The guy who offered to set his car on fire in exchange for “loanations” (his word–he says he’s going to pay back all donations) managed to raise enough money to prevent the foreclosure sale of his house yesterday. Below is a video of him handing over a check for $21,000. The only problem is, now he’s saying he might not burn the car.
As for coming through on the promise of torching his car, he writes on his blog:
I have received several requests, that, rather than light the car on fire that I donate it to charity, or auction it off. I would be happy to do so. However, I believe a large portion of those who loanated did so because of the advertisement of lighting the car on fire. However I have emailed each of those who lent me the money to see if the general consensus has changed.
THANKS! WE saved the Maxim-Pad from Foreclosure (Thanks to Tom!)
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I would just let the majority vote. It would be a waste to burn a perfectly good car if donating it to charity will help others. But hey if more people want to torch it I say do it!
Except that the laws on donations don’t work like that. Every person must consent to the change, otherwise he could be in serious trouble for fraud.
that’s great – but he should burn it. it’s what people gave their “loanations” for! However, if the general consensus has changed, then yes. donate.
Donate it to a fire department and let them practice on it. Film it.
Thus both mindsets are served.
I like this idea!
I vote for this one!
+1 Win, win
Brilliant! Great solution that meets both objectives.
You should be a politician, but you’re too smart to be one.
Fire depts don’t even do test burns on cars anymore because the EPA will be all over them.
Isn’t purposely setting fire to a car not only a safety hazard, but an environmental one? Where exactly would he perform this act? Can’t he get arrested for doing something like this? Hell, in my neighborhood, I’m not even allowed to torch a pile of sticks/leaves, let alone an entire car.
I’m all for flaming cars, but if it were me, I’d be wary of John. Q. Lawman.
In many rural areas, controlled burning of waste is perfectly legal and safe (assuming he transports the car to such an area first). However, there are many things he would have to do to the car to legally burn it such as drain all fluids and properly dispose of them, remove the tires, remove the battery, and possibly other things I can’t think of off the top of my head. But it is certainly within the realm of possibility to accomplish it legally.
I don’t know about Utah, but here I see people burn all kinds of stuff.
At first I thought they were actual fires – but then my boyfriend told me that since we live in the “country”, people burn trash/trees/people, etc
I can see the pros and cons. I’m sure many wouldn’t feel cheated for not seeing his car go up in flames, as they donated for a good cause rather than entertainment. On the other hand, if he goes through with it, that’s money for gas, insurance, maintenance and the like which is now used to pay back those who lent him money. But yeah, he’s without a vehicle. Unless he’s got friends or relatives nearby, he doesn’t have to worry about driving someone to the ER, since his wife and kids took off.
He’s still got an Audi A6 after the Ford gets burnt/donated. He’ll be fine.
From the not to distant future news crawl, “In other news, angry contributors filed suit against the man today, saying they felt they were paying for entertainment as advertised and have not gotten their money’s worth.”
Glad to see that he was able to save the house! I think charity would be a better option then setting the car on fire
If he swaps his car for the broken-down one mentioned in the comments on his blog, I think that would be fine. His benefactors just want to see A car burn.
Actually burning it without getting charged with arson or such though, that could be tricky.
It’s not arson if it’s yours.
Common misconception. Check local laws before burning anything!
A morning DJ out here recently burnt a car and got arrested and charged with arson because it wasn’t cleared with the FD first. A firefighter was injured putting it out, which just complicated things.
Donate to charity would be nice (especially for him, since he’d nail the tax writeoff as well), but the masses paid to see the car burn and maybe see the fool arrested. Even the “would be nice to donate” folks still donated knowing that burning was the intended outcome.
Donate it to mythbusters, and see what they can do.
Is he sure he won’t get in legal trouble for setting the car on fire? There isn’t some law saying that’s illegal disposal or a hazard or something?
Yet, his blog says he’s only raised $15,000 and he’s still collecting donations. Sneaky.
