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Company lists pan/scraper at $159,000
County: "As-is" price much lower
CRYSTAL RIVER — The unlikely story of a Citrus County landfill pan/scraper continues even as the heavy equipment transitions away from county ownership.
County officials were perplexed to learn that Ring Power Corp., which credited the county about $36,000 in trade-in value for the piece of landfill equipment, posted the machinery for sale online Friday at $159,000.
Ring Power withdrew the online advertisement after county officials, responding to a reporter’s inquiry, called the company’s offices to find out more about the online offer.
Assistant County Administrator Ken Frink said in a Tuesday memo to County Administrator Brad Thorpe that Ring Power’s list price included improvements and a new paint job. The company’s sale price “as is,” Frink said, is $79,000.
Citrus County commissioners last week voted 4-1 to trade in the 1995 pan/scraper for a Caterpillar hydraulic excavator rather than repair it at a cost of $35,709. After the $36,493 trade-in, the excavator cost the county $161,586.
When citizen Bob Schweickert suggested trying to sell the equipment online for a higher price, Frink said that assistant public works director Larry Brock had just told him the equipment was dissembled and “in pieces” at Ring Power and the county would have to pay to have it assembled for resale.
The next day, Schweickert visited the Ring Power facility in Brooksville and videotaped the fully assembled pan/scraper functioning properly. He then posted the video on YouTube.
Frink said he didn’t know that Ring Power had assembled the machine on its own without county knowledge or approval.
According to machinerytrader.com, Ring Power posted the pan/scraper for sale Friday at a list price of $159,000. While the listing did not include a photo, the serial/pin number is the same as the landfill pan/scraper.
The Chronicle contacted county officials Monday to ask about Ring Power asking a much higher price for the equipment than it gave in trade-in to the county. When officials searched the machinerytrader.com website later in the day, the posting had been removed.
Frink’s memo says the value of the repaired pan/scraper is $72,201 — repair cost plus the trade-in value.
The memo says Ring Power’s list price for sale includes a “significant rebuild of major components” plus a paint job. The as-is price, Frink said, is only $7,000 higher than the county’s estimate of the equipment’s value.
Frink’s memo said the county expects a letter today from Ring Power’s corporate headquarters in St. Augustine with a timeline of events from the company’s standpoint.
Contact Chronicle reporter Mike Wright at 352-563-3228 or mwright@chronicleonline.com.
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New math
The new math, used in this undervalued trade, only makes sense if a deal had been struck, for Ring to resell it quickly at a sweetheart price to maybe a "high value" campaign donor. Then it makes perfect sense. County alerts donor, before public vote, that equip will be traded for low price. Ring agrees to repair pan and sell to donor for trade+repair+%profit. Final price is still well below market value, but Ring makes out on new equip to county, repair and %profit on old equip, donor makes out buying a well maintained pan for well below market value, and Thorpe/Wesch/Frink make out when it's time for donor to fund campaigns for four commissioners. County residents wouldn't ever know a thing about it, until Bob shows up with his video camera to record the pan in pieces.
2+2+X=5 only when X=1 Looking out for #1 seems to be the order of the day!
Here ends todays' lesson in administration math!
Doing the math
Quick follow up. If I have the Rough numbers on the math correct, the county would have had roughly 230,000.00 in the machine if they fix it.
IE: the 160k they had spent on it after the trade in. So roughly, 160 + 35k + 35 to repair = 230k.
SOOO, the thing is probably a quick sale at about 110K based on what I see out there. 230k - 110k = 120k net into the machine over the years instead of 160k basically saving the county 40k!
Did that make sense! LOL
Pan Scraper
I can see similar machines around year 1989/1990 selling for 75k, not rebuilt. The listing price they were asking doesn't mean that's what they would get, so that number isn't really relevant, IMO.
So, they took in a broken machine, basically overhauled it, and are trying to make a profit on it. Isn't that what Companies are supposed to do?
Just saying, If you're trading in a car or truck to a dealer, you don't get retail on the trade, you get blackbook/wholesale, and they are going to re-sell it for a profit. Seems to me the same should apply to a Pan Scraper, right?
I don't see a foul here on Ring Power to be honest. They didn't force anyone to trade it in. If it's theirs, they fix it up, and they sell it for a million bucks,....more power to them. lol
If the county could have repaired it, and sold it for a nice profit, then maybe that would have been a better decision, but that's not Ring Powers fault either!
Groundhog Research video and access
Http://YouTu.be9ssV9Ros2ng
Citrus Pan of Pieces YouTu.be
Www.groundhogresearch.com
Corrected online access
Http://YouTu.be/9ssV9Ros2ng
Sorry, omitted that pesky (/)
"In pieces !"
Thanks Bob for sharing "in pieces" equipment, pictures taken Wednesday morning, after Tuesday afternoon meeting. Wow!! Nice investigative reporting, by a NON paid staffer at that !
Bays, Damato, Kenney & Meeks need to leave
This story that the chronicle has put out is very disturbing. The county commissioners except for ADAMS, have really screwed up this time. Why are we paying a healthy salary to Bays, Damato, Kenney & Meeks if they cant even be trusted and do their job right!
Someone please tell me how do we get Bays, Damato, Kenney & Meeks out and replace them, without having to wait for voting time to come around? As citizens who can we write our concerns too?
Floridian
They need to take Thorpe with them too....
He 'advises' the commissioners...so he's part of the problem too!
The "coverup" at the landfill continues.
If not for a concerned and caring Citrus County citizen Mr. Bob Schweickert, and the superlative efforts of our Commissioner Scott Adams, this blatant fleecing of Citrus County taxpayers would continue unabated. It would be entombed in the abyss of "shady government deals", of which County staff and commissioners Meek, Bays, Damato, and Kenney are the sentries. Problem is they just look the other way when the are entrused as fiduciary guardians of Citrus county citizens.
If no heads roll on this issue, it will simply provide the reinforcement for County goverment and commissioners Meek, Bays, Damato, and Kenney to continue to simply clean out your wallet.
Next time you are at the gas pump, at the grocery story, or paying a utility bill as a taxpayer, think about how your tax money is being squandered by Citrus county government and the gang of 4.
Remain angry, remain concerned, and remain supportive of those who are truly looking out for you. If complacency sets in, sadly you will get the government you deserve...Even with superhuman effort and drive they cannot do it alone !!!