Kathryn and I get ready for the business in town with Bobby and Mary. I dress in my business suit, and Kathryn dresses and a nice dress very professional looking the two of us. We give a call to Mary. I have her get all the paperwork their last letters from their lien holder, and ensure they have the contact information. We set a time, and I ensure enough money is in the local bank to more than cover our contract. Their mortgage holder happens to be one of the super large banks out-of-state, but fortunately they have a local branch here. We should be able to contact their offices and take care of any business with the local branch manager.
They will be ready in an hour to meet us at their restaurant, Mary informs me that they’ve called again this morning and demanding a payoff within twenty-four hours or they will evict them from their home and restaurant. Mary simply tells them that it will happen this afternoon. She requested a contact number for that purpose. She said the person didn’t know what to say after that.
They had actually hung up on her. She called back the number on her caller ID and got the run around for fifteen minutes until she got frustrated and said she needed to speak to a junior vice president, she use my name and had the agent Google it. Five minutes later a junior vice president was talking to her and she got his name, number and promise that he would be there to answer the phone call. Mary apologized for using my name but she was getting the runaround. I chuckled and said, “That’s what I’m here for your silent partner to make things like this go away.”
We have the contracts all set up, for Mary and Bobby and allows a limited partnership between them and JJ Enterprises. I kept the Corporation after sign all the assets other than the name to my favorite Internet Company. They didn’t need it for the tax purposes. Keeping it allowed me to pay the taxes under JJ Enterprises for the sale of assets under the corporate tax table.
Sam will stay with her grandma Maggie and we hear her telling Mom about the lightning again as we come in to say goodbye. I bend over giving Sam a kiss and tell her, “I’ll see you later my big girl. Anything you want from in town.”
Sam thinks, “Could you bring another piece of chocolate cake? That was really good.”
Kathryn giggles, “You may just have to wait on that Sam. We may go back there for dinner very soon.”
Sam giggles, “Okay I can wait.”
After we leave the house Kathryn says, “If we tell Mary Sam wanted a piece of cake she would send the whole cake back with us.”
I copy Sam’s puppy dog face and I quickly glance at Kathryn it only makes her giggle. Kathryn says, “That’s why I told her no, if you had, you would be bringing back two cakes.”
We arrive at the restaurant and meet Bobby and Mary. They have all the paperwork ready for me to look over. I show them the contracts having them read them carefully and ask any questions they need answered. When Bobby asked about the repayment schedule I show him where I get a percentage of the profit. The percentage drops once initial money fully repaid to one percent. Bobby asked, “It’s very low compared to the bank. It doesn’t mention anything about minimum payment. Why is that JJ?”
I point out to Bobby, “This isn’t a lone, and I’m taking no lien on your property. It’s a limited partnership. Where I provide the necessary monies to allow you to maintain your way of life, keep the restaurant and your home. I only receive a percentage from your profit. But that won’t be a problem I’m sure. Once the initial capital as repaid, I only get one percent of your net profit from your business. By maintaining my limited partnership with you if ever you need more capital to stay in business I can provide that under the same arrangement.”
Bobby takes a deep breath then asks, “So if I’m not in profit, there’s no minimum payment or penalty?”
Looking at Bobby I say with a smile, “That would be correct, as long as you keep the quality of the food as good as it is I don’t think that will be a problem. I’m not worried about time schedule on repayment Bobby. I’ll not be hurting for the money anytime in the foreseeable future. If I am I wouldn’t worry about it still. By me only taking a percentage your profit I wouldn’t cause things to get worse when things are tough.”
Bobby chuckles shaking his head, “The banks are going to hate you, if you help anyone else like this.”
With a chuckle I say, “I got a feeling a lot of banks are going to hate me. You are the first but you’re not going to be the last I help like this. I want to keep our little town going, maybe even grow a little bit and never start into a spiral downward.”
Bobby asks, “Are you really serious about helping others?”
I tell him, “The reason I moved to this town, was the people here. If their jobs go away so do the people, as more people leave it’s harder for businesses like yours and others. I had to start somewhere Bobby and I’m glad it’s with you.”