Actually, he only needed $15,000 and he does say that he’s going to pay people back – so I guess it isn’t so sneaky after all.
He was only needed to raise $15,000.
And hey, if people donate to him because he’s going through hard times, then why should he shut down the donations?
people paid – he needs to burn something. the law is his problem , he needs to figure it out. maybe he can light something else on fire. This guys seems like a real piece of work , read his blog .
Anyone remember this guy?
http://web.archive.org/web/20011015113103/http://www.cutoffmyfeet.com/main.html
SCAM! This is a classic bait-and-switch. You have to burn the car!
Deal is a Deal ………… He sounds like a Washington Politician ….. after game changes!
If the general consensus changed then that’s fine. If he downgrades and sets A car on fire then that’s fine too.
I don’t think people are going to be payed back for this.
Sounds like he’s welshing to me. Why was it so easy for this blogging ass clown to get $15,000 in donations to save his house? He wasn’t broke; why help him and not someone who is really out straight?
Not surprising. He agreed to pay his mortgage on time, too, and that didn’t happen either.
{ducking}
+10
He could donate it to David’s Farm.
So, I’ve decided that if I can raise $25,000, I’m going to set John Maxim’s car on fire. Everyone who donates will get some mild entertainment, I’ll get $25,000, and Mr. Maxim will be taught a valuable lesson in honoring an agreement.
I checked out his blog and a lot of people in the comments section, suggested that he not waste a perfectly good car with new transmission by burning it and instead donate it. I think it is a good idea. A lot of people helped him, now he can pay it forward and help someone else.
I have read in the comments that he has another car (I didn’t see it on his blog, but I also wasn’t looking for it.) Audi A6′s are not cheap cars, how old is it and what type of shape is it in? Could he have sold that to pay for his home and just driven the Ford?
There’s always a risk for anything, including donating to charity. Back in 2007 the boys from Top Gear did a challenge driving from Miami to New Orleans in $1k cars. After seeing the devastation from Katrina they decided to give the cars to a Christian mission (instead of originally trying to sell them). A lawyer attempted to sue Jeremy Clarkson for misrepresentation because he gave away an ’89 Camaro instead of a ’91. Clarkson said on the show “good luck suing the BBC in a different country” (or words to that effect).
Hmmm, lets see: signs a very long/wordy document/contract/AGREEMENT called a mortgage agreeing to pay the lender their money. Apparently does this while NOT thinking about worst case scnerios including changing his mind.
Hmmmmm, now the same person who cannot pay the mortgage makes a very public AGREEMENT to burn his car for donations. WAIT A MINUTE, he changed mind and has yet again not do what he agreed to do.
Credit worthy, note worthy or even honorable- don’t think so!
Who would donate money and actually expect to change his mind, really.. they knew what “the plan” was and gave it to him anyway. The consensus *is* the money.
Can I ask what would make any person give their hard earned money to watch somebody burn their car? Is this a form of entertainment I am missing out on? I mean if the guy said I will show you my wife naked or watch us have sex it could be understood. If he said, I will let a person kick me in the balls ala Jackass, then there is a possibility. But I guess I am just old school that way
Oh Hell, I’ll set my car on fire and put the video on youtube for 1/3 of that. Of course, It is time to pay the tuition bill for the fall.
I think if he doesn’t set the car on fire it’s fraud and if he does it’s arson.
Hmmm…don’t offer to do something illegal for money, even if it’s for a good cause and even if it is cute.
On the other hand, and I am just joking of course, it would also be illegal yet highly entertaining to offer to firebomb the offending mortgage company’s office (when nobody’s there) not that I’m now or ever encouraging that.
Perhaps a more acceptable yet still illegal and entertaining option, which I am also not encouraging, is to find out where the mortgage co. CEO lives and evict him and belongings with a good locksmith and movers when you know he’s gone for a while….I vote for (yet not encourage) THAT idea!
BURN BABY BURN!!!!!!