Woman says pawn shop unlawfully sold her ring

WINFIELD – A Putnam County woman is suing Ultimate Pawn & Performance after she claims it unlawfully sold her ring before she came to reclaim it.

Brian Bowling is doing business as Ultimate Pawn & Performance.

On Nov. 5, Monica Handley Larsen approached the defendant’s pawn shop to get a short-term loan due to her husband’s recent lack of work, according to a complaint filed Jan. 23 in Putnam Circuit Court.

Larsen claims the item she used as collateral was a $15,000 ring that was the last gift her grandfather had given to her before his death.

Since Larsen was not in the computer as a customer, the defendant induced her to forge her husband’s name in order to pawn the ring that did not even belong to him, according to the suit.

Larsen claims she received a $1,000 loan for the ring.

On Dec. 5, Larsen approached the defendant to inquire about paying the interest and coming in a couple of days to pay off the loan, according to the suit, and the defendant informed her that she had a seven-day grace period and that as long as she came in by the close of business on Dec. 12, her ring would be there.

Larsen claims on Dec. 12, she went to the store to reclaim her ring and pay the funds, but she was advised that the store would not let her pay the funds because her ring had already been sold to another customer.

The defendant breached his contract with Larsen by selling her ring in blatant disregard for Larsen’s rights as the owner, according to the suit.

Larsen claims the defendant’s actions were intentional and in total willful disregard for her rights and emotional well-being.

The defendant had no right to retain possession of Larsen’s ring and because of that, he is guilty of theft or unlawful conversion, according to the suit.

Larsen is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. She is being represented by Rosalee Juba-Plumley.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Phillip Stowers.

Putnam Circuit Court case number: 13-C-16