[BCMA] Donation dispute

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.]

Hello Jim, 

You have probably already consider this but, I would ask who the executor of the estate is - if there is one.
Or you can ask the donor to provide supporting information about the legal ownership - was there a will? Anything written down from the original owner.

Given the nature of the issue you may want to seek legal advice. 

Hope other Museum colleagues can assist and may have had a similar challenge that can help. 


Rebecca


Rebecca Forrest
Curator of Collections/Project Leader | Museum & Heritage Services
Community Services Division
City of Richmond
c: 604 314-7037 
o: 604 247-4674



-----Original Message-----
From: bcma-bounces at lists.vifa.ca [mailto:bcma-bounces at lists.vifa.ca] On Behalf Of Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.
Sent: Monday, 21 October 2019 10:59
To: bcma at lists.vifa.ca
Subject: [BCMA] Donation dispute

Seeking advice

We accepted a donation of WW1 metals from a granddaughter of the WW1combatant.  The sister of the donor has sent emails demanding we give the metals to her even threatening legal action.
>From the emails, the they to not get along. The sister didn't know the metals existed so I don't know how she found out we had just received them.
Our donation form has the line that the donor has the legal right to donate them to us. 

Any advice how to deal with the situation?  If we give them back, I believe we need to give them to the donor, not the sister.  We don't have a legal dept.

Jim Millar
Port Moody Station Museum
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