Bobby says seriously, “I don’t know what we would’ve done if we lost the restaurant and our home. I couldn’t see it being a good thing no matter what. I might’ve been able to start over somewhere else but working for someone else. If Mary and I both work two jobs we might’ve been able to keep the roof over the girl’s heads, maybe.”
With a concerned look I say, “I didn’t have a clue it was that bad. You should be able to get a job as a restaurant manager making pretty decent money. Mary is a very good chef she should be making decent money as well.”
Bobby says, “When all this started I looked at getting a second job to help pay the bills. But there’s nothing local other than some customer service positions. I would lose more money working one of those than working in the restaurant.”
We don’t have time to continue this conversation but I asked Bobby if he’s agreeable with the limited partnership with a smile he shakes my hand. Mary gives Kathryn a hug and we had off to the bank to settle their debt. Once we reach the branch, I hand Bobby the cashier’s check for the amount we agreed on plus the twenty-five thousand for the prepaid meals. He smiles and deposited it, and we walk into the branch manager’s office ready to call the junior vice president back and complete their payoff.
Thirty minutes later we are walking out. Bobby and Mary have the receipt for their loans paid in full. Within ten business days they will receive titles for the properties. I shake Bobby’s hand and Mary gives me a hug. They tell me to come by for dinner tonight they’re having a special one just for me and the family.
Returning home Kathryn and I find everyone around the dining table examining the contents of those Mason jars. I have no idea where they found them but Marshall has on white cotton gloves as he gingerly looks at each coin. He uses alcohol and cotton pads to lightly clean each coin. He excitedly pulls me over and shows me some of the gold coins, and a few of the silver. Marshall shows me one of the silver coins, which is a so-called King Morgan. He points to the coin how good a condition is actually in. Then he tells me, one of those sold for 1.7 million in the same condition but with a different mint mark. It’s possible this one could go for as much or even more because of the rarity.
I chuckle before I say, “I guess I could afford something like that. It would be nice to have to give our kids one day.”
Marshall smiles, “With as much money Misty and I have we were thinking the same.”
Grandma pulls me over to the side and says to me. “I know you wanted me to take it all, but that isn’t quite right. It’s too much money not to share. I know you don’t want it. Kathryn you’ve paid off your father’s debts last fall. Marshall and Misty you help make multi-millionaires, if anyone deserves part of this it is you two. George he’s my nephew and I want to share it with him, Michael is my son, Maggie, and Sam is our Princess and help find the treasure. I want you to take a few coins as well and there’s a few of the things I want you to look at, you may know more than anyone else. It looks like stock certificates but we’re not sure about them.”
I shake my head yes and Kathryn and I go and take a look at the stock certificates. The only problem I can think of right off the bat is a lot of companies don’t exist anymore. It has been almost ninety years after all. We look at the stock certificates that are not something you normally get nowadays normally just a portfolio stating your name and the number stock you own. The old days they wrote out to certificate almost like it was currency. What we find nearly sets me on the floor. I’m pretty sure it’s going to double Marshall’s wealth easily. There are twenty-eight shares of AT&T from 1929. With his many times that stock has split since then.
Even though at selling less than forty dollars a share currently in a forty-four cent per share dividend, the family will get a large amount of money coming from them. There’s another two groups of shares nineteen in Standard Oil and International Business Machine for twelve shares. After little research I find out that Standard Oil became Exxon. I had no idea International Business Machines is IBM and had been around for that long. If AT&T, Exxon and IBM honor these certificates the families looking at quite a large pot of money from the three of them.
I take photographs of each certificate and begin the research on finding out who to contact in these companies.
An hour later Kathryn and I have contacted AT&T, IBM and Exxon, we have calls into their CFOs considering how much stock each of these certificates actually are, it will need high-level managerial involvement. IBM was one of the first to return our calls. The CFO for IBM informed us he will honor the certificate after verification. It should only take a few months for expert to identify and verify. It may be difficult because it’s the only surviving stock from 1929 for IBM. The CFO informed us once the stock verification is complete the company wishes to keep the original certificates. There are actually three, one for ten shares and two, one share each.
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