Infamous Motorized La-Z-Boy Hits eBay

[SlyPokerDog]

The case of Minnesota’s motorized La-Z-Boy Lounger just keeps getting stranger, with the cops deciding to give you a chance to put the machine in your driveway.

Dennis LeRoy Anderson, 62, rigged his La-Z-Boy with an 8-horsepower lawnmower engine. Then he installed a stereo, headlights and a cup holder before slapping a “Hell yeah it’s fast” sticker on the back. The inventive fellow from Proctor, Minnesota, liked to drive it to local bars to watch Vikings football games. So far, so good. But Anderson was nabbed for drunk driving in his La-Z-Boy on Aug. 31, 2008, after hitting a parked car.

A police report that says Anderson told police he left the Keyboard Lounge after consuming eight or nine beers. Prosecutors say Anderson’s blood alcohol content was more than three times the legal limit of 0.08.

The wheels of justice move slowly, but at least Anderson’s incredibly tacky, yet oddly awesome, chair will move again. Anderson pleaded guilty on Oct. 22 to DWI and according to the Duluth News-Tribune was sentenced to 180 days in jail. He had to forfeit his beloved La-Z-Boy, which the police listed on eBay today.

“Under the state legislature forfeiture law, I either have to keep it for official police business, which I’m not going to do, or auction it off,” Walter Wobig, chief of police in Proctor, told Wired.com. “So I thought, you know what, let me put it up on eBay, if someone wants to give it to Mr. Anderson they can.”

Ebay listing here

Current bidding is at $43,500, lol

 

[BlazerWookee]

What are the odds that my family originally settled in Proctor, MN, lol...

 

[DaRizzle]

i need to make one of those!

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Auction listing pulled off of ebay.

Fake bids or fake listing?

I got the article from Wired.com

 

[SlyPokerDog]

La-Z-Boy Puts Brakes on DUI Chair Auction

Mere hours before bidding was scheduled to end on the infamous DUI La-Z-Boy-Mobile, the motorized recliner
suddenly vanished from the auction -- and TMZ has learned it's all because of a battle over its name.

With the price at $43,100 and rising, eBay received a demand letter from the most unlikely of parties -- the La-Z-Boy corporation itself. We're told La-Z-Boy played the trademark card due to the title of the auction "La-Z-Boy DWI Chair" and eBay was forced to pull the auction.

Here's the worst part: the chair was being auctioned off by the Proctor Minnesota Police Department and all profits were to benefit the taxpayers.

We're told La-Z-Boy "felt bad" about stopping the auction -- but hey, business is business.

Fear not motorized chair enthusiasts -- we've learned the cops plan on re-listing the chair in just a few hours.

http://www.tmz.com/2009/11/02/la-z-boy-ebay-dui-chair-auction-canceled/

 

[barfo]

Seems moronic on the part of La-Z-Boy. They've traded a lot of free good press for some negative press and some probably meaningless very incremental protection of their trademark. And paid a law firm to do that to them.

barfo

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Chair back up on ebay.

 

[Denny Crane]

Isn't it rather odd that the guy could be picked up for DWI? If he were in a motorized wheel chair, could he be arrested for DWI too?

How about if he just stumbled into a car while walking?

 

[BrianFromWA]

So the next time someone has a can of beer on their riding lawn mower, they're getting picked up?

 

[barfo]

So the next time someone has a can of beer on their riding lawn mower, they're getting picked up?

If they are riding it on a public street, likely yes.

barfo

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Only one hour left!

Bidding only at $10,000! A real bargain considering the bidding was at $40,000 when it was listed at being a La-Z-Boy.

 

[Idog1976]

Only one hour left!

Bidding only at $10,000! A real bargain considering the bidding was at $40,000 when it was listed at being a La-Z-Boy.

NOOOOOOO! I missed a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a mistake so epic it was symbolized in a fractal fashion in the act itself. I'm pretty sure the winner is feeling something beyond "buyers remorse". More like "buyer's nihilistic despair".