Personal Tools being kept by ex-employer

[Vengekitty]

My boss is keeping my tools after firing me. It's company policy that all hand tools are bought by techs out of pocket. I don't have receipts as these are tools I have been accumulating over the past 3 years even prior to working for his company. I have made a detailed list of all tools with prices from Home Depot/Lowe's that I had plus personal items he hasn't allowed me remove from the van. I have witnesses that know about the company policy and witnessed the situation. I am concerned that some of them may not be willing to help for fear of repercussion at work though. The total for the tools is $3113 before taxes plus the longer it takes for me to get my tools which are my livelihood the more wages I lose. Would I have a case?

 

[Michael Wechsler]

You absolutely have a case. How can your boss keep tools owned and bought by you? You might even consider this theft and file a report with the police. I'd certainly contact my former boss and tell him before doing so. How and why does your boss have possession of your tools?

 

[Vengekitty]

He was claiming he had receipts for them even though he and I both know that's a lie. When he fired me, he took the keys to the company van and locked it up. All my tools were inside the van. I tried having a civil standby to ask him for them he still refused. We informed him after that, that we would be filing to small claims. As of this Saturday I was contacted by his "middle man" as he refuses to talk to me directly that I could pick up my tools this Monday. I am now concerned he either won't be returning all of my tools or he has taken this time to trade out tools. I don't how I would prove in court what tools I had though.

 

[Michael Wechsler]

Credibility is on your side and you can worry about crossing the bridge of not getting all the tools when you come to it. You may want to tell the middleman that you have every receipt and can only hope that every tool is there. Nobody has to know whether or not this is fact and at least it can give the middleman a message to take back to your former boss not to screw around. Best of luck.