Maybe the new members here can try their luck.

Us from the past remember.

Yep, the other Mike that boated Bellevue. I saw his boat out running the river once or twice the past couple of Summers.

Yeah, he jacked my good buddy Eric aka CheckmakeF1 on his HP500 rebuild several years ago.

Yes I have a past that that includes poor decisions and bad business decisions. I also acknowledge there is a judgement aginst me that has not been paid. Anyone that can use the search function can read about the past, I have not responded to any of the information on this forum. To date, over $40,000 has been returned to individuals and there are three more people that I'm sure would like to talk to me. If you feel that you are owed money from me please send your letter to: Bruce Dudley, 14 Droeste Square, St. Charles, Missouri, 63301. If you don't like me or have an axe to grind for someone else please move on and enjoy your life. I am not in business and am not in any way soliciting work. This information request was started because I was trying to help the individual achieve his goals and sell some parts. I have privately explained and answered any questions asked by that individual. I have had to explain myself for a long time and I am trying to make things right. I realize this will start a great band wagon bash session. Time has made me realize the importance of my reputation and I am working to recover it one project at a time. I will not respond to public accusations from this forum. If you have had actual dealings with me please feel free to contact me and I hope we can reach a mutual resolution.

Thanks for responding, Bruce. I think that was very big of you. I agree, that's how it all went down between us. You very generously offered to help me while selling me some parts, and didn't ask for a dime until the boat and parts were delivered back to me. I in no way feel like you were attempting to mis-treat me in our dealings and look forward to dealing with you again in the future.

I am one of those three and I would love to here from ANYONE who has received a dime from this *******.

I know Bruce, and he has recently done some work for me. Two days before a poker run at LOTO this past spring, i found that my ECM was bad. Bruce busted his ass to find one, and then spent a significant amount of time figuring out exactly how to re-program it using the mefi-burn software. It was because of him that we were able to get out onto the lake.

After a month or so of running the boat, i was having some breakup at higher RPM's. he asked me a littany of questions, and I ended up taking the boat to St. Louis. It was not the fuel, as I had expected, but it was the valve springs that the builder had used. They were weak and allowing for the valves to float. He also found some challenges with the wiriing harness which had been exposed to salt water and air for 8 years of its life. He cleaned all of teh connections, and routed around the 10 pin connector to make it all happen. Not exactly a long term solution, but his work allowed my son and I to run at the Shootout. Otherwise we would have been screwed. When I picked up my boat, he was also working on an ex-race car drivers boat. This guy could have about anybody work on his stuff, but he chose Bruce.

Bruce also made a dockside visit at LOTO to check out some other little issues that had arisen, and we took care of what we could. He showed me the problem, explained the solution, and we made some decisions on what we should do right then, and what could wait until after the Shootout. I have some appearances to make in the month of October, but I will be taking it back to Bruce to do re-do all of the electrical, plus some other items that had been worked on by a few owners and owners friends over the past 10 years. I have no doubt that the boat will be a better boat because of it.

In all of these instances, Bruce did not ask for a penny up front, and when we did settle up, he was very, very fair.

There is no doubt in my mind that he had made some bad decisions in his past. Absolutely none. Does a bad patch in ones past make them bad forever? Does it mean that all of the knowledge that he has from working alongside alot of very talented people mean nothing? I will admit that ones past will follow them for a long, long time, especially if it is negative at all. While one should maybe exercise a bit of caution I don't think that they should be written off forever.

Mlitefan2- I believe you when you say that you did not get what you paid for with your old dealings with Bruce. I hope that instead of just blasting him on this forum, you contacted him as he stated to do in the post that you highlighted. If not, well, then your post really does not mean alot, other than you want to keep blasting him. I know that it might make you feel better, but I would think that it would not go very far in resolving the problem. Would it make you feel better if he declared bankruptcy and cleaned the slate? Would it have made you feel better if he had done it before making it right with anybody? In your opinion, how long should a guy have to make ammends for his challenges before giving another chance?

BTW, I was not going to post to this thread, as I would rather not get in the middle of something that I know little about. With that said, I did need to share that I have done quite a bit of recent business with Bruce, and my expectations have been more than met.

Bruce has also done work for me in the past and I've been treated very fair and very happy with his work and pricing, this has been my experience, just to let everyone know.

I doubt I could hand over a significant amount of money to Dudley based on his past. I know people can change but using my money to experience that change has a significant amount of risk that I don't want to carry.

My suggestion to Dudley if he wishes to work in the marine industry would be to work under supervision in a established shop at a hourly rate.

You are probably a very nice individual. I am very happy you haven't been screwed yet by Bruce but one thing I can say for certain, if you keep dealing with him, he WILL screw you.

I ask again...how many people has he actually paid back?

You want to know how long a bad patch in ones life sticks around? How about at least until he pays back everyone that he screwed. Pretty good start, don't you think? I, along with many others here went after him tooth and nail when he ripped us off and he has all my contact information. He knows my address. He knows my phone number. I have a PM into his latest screen name.

Mysteriously, after all his "changing", I still haven't received the money he stole from me. I haven't received a call saying he will pay it back in chunks. I haven't had so much of a "kiss my ass".

You seem to have a good rapport with Bruce. How about you tell him to pay me my money. THAT would be doing a fellow OSO member a real favor. I can tell you one thing...you aren't going to make too many friends by defending Bruce.

And lastly...what would make me feel better is if he paid me my damn money. Hopefully this is a simple concept you can grasp.