If you watched the original The A-Team action-adventure television series in the 1980s or in reruns, one line from that show probably stuck in your memory: "I love it when a plan comes together."
I said the same thing to a happy — and extremely lucky — reader after we thwarted an attempt by the daughter of a former employee to blackmail him with allegations of office hanky-panky with her mother some years earlier.
The underlying fact situation is the perfect example of why it is important to hang on to expired passports, among several other documents. This made-for-television drama began with a phone call from "Chris," an optometrist in Upstate New York.
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'She was the best office manager I ever had'
"For over 30 years, 'Ada' was my office manager — the nicest, most competent and considerate person you could ever know, always sending lovely birthday and thank-you cards with beautifully handwritten messages. We kept them all.
"Our families grew close — with the exception of her daughter, Beverly, who had drug and alcohol issues but refused rehab. She studied calligraphy as part of a college graphic design major, a skill that she put to work forging checks. She is now on probation.
"Ada died a month ago. Yesterday, Beverly came to our office, asking to see me in private, as it was 'something about her mother.' Beverly is the reason I am calling you."
You have 10 days to fork over $50,000
Chris says he agreed to see her, but added, "Knowing her past, I activated a small digital voice recorder in my shirt pocket." (In New York, it is legal for one party to record a conversation without the other's knowledge.)
He played the recording for me. After a friendly, initial chat, Beverly said, in a pleasant tone of voice, "There is an entry from years ago where you were both intimate on a particular Friday after everyone else had left. No one knows this except me. I will give you 10 days to get me $50,000, or I will tell your wife, your medical pals, everyone. Here is the diary. You can read the entry yourself, even make a copy. It's real."
Chris said, "She handed it to me. As I knew Ada's handwriting, this was an obvious fake. And what was described never happened — I was always out of the country that week, for years, on a medical mission to South America.
"I remained calm and color-scanned the journal entry, plus several before and after that day, then handed it back to Beverly. I asked for her cell phone number and promised to call her."
Chris wants to protect Ada's memory
Chris did not want to cause embarrassment to Ada's family by involving law enforcement, which could have attracted media attention.
"I thought of you, Mr. Beaver, because I recall that you wrote about something similar — attempted blackmail. My old, expired passport shows that I was out of the country (on that date), and there was local press coverage of the event, available online. I would appreciate your help in getting this to go away without paying her a cent."
"Chris," I replied, "if you show Beverly that this could not have happened, I'll wager that she will quietly go away. So, scan and send me the pages in your expired passport that establish identity, your departure/return to the U.S., the stamps in it from the South American country with your entry and departure for that time frame, each year preceding and following, along with the news stories."
Why keep expired passports and other documents?
Expired passports are valuable and should be retained, as they can establish your identity and travel history, literally keeping you out of jail if you become the focus of a criminal investigation.
Other documents you should keep:
Anything that proves your identity and/or where you have been, such as your birth certificate, Social Security card, transportation stubs (airline, train and bus) and driver's licenses from all the states/places you have lived.
Paperwork concerning legal status/changes, such as immigration/naturalization records, marriage/divorce judgments, name-change applications and subsequent court approval.
Property and financial records, such as deeds/mortgages, homeowners/renters insurance policies, tax returns, business licenses, receipts/warranty booklets for major appliances, titles to vehicles, payment records, pension plan information, employment contracts, life and health insurance contracts/payment records, medical records, wills and trusts, even if revoked or modified, powers of attorney, lawsuits/settlement agreements.
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For an excellent discussion of the ways of keeping these documents, including which ones should be kept as originals and which ones may be scanned, I suggest visiting the Kiplinger article How to Store Your Financial Documents the Right Way.
The plan to deal with Beverly's blackmail attempt
"Chris, here is my idea," I said. "Set up a video call with the three of us. Just tell her that you have a positive resolution and want her to speak with a friend."
Beverly agreed. I showed her his passport with the entries proving that he was out of the country and said, "Beverly, Chris does not want to bring embarrassment to your family. He is not going to the police. But there is something he would like you to do."
"Bev," Chris said, tears streaming down his face, "I hope the memory of your mom and your family can help get you on a better path. After completing a six-month rehab program — I will pay the insurance deductible — you can have a job in my office, from mother to daughter. So, what do you say?"
Tears replaced her smile. She agreed.
All of this happened about a year ago. Recently, Chris emailed, "When I look at Beverly now, I see Ada."
Dennis Beaver practices law in Bakersfield, Calif., and welcomes comments and questions from readers, which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993, or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1@gmail.com. And be sure to visit dennisbeaver.com.
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