Of course, I think Marda's advise is correct, because it would make everything just go away. Unfortunately, I'm not built like that. I'd turn into Don Quixote and start advancing on the windmill. First off, I'd like to know why their records don't go back that far? The tax men tell me I can not, ever, destroy any of my transaction records. Ever. The ten year wait they tell me is a fallacy, based on the fact that audits don't usually occur for years previous to that. So, deep in the bowels of my closets are plastic bins packed tightly with every invoice for the last seventeen years, all the old cash register tapes, all the bank statements. I just simply don't believe that deep in the bowels of their company, they don't have five year old records. I'll tell you for why, when class action law suits come up, like is presently happening concerning overcharges on long distance, they seem to be able to cough up records under supoenas. Secondly, there are agencies to which you can take complaints where things like quaisi-public utilities are concerned. Out of sheer customer good-will why couldn't they just eat that initial overcharge and even cough up the obligatory apology. This is really a sign of the times, where your phone company no longer has local representatives, and the numbers on accounts are never even seen by human eyes, but spit out in bytes and bits. I have one funny (to me) anecdote. My dh was balancing our checking account and noticed that for months there was a one penney discrepancy between his records and the bank's. He got really agitated until hours later sifting through old statements, he found out when that occured and found it was a bank mistake. Then he actually got in our truck and drove to town to the bank. I figures that one was worth five bucks in gas, and demanded to talk to a manager. He pointed the mistake out and she, in disbelief, spat out the words "It's ONLY one cent". To which he replied. Yes, but it's MY cent. They corrected their records. I still laugh when I think about it, just on general principles.

Thank Gawd Brandy wasn't there for this. One look at those guys in camo and she'd be thanking them for their service! LOL! :-))) "Many folks don't realize that MOST hunters are the greatest conservationists this country has..." True. But there are some huge nut jobs in that crowd too. Like any other group, you got your good apples and then a few rotten ones. The Wildlife Management Area where I ride from time to time borders some land leased by a hunting club. Some of this maze of trails leading to one mountain summit goes through their property. Recently a fellow biker reported that someone has nailed a beheaded wild boar to a tree with a NO TRESPASSING sign attached to him/her. What a cruel and wasteful way to deliver a message. *LOVE* the OUTSTANDING organization that was put forth as seen in that 4th pic.

Well, so far Lexa there are little - no signs of HOSP using my boxes. So no Van Ert Trapping. For the first time in at least 2 years - my bluebirds have staked a first claim from one of my box pairs. There are now a few pieces of grass formed into a circle in one of my boxes. The male and female bluebird were hanging around behind the box, so I'm thinking it has to be them. Plus I haven't seen any HOSP on/near my boxes yet. Unfortunately, today I trapped yet another Chickadee. 4th one. My brother put some bait in there I didn't want him too, so this is probably what got the chickadee. The little guy was going back and forth. Approaching I saw it but couldn't tell what it was. Was thinking "come on, HOSP please" nope, another Chickadee. Although frantic, he had no damage and appeared healthy. It took him a minute to find the exit. Little guy bursted out and the next minutes he was up in the tree calling away. I'm not giving up yet! I've brought bread crumbs to the equation. I should have one eventually. Indeed with the "rogue" sparrow Lexa! I am gonna convince my neighbor to get a universal trap for his Martin Trio house, as removing the HOSP last season caused European Starlings to move in and start nesting. The Spar-o-door traps are too small for Starlings. I'm just glad my overall efforts to get rid of the HOSP have been successful. I've really changed things around here.

After posting on a couple of more messageboards, I received information from someone who claimed to have worked for the IRS. From information on his post, I looked up information on bad debts from the IRS site and this is what it says: Topic 453 - Bad Debt Deduction If someone owes you money that you cannot collect, you may have a bad debt. For a discussion of what constitutes a valid debt, refer to Publication 550, Investment Income and Expenses, and Publication 535, Business Expense. To deduct a bad debt, you must have previously included the amount in your income or loaned out your cash. If you are a cash basis taxpayer, as most individuals are, you may not take a bad debt deduction for income you expected to receive but did not because the amount was never included in your income. For a bad debt, you must show that there was an intention at the time of the transaction to make a loan and not a gift. There are two kinds of bad debts  business and nonbusiness. A business bad debt, generally, is one that comes from operating your trade or business. A business deducts its bad debts from gross income when figuring its taxable income. Business bad debts may be deducted in part or in full. All other bad debts are nonbusiness. Nonbusiness bad debts must be totally worthless to be deductible. You cannot deduct a partially worthless nonbusiness bad debt. You must establish that you have taken reasonable steps to collect the debt and the debt is worthless. It is not necessary to go to court if you can show that a judgment from the court would be uncollectible. You may take the deduction only in the year the debt becomes worthless. A debt becomes worthless when the surrounding facts and circumstances indicate there is no longer any chance the amount owed will be paid. You do not have to wait until a debt is due to determine whether it is worthless. A nonbusiness bad debt is reported as a shortÂterm capital loss in Part 1 on Form 1040, Schedule D (PDF). It would be subject to the capital loss limitations. A nonbusiness bad debt deduction requires a separate detailed statement attached to your return. For more information on nonbusiness bad debts, refer to Publication 550, Investment Income and Expenses. For more information on business bad debts, refer to Publication 535, Business Expenses. -------------------- I'm going to use this route. At the very least, as coolvt indicated, it will make the IRS aware of this person and hopefully they will probe into his business.