My HCP sob story

[RobertNashville]

I feel your pain (I'm still waiting as well but hope that will be over soon) but unless you have good reason to think they are jerking your around I would encourage you to be patient and, when you call, try to be as polite as possible.

I have nothing but "hearsay" to support my assumption but I suspect all of us that are waiting are simply caught in the middle of too much work and too few staff to handle all the original and renewal permits they are dealing with.

Just to update; I received my HCP in TODAY'S MAIL so my wait is finally over!!!

[Oh Shoot]

Just to update; I received my HCP in TODAY'S MAIL so my wait is finally over!!!

Outstanding.

Another one survives the bureaucracy and scores, good for you.

- OS

[Guest TnRebel]

On the safety course from a Fl. permit holder moving to Tn. do they take a DD-214 from a combat Marine as a safety course ? As Florida does .

[trblmkr13]

No you have to take the course unless you can show a military pistol training course in the last 2 or 3 years

[Guest TnRebel]

Nope just 18 months in 1965 and 66 so i guess I better be finding one in north east Tn. soon .

[Guest Sgt. Joe]

My HCP Saga

I took my HCP required class the first weekend of June 2009. As I have stated here before in other threads because of this site and others and constant reading since coming to the conclusion that I "needed" to carry to be safe due to an injury I really did not learn anything from the class. I was however quite pleased with my accuracy with my Walther PPK-380 that I had never fired.

Due to funding I had to wait until the first of July to go to DOS and do the application and went the next day July 2nd for fingerprints. I was of the belief that not having a criminal record and holding a still active higher than Secret clearance with the Govt. Would speed this process. I don’t think I have ever been so wrong in my life.

I waited about 60 days or so to make the first call. I was told that "TBI found some outstanding charges on me, you will be getting a letter within two weeks. Well this just about gave me a stroke as I knew full well better than any outstanding charges.

I am not one to sit back so I called TBI myself and asked them what was up.

The lady was very upset although as she said not with me. She said that there were many people being told this same thing and that it just was not true. She told me that they had cleared me on July 3rd and sent the Handgun Office that info on July 5th, and that as far as they were concerned I was good to go. She put me on hold and said she was going to call the hand gun office because she was tired of fielding such bogus calls. She came back on the line and told me that she had told them that I was good to go and it was in fact on them. She told me to wait few more weeks and call them back.

So around the 80 day mark I called back and was told the very same thing, only this time the lady said it may be some old simple charge and asked had I ever been arrested. I responded with yes on a mistake nearly 20 years ago in FL for a bad check. She told me this was most likely the problem and to just wait for my letter which would arrive by the 90 day mark. It did not.

It was around the 100-110 day time frame that I finally got a letter that asked that I obtain final disposition to....yep the bad check charge along with a failure to appear charge for the check. It was at this point that I became very concerned, I had paid the check back in the days that the merchant sent it to the bank and the bank and the merchant both charged you extra for it. The merchant an IGA grocery store had sent the check twice and thus I was charged extra by both twice. A check for less than $50.00 ended up costing me nearly hundred and fifty bucks. So I remember it well and never had a court date for it.

The reason it was sent twice without my knowledge was because I had been working out of town for several months when this all happened. And it happened because of an Ex wife who had obtained my bank card and helped herself without my knowledge. ( not a story I want to re-visit as it was a bit over 15K that disapeared)

Now even though I had paid the bank and the merchant a few months later when a room mate and his girlfriend caused a bunch of noise during an argument the Police came and asked to run my ID which I gladly handed them. It came back that the check was still outstanding and I was arrested on the spot. Once at the jail it was figured out and I was immediately released and given a ride home.

　

The biggest part of my stroke status when finding out I needed to obtain documents about this was the fact that there had been mistakes made to begin with and the idea they were saying that there was also a failure to appear showing up.

