Proctor is having problems getting rid of the internationally famous motorized chair seized from a drunk driver.
The high bidder for the chair said he never meant to enter a $10,999.99 bid on eBay.
"I am surprised that someone would bid on it and then try to back out of the contract," Proctor Chief of Police Walter Wobig said Tuesday. "The individual is the winning bidder. I turned it over to the city attorney and we'll see what the city wants to do about it. Probably within a day or two I'll know what we are going to do with it again."
Proctor contacted Clayton Adler of Cupertino, Calif., when he didn't submit the required $2,000 deposit within 48 hours after the auction closed Thursday. On Monday, Adler e-mailed the city, saying: "I apologize, but there seems to be a mistake. I did not mean to bid this amount, as well as I cannot afford this. I am truly sorry for the mix up and the wasted time."
The city gave the second-highest bidder a chance to purchase the chair. However, that person, who bid $9,999.99, didn't respond.
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Police seized the chair in August 2008 after its former owner drove it into a parked vehicle after drinking. The custom-made chair is powered by a lawnmower engine and features running lights, a stereo, a rear-view mirror, a magazine rack and cup holder.
The chair actually went on the auction block twice. The first time it was listed as a La-Z-Boy. But eBay pulled the chair from auction on Nov. 2 when the manufacturer pointed out that the chair was not a La-Z-Boy. At that time, the top bid for the motorized recliner was more than $43,000.
"Someday I will get rid of this chair," Wobig said. "Someday this chair will leave the area."
