of his as he knows an auctioneer who wouldn’t charge any commission if it would be put in John’s name (I don’t know if he does know the auctioneer). The painting sold for £6,000 in August 2019.
To this day my father still has not been paid. John has said it was because the winner of the auction had not paid and so the auction house would be taking him to court. He then said the court had been delayed by Covid. In August this year he said the auction house had won but my father still has not received a penny.
I finally decided to investigate John and the first thing that pops up is a Facebook post from a woman who says John has stolen her items.
Here’s the other problem. My father is utterly devoted to this man and won’t hear a word said against him. This is despite John having scammed him multiple times eg my father mentioned to him he needed a new bathroom radiator. He promised him a brand new one that was worth over £800 for £300. Turns out it didn’t fit, it wasn’t new and it was a cheap nasty one from screw fix. He never paid my father back. Other things include selling my fathers things in his shop and not paying him.
Is there anything I can do to stop this man from robbing my father given my father seems so devoted to him? Can I or my mother go to the police over the painting given it wasn’t in my fathers name (although I have proof of previous ownership) and my father won’t go to the police?
I think it stems from my father being lonely and this being his only “friend” who is local, as well as my father just being generally easy to manipulate 😔 It is also causing major issues with my parents marriage as money is tight and my father is just giving away stuff to John nonstop and seems to value him more than anything for some utterly bizarre reason.
Thanks for reading and sorry for the rambling rant! I hope I make sense.