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Author Topic: Bonding  (Read 6900 times)

Pinbuster

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Bonding
« on: April 21, 2017, 06:40:07 AM »
Has anyone dealt with the USBC and bonding of league funds?

The league prize fund had been audited and the correct amount withdrawn from the bank. (Over $17k).

Our league secretary says the league prize fund was stolen from his car earlier in the day.

The car wasn't locked and no police report had been filed yet.

 

itsallaboutme

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Re: Bonding
« Reply #1 on: April 21, 2017, 07:13:54 AM »
Good luck with that.  I hope there were a few raised eyebrows when everyone was told that story.

zonepro

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Re: Bonding
« Reply #2 on: April 21, 2017, 08:09:00 AM »
First off, your secretary is a moron and should be removed from the position.  Who keeps that amount of money in their unlocked car?  And who does not file a police report when it's stolen?  I know everyone is innocent until proven guilty, but it doesn't look good for your league secretary here.  In order to get the insurance through USBC, you'll need the paperwork that was filed at the beginning of the season.  The USBC covers the funds if the "Funds taken through the forcible entry into the premises or locked receptacle, where the funds are kept, of an officer or the center’s messenger. There must be visible evidence of forcible entry. An on-site police report is required."  Since the car was not locked and no police report, I can see them denying this.  Perhaps you could go the route of misuse of funds "A shortage attributed to dishonesty by a league officer." League officers are covered up to $10,000.  If there is more than $10,000 in the prize fund(as in your case), the leagues are covered provided the full amount of the prize fund is indicated on the league certification application when it was submitted. Further in formation can be found on page 85 of the 2016-2017 USBC rulebook. 

luv2C10falll

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Re: Bonding
« Reply #3 on: April 21, 2017, 08:19:49 AM »
You need to just take that Secretary out behind the wood shed and get your money back !!

Aloarjr810

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Re: Bonding
« Reply #4 on: April 21, 2017, 09:11:09 AM »
they left it in a unlocked car?

Some info:

Bonding
http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/rules/pdfs/League%20Bonding%20LOH%207-15-11.pdf

excerpt:
"Insurance does not cover funds lost by fire, mysterious disappearance or left unattended."
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bradl

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Re: Bonding
« Reply #5 on: April 21, 2017, 12:47:34 PM »

Nothing to really add here, but just to say to keep us updated on what happens here, because this does not look good for that secretary, and to be honest, this is the first time I've heard of the entire league fund being lost.. some of it yes, but an audit found where the mistake was, but not ALL of it.

It also leads to some legal implications as well. Does anyone know what happens to the secretary if the secretary is found to be negligent? I mean, is there a USBC bylaw that sanctions a league secretary in cases like this?

BL.

zonepro

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Re: Bonding
« Reply #6 on: April 21, 2017, 12:54:32 PM »
If the secretary is negligent, the USBC can suspend them.  Also, the USBC will not insure a league where an officer misused funds in the past, or was ever convicted of a felony.

JOE FALCO

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Re: Bonding
« Reply #7 on: April 21, 2017, 01:54:10 PM »
I've been told that I have too much trust in people ..this story is VERY DIFFICULT to believe!
RIP Thongprincess/Sawbones!

Aloarjr810

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Re: Bonding
« Reply #8 on: April 21, 2017, 02:36:02 PM »
I've been told that I have too much trust in people ..this story is VERY DIFFICULT to believe!

Years back I went to another bowling alley for a tournament, as I was looking around.

I saw a list posted on the wall, it was list of people (mostly league officers) who committed violations on leagues.

There was thing's listed like theft, embezzlement, malfeasance in office and some other things I can't remember.

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michelle

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Re: Bonding
« Reply #9 on: April 21, 2017, 02:46:52 PM »
Unlocked vehicle and the lack of an immediate police report are troubling...and will likely be an issue for replacement of funds.  And cash left unsecured is not often going to be covered by his vehicle policy either given that the vehicle was not broken into...and even if they would have covered if locked, the lack of immediate police report would be troubling.

I dare say the matter will not resolve nicely or neatly...

Pinbuster

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Re: Bonding
« Reply #10 on: April 21, 2017, 03:41:54 PM »
I have been bowling for over 50 years and this was a first for me.

They were suppose to meet with the police later but obviously not at the time of the theft.

They said they were getting ready to go to work, put the money in the car, then remembered something they needed and went back into their home for about 10 minutes. They didn't discover the theft till after after work. They are assuming it happened when they went back into the house.

JPbowling151

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Re: Bonding
« Reply #11 on: April 21, 2017, 04:12:44 PM »
I call BS on that story. The men's league I bowl in now, about 2 yrs before I joined had a secretary who practically gave the same story.

What I heard was he left the entire prize fund (20k) in the back seat of his car in a briefcase along with his laptop, not realizing he left the car unlocked when he left it unattended for a moment only to come back to find it stolen. No one in the league really believed him for being that stupid to leave your car unlocked with that much money in the car, and it was known he was in quite a bit of financial trouble...oddly needing around 20k to cover his losses. Not sure what happened to him legally but I know he's banned from usbc and is no longer bowling. I think the bowlers were able to get a small portion of their money back from the league due to some kind of insurance but no where near the amount they were owed.
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Pinbuster

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Re: Bonding
« Reply #12 on: July 19, 2017, 08:37:37 PM »
Update.

I don't know what the police reported or are doing on the case.

The USBC initially declined the bonding on the loss saying without evidence of a break in it was consider a mysterious disappearance of funds.

The league then filed a against the secretary with the USBC. The word is the account was over $9k short at the end of the year and that deposits had been significantly short every week over the season.

The secretary had to the end of June to respond to the charges. Nothing more is known at this time. I believe they feel the information is still confidential at this time.

The corporation that owns this house has now cut checks to all the league participants for the loss funds and passed these checks out tonight. If the USBC bonding pays any money back it will be given to the house to help cover the checks.

The house is putting in auditing rules on all league accounts to try and ensure that proper amounts are being deposited each week.

The secretary has been removed office. Depending on any USBC sanctions (if any) they can still bowl in the house but not hold league office.

JOE FALCO

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Re: Bonding
« Reply #13 on: July 19, 2017, 10:03:15 PM »
Thanks for the update!
RIP Thongprincess/Sawbones!

Bill Thomas

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Re: Bonding
« Reply #14 on: July 20, 2017, 03:24:10 PM »
Based on this latest info about short deposits, I would say the league's President is in trouble for not verifying bank accounts.  The Pres. and the Secty. are likely going to be suspended by USBC.  By the way, stories like this come out just about every year.