Kenyan Marathon Runners run up $1200.94 Phone bill then run

[harrisonrun]

But this is my home in which Ilive. The twi runners had stayed with us last year and the year before. They know the rules, they know i is expensive to call Kenya without a calling card. I had shown them how to use a calling card tha U have and how to purchase one if they needed one.

They simply chose to run up my phone bill out of some vendetta or vindication.

Thank you for your advice. I will never let another runner stay in my house again. A rental is the best way to go.

I have family in the same country they come from and I did call, but using a calling card.

[Chetanji]

Re: Kenyan Marathon Runners run up $1200.94 Phone bill then

Kenyan Marathon Runners run up $1200.94 in Phone bill then run away.
Good morning everyone.

Chalk it up as a lesson well learned. It was your mistake to not shut off the long distance service. When we rented out a second room on our property in Hilton Head Island, we had local only telephone service put in as a convenience to the renter.
You made an error in judgement. It is your fault.

Anyone from over seas where their country is going up in flames will be calling home. Lighten up and smell the roses. You did a tremendous favor for these boys. Be happy. You are a gift to the International running community.

[harrisonrun]

Point noted Malmo.

Hopefully this sould be a wake up call to those managers bent on stealing runners from other managers' camps without the courtesy of contacting them first to get the whole story. These managers need to listen to both sides, the runners' and the managers'.
This in return would eliminate unnecessary animosity between runners and their managers and managers and managers.

I have learned a few good things from this forum discussions.

[malmo]

This thread should be removed and the two of you should take your private spat to emails or the telephone.

[harrisonrun]

This is Harrison

The problem with these half statements from Scott is that he does not have the full picture. He does not know the exact amount the runners owe. I am not sure if he is relying on what the runners are telling him or on his own intuition. I have not provided the full detailed list of expenses for the runners to him- which will include the round trip air fare tickets from Kenya on top of the phone bills. I will get a fully itemized bill to show that there will most like be a bill sent to Scott and the runners.

Scott also needs to come out clearly and explain who initiated the relationship with the runners. Did the runners approach him or did he approach the runners in the first place?

Scott did not explain any of these to me other than say that the runners told him that they were free to come to his camp. How did they know of his camp? How did they know he needed more runners? He knew they were with me.

There are many more runners in Kenya where these came from. Why didn't he go get his own selection?

Does he know what it takes to get a Kenyan runner from the bush to come all the way to the US.? Does he know how many calls, emails, travelling money, embassy fees it took to get these runners here?

One may then understand my frustration.

[tandfman]

Re: 2 Sides to story

. . . . 3. Harrison is holding enough monies from one athletes race earnings to deduct the phone charges and still have $ left over. NO NEED FOR GARNISHMENTS.

If that is true, what is the fuss all about?

[malmo]

Fair enough, and maybe garnishment wasn't exactly what I was looking for. But I would assume any income would actionable if they had a civil judgement against them, and I don't believe they actually have to be in court for the small claims case to go forward(default judgement).

Again, you still aren't quite understanding how the process works. Garnishment is the right word you were looking for, but you have to jump through all of the hoops in order to get there. You have to have a valid in-person service of papers to get them in court in the first place, to get that judgment. If they don't show and you get a default judgment you still have to execute the garnishment writ. That in itself is an art.

[jamese1045]

Re: Kenyan Marathon Runners run up $1200.94 Phone bill then

Kenyan Marathon Runners run up $1200.94 in Phone bill then run away.
Good morning everyone.

I thought I will throw this out there to get your advice and reaction. For the last so many years I have sponsored young Kenyan runners to come to the US and run long distance races including the marathons.

As a former runner- I came here on a running scholarship. I am All American in Track and Field and cross country.
I have decided to help young Kenyan runners with limited opportunities to compete abroad. I pay their airfare, put them up in my home, feed them
for free and then send them to various races. The idea being if they work
hard there is some serious money they can make. Look at Tergat for
example. He is a millionaire.

Last December I brought two runners: Wesley Ochoro and Lamech Mokono Mosoti. This is the second time they are back here. I told them that if they wanted to call home, I have calling cards or they can buy their own.

However, last week Feb 24th, I came home to find them missing with no
notice. I noticed the key they used to my house was left by the door. I thought this to be unusual.

I also happened to get my phone bill which was $269.00, a bit higher than usual, then I decided to look at the detail of calls. That is when I found that they had made many calls all over the country including Kenya. Immediately I calle my local phone company - Cox Communications who told me to be ready for a $1200.00 bill coming my way.

I do not know what to make of this. In two days, Feb 14th and 15th they
had made over $500 of calls to Kenya.

I do not know how to handle this:- Call the police, INS, Immigration or
what?
I finally traced them using the calls they made to New Mexico at a
Scott Robinson's training Camp. He had secretly sent them an air ticket without contacting me. Scott knows me well. He claims that the runners told him that it was okay for them to go to his camp. As a manager he never bothered to check with me about the runners. I reached him at his home in Santa where he claims that it is nobig deal for runners to change camps. He saw no need to contact me.

Rememember that I wrote the invitation letter they took to the US
Embassy in Kenya to get their visas.

Note:

Since 911, there is a requirement from the Immigration that whoever sponsors Kenyan runners to the states is responsible for their where abouts and must report them if they leave. I have no choice but to report them to the Immigration.

Any advice from you guys out there before I act irrational.

Thank you,

Harrison
602 791-0073

Why would anyone ask for and/or expect to get real-life advice or assistance here? I question the judgement of the poster putting this matter on this format--bad form and very suspect motivation imo.
jim

[EPelle]

Re: 2 Sides to story

As in all stories there are 2 sides.

CAL Scott Robinson?

[guru]

Re: 2 Sides to story

As in all stories there are 2 sides.

No one in the Allen Johnson thread believes that, why would they here?

I think most of the discussion here has been in generalities of collecting the debt. The important point you make is harrison is already holding race earnings more than enough to make him whole. Assuming that's true all he has to do is go to small claims court, present his case, and if the facts are as he lays out regarding the phone calls he'll be able to legally deduct that from the funds.

If I were you harrison, I get down to my county courthouse and get that suit filed.

[2scottr]

2 Sides to story

As in all stories there are 2 sides.
We will not air our situation in a public forum. I will only clarify a few points:

1. I do not know Harrison well as he has said.

2. I have had a conversation with him to apologize for not calling him before they arrived at our camp. That was MY mistake.

3. Harrison is holding enough monies from one athletes race earnings to deduct the phone charges and still have $ left over. NO NEED FOR GARNISHMENTS.

4. The athletes were issued B1/B2 visas(visitor) which is not the appropriate visa for the athlete anyway. There is no employer listed on Vistor visas. We will apply for the appropriate P1 Visa for Professional athletes.

5. I have been completely willing to have open conversations about this matter and am open for resolution in a open manner but not in this forum.

Anyone having questions can contact me directly.

Scott Robinson
505-577-8555

[EPelle]

Unfortunately for the bill-payer, the ends don:t justify the means.

[26mi235]

Of course, the thing that happened is that all hell broke loose in Kenya and these guys felt the need to be in contact. Keep in mind how big a thing this was. One contribution to the scale of the problem is probably that the account you have does not have inexpensive options for calls to Kenya. My account with Charter provides free long distance within the US (and Canada, since it is the northern province of Wisconsin, or at least that is what they say about the UW hockey team) and relatively cheap calls overseas (5cents/minute to UK/Europe.

[EPelle]

Alas, the truth comes out, and one learns the reason he:s called bad hammy.

[lonewolf]

Send hammy's henchmen after 'em. Where is hammy, anyway?