I knew I never had a court date and also knew that the previous Chief of Clerks from the County in FL had been put under indictment for embezzlement to the tune of 250K. Also the former Chief tax collector in this same county was just last year indicted for embezzlement to the tune of 250 million during his tenure. TnRebel would know more details of these things as he was close by when it all was going on, while I was here.

This is also a county in which I had paid a set of tail and tag light tickets three different times before they finally disappeared. They did not disappear until I paid them the third time and got my TN DL. I KNEW getting these dispositions was not going to be easy and I was right.

My initial calls were answered with "No you never paid this check and yes you failed to appear and therefore you will have to come and appear before a Judge in FL or ask the FL DOJ for a plea in absentia which would take about six months. The state of TN was only giving me 90 days to return the docs or have to start the process over again.( This is different from things I have read in other posts about being given only 30 days)

It did not help that those answering the phone were also saying that there was a misdemeanor warrant for my arrest for the failure to appear. I knew that everything they were telling me was bogus and even the county’s own web site was showing that everything was fine. I was still getting no where with these people.

I did not want to but I have a few friends who work for the Sheriff’s office and even a Police Chief in the town that all of this took place, the very same dept. that I had worked for. I had no other choice but to call these people and ask for help.

My friend at the SO actually works the warrants division and assured me that there were none out for me, he in turn called his supervisor who then had to re-open the case and get it assigned to another Judge as the original one had retired. I think I have mentioned this was all over something that happened 20 years ago.

After being assigned to a Judge I started to get the run-around from the Judges clerk, who was really not the Judges clerk but rather her assistant. The clerk was on vacation and was going to be for several weeks. With the case load of the judges these days I was told it would be 6-8 weeks before the judge could look at everything.

It was at this point that I called my friend the police chief.

It isn’t like we talk all the time or have remained in constant contact. He had been a rookie officer when I met him and I had helped him to learn the 10 codes and signals used by the Dept. All I had to say was "have you learned the 10 codes yet" and the man knew who he was talking to. He said he would be glad to help me and asked the name of the Judge that the case had been assigned to. Once I told him her name he chuckled and said this wont be a problem I know her well. 48 hours later everything was cleared up. And I was able to obtain the documents from 20 years ago, have them certified and then sent to me to send to DOS.

DOS said they would not accept a fax, an email or a copy but needed certified copies of the dispositions. ( another difference from other posts I have read)

Something had told me to pay for and order two copies. ( the voices in my head have saved me many times) I received them and overnighted one of them to DOS, end of story?....Not at all.

First the Postal service sent them to the wrong zip code in Nashville even though the envelope was clearly marked with the proper one. Sorting this out took a couple more days on the phone with the postal service. Finally I talked to someone at DOS who said she had the documents in her hand and they were what they needed and all was good, but that I would once again go to the bottom of the stack of those who had sent stuff in. She said give it 6-8 more weeks! I wasnt happy but I figured good enough.

The very next day I went to pick up a pistol I had in lay-away, now during this whole ordeal I had picked up several guns with no background check problems. This day however I was denied by TBI instant check? So I again called TBI and explained everything and the lady said that they would now also need the dispositions? They however would accept a fax copy and I had the back-up copy to fax and so I did. My denial was overturned the next morning and I was able to pick up my pistol.

I again called DOS and being as nice as I could explained about the denial and how TBI had overturned their denial the very next day, with the very same documents. I was politely told I would still be at the bottom of the pile.

On Dec 15 after reading this thread (again) I called again and was told that my Permit had been approved and "sent out". I asked just what sent out meant and was told that it meant to the printer and then to allow 2 weeks for the mail. After all the hassle I had been through I waited a few more hours and called back just to see if they would say the same thing, I got a different person and was told the same thing. This time I asked specifically if the permit was approved to make sure the "sent out" was not just another letter. I was told it was approved and sent out on Dec 10th. And to allow 14 days for delivery.

Sure enough on Christmas Eve my permit arrived. 177 days from initial application!

This all makes me wonder why they even include the "last 5 years question on the app?

