Originally Posted by taylorce1
I just don't know what kind I'll need.

Here is the back story, my wife divorced her first husband in 2006. He left behind his AR-15 rifle, and has never asked for it until today. Today he said he's calling the ATF to have it recovered.

Here is a quote from the email He sent my wife:

Quote

Are you in possession of the AR15 rifle I left with you? I need to know the disposition of my rifle. I intend to notify ATF and take all legal measures to secure this weapon.


Now I'm hoping whomever answers the phone at the ATF is intelligent enough to ask the proper questions. I don't care about the AR-15, but I don't want this to escalate into a problem for me and my wife owning our current firearms and any future purchases. I don't know how it'll affect us when the rifle has been in possession of my wife for nearly eleven years. I can't legally send him the rifle because he lives in NY and teaches at West Point. Plus there is the principal of not giving him any satisfaction because he suddenly wants to make something an issue.

So is this a family law (divorce), a property rights, or some other?


You need to decide how you really feel about this. Your wife may be legally entitled to the rifle, but it sounds like you may have to get involved in a legal hassle to keep it.

Originally Posted by taylorce1
I don't care about the AR-15, but I don't want this to escalate into a problem for me and my wife owning our current firearms and any future purchases.


If you truly don't care about the rifle and you truly don't want a hassle, give the man his rifle back. (yes, I know it might legally be your wife's rifle now, but I'm sure you can understand why he feels it's still his.) Don't send it directly, that would be illegal, but via an FFL in NY. If he won't agree to using an FFL, tell him to pound sand.

Originally Posted by taylorce1
Plus there is the principal of not giving him any satisfaction because he suddenly wants to make something an issue.


This is completely different from your previous paragraph. I can understand the principle of not being directed by jerks. How much hassle are you willing to go through to keep a rifle you say you don't care about just because the guy is a jerk?

If you decide to keep it, look at your wife's divorce papers and see if there is a clause about left property. If there is, tell him you have the rifle, it's securely stored and it's your wife's property now.