I also wonder how the heck I received a Clearance from the Gobberment if this stuff was still showing up? None of it makes sense. A simple thing from two decades ago should not have any effect on ones right to carry. Yet it does...WHY?

Who do I blame?......#1 Any and every SOB that does not understand "Shall not be infringed"

#2 That stupid County in FL and their shoddy record keeping and lastly Tn DOS for even asking for such documents.

The whole time this was going on I was buying guns with NO problems it was only after I sent the Docs to DOS that I was denied and as I said TBI fixed that in less than 24 hours.

Sorry for the mini- novel but I have been reading this thread since the beginning and saw so many similarities between Alpha7's and my ordeal among a few others and I did want to wait until I had the thing in hand before posting the story.

Next week I go back to DOS and demand they send for my duplicate. That story can be found in the "I let it expire thread".

I’ll shut up now.

[dralarms]

Wow.

[bvarnell]

I don't think I want to standing near you during a thunderstorm.

Glad it all finally got worked though.

[Guest Sgt. Joe]

I did fail to mention the several hundred dollars I had to pay to FL for the Public Defender that I never had for the court date that I never had.

At that point I thought that would fix it....it didnt.

But yes all is well now....Well once I get my duplicate that is.

And you are probably right about being hit in a thunderstorm, since the part of FL that I refer to is in fact the lightening capitol of the world that may well have been what happened and I never knew it.......

And to think I want to move back down there:screwy: It is 36 here and 70 there....is it worth it?.....my old bones say yes.

[RobertNashville]

...And to think I want to move back down there:screwy: It is 36 here and 70 there....is it worth it?.....my old bones say yes.

Florida is a nice place to visit but I have to say, I have no desire to live there.

That said, I'm almost ashamed to have vented about my little problems...compared to what you've had to go through mine seem incredibly minor!

EDIT: After involving State Senator Bill Ketron; I was (today) able to complete the purchase I was denied on December 7th...it's a shame that folks have to get State Senators/Representatives involved simply to get TCIS to DO THEIR JOB! That said, I now have received my HCP and completed the firearms transaction I was denied for bogus reasons.

Edited December 29, 2009 by RobertNashville

[Guest Sgt. Joe]

Florida is a nice place to visit but I have to say, I have no desire to live there.

That said, I'm almost ashamed to have vented about my little problems...compared to what you've had to go through mine seem incredibly minor!

EDIT: After involving State Senator Bill Ketron; I was (today) able to complete the purchase I was denied on December 7th...it's a shame that folks have to get State Senators/Representatives involved simply to get TCIS to DO THEIR JOB! That said, I now have received my HCP and completed the firearms transaction I was denied for bogus reasons.

Yea but all these stories are help to those going Thur the process and may well save some problems for some of them. My case was simply very poor record keeping in FL. Although I dont understand TN even asking for the stuff. I can work at the Pentagon but had to go thru this for an HCP:screwy:

The ladies at DOS in Nashville are over worked and under staffed and really do have peoples lives in their hands....some where there must be a statute that requires that they do what they do. I dont really blame them at all.... I just dont understand it.

As for FL I grew up there and I miss it....screwed up or not I grew up with rockets blasting off in the back yard and a beach to go to....I miss the fishing and here in Jackson the nearest good place is over an hour away.

And then there is the issue of the school system comparison or I guess I should say there is no compairson....

[RobertNashville]

Well...I wasn't raised here; I grew up in Ohio then lived in many places while in the Navy before returning to Ohio for a few years...I was back in Ohio for a while and then decided to live in Tennessee and I've never regretted it.

I've nothing against Florida - I go there quite frequently and have family there...it's just never been a place I wanted to live.

I agree that those doing the background checks probably are overworked...I had far fewer problems with my HCP overall than I did with the gun purchase that was denied...I'm still hot about that level of stupidity and incompetence and moreover, the outright rudeness from those most of those I spoke with at TCIS.