US Marshall's Bitcoin Auction Results

[QuestionAuthority]

Has anyone gotten a response to FOIA requests looking to determine the price that this auction closed at?

You still have a couple of years wait for that one.

[JorgeStolfi]

Has anyone gotten a response to FOIA requests looking to determine the price that this auction closed at?

You still have a couple of years wait for that one.

I thought that there was a much shorter deadline for responding to a FOIA request (2 months? 3 months?)

[QuestionAuthority]

Has anyone gotten a response to FOIA requests looking to determine the price that this auction closed at?

You still have a couple of years wait for that one.

I thought that there was a much shorter deadline for responding to a FOIA request (2 months? 3 months?)

Yes, it's supposed to be 20 days but we are talking about the government here. It probably takes those idiots 20 days to figure out which paper to wipe their ass with.

Those that can't do teach. Those that can't teach get a government job.

[JorgeStolfi]

Those that can't do teach. Those that can't teach get a government job.

I know that.  I am a teacher at a public university. 

[JorgeStolfi]

I thought that there was a much shorter deadline for responding to a FOIA request (2 months? 3 months?)

Yes, it's supposed to be 20 days

Do you remember who submitted the FOIA?  What it you?

[QuestionAuthority]

Those that can't do teach. Those that can't teach get a government job.

I know that.  I am a teacher at a public university. 

Ooh, a public university. That's like the best of both worlds. LOL

I think it was Burt that did it but I've put them in before too and had it just ignored for ages.

[BurtW]

I thought that there was a much shorter deadline for responding to a FOIA request (2 months? 3 months?)

Yes, it's supposed to be 20 days

Do you remember who submitted the FOIA?  What it you?

I did.  No response yet.

The response is overdue.  Now what?  Send them a reminder notice?

[minerpumpkin]

Interesting. How long does it usually take? I really wonder whether it just takes them some time to answer the inquiry or whether they really are reluctant - for some reason - to answer it. What could be reasons for them to keep the exact prices a secret?

[QuestionAuthority]

I thought that there was a much shorter deadline for responding to a FOIA request (2 months? 3 months?)

Yes, it's supposed to be 20 days

Do you remember who submitted the FOIA?  What it you?

I did.  No response yet.

The response is overdue.  Now what?  Send them a reminder notice?

Each fiscal year, agencies receive and process thousands of requests.  Sometimes, an agency will be able to respond within the standard time limit established by the FOIA, which is twenty working days, or about a month.  Although agencies make every effort to respond to FOIA requests as quickly as possible, in some cases they simply cannot do so within the twenty days.  In this situation, the request is considered “backlogged.”  The “backlog” data on FOIA.gov will show you how many requests were pending beyond the statutory time period at the end of the fiscal year.

[dankkk]

I thought that there was a much shorter deadline for responding to a FOIA request (2 months? 3 months?)

Yes, it's supposed to be 20 days

Do you remember who submitted the FOIA?  What it you?

I did.  No response yet.

The response is overdue.  Now what?  Send them a reminder notice?

Each fiscal year, agencies receive and process thousands of requests.  Sometimes, an agency will be able to respond within the standard time limit established by the FOIA, which is twenty working days, or about a month.  Although agencies make every effort to respond to FOIA requests as quickly as possible, in some cases they simply cannot do so within the twenty days.  In this situation, the request is considered “backlogged.”  The “backlog” data on FOIA.gov will show you how many requests were pending beyond the statutory time period at the end of the fiscal year.

In other words, if a lot of people are requesting information via FOIA requests due to shady activity by a government agency then once per year the agency will make a report that says how long it will be until they get to your report and how many other people are looking for information about this shady business.

[JorgeStolfi]

I thought that there was a much shorter deadline for responding to a FOIA request (2 months? 3 months?)

Yes, it's supposed to be 20 days

Do you remember who submitted the FOIA?  What it you?

I did.  No response yet.
The response is overdue.  Now what?  Send them a reminder notice?

Duh, maybe send them an extremely polite paper letter asking whether your FOIA is still being processed...

[johncarpe64]

I thought that there was a much shorter deadline for responding to a FOIA request (2 months? 3 months?)

Yes, it's supposed to be 20 days

Do you remember who submitted the FOIA?  What it you?

I did.  No response yet.
The response is overdue.  Now what?  Send them a reminder notice?

Duh, maybe send them an extremely polite paper letter asking whether your FOIA is still being processed...

Please see what QuestionAuthority had posted about the process. Every year agencies that are behind on processing FOIA requests make a report that says how many people are waiting in front of you.

Each fiscal year, agencies receive and process thousands of requests.  Sometimes, an agency will be able to respond within the standard time limit established by the FOIA, which is twenty working days, or about a month.  Although agencies make every effort to respond to FOIA requests as quickly as possible, in some cases they simply cannot do so within the twenty days.  In this situation, the request is considered “backlogged.”  The “backlog” data on FOIA.gov will show you how many requests were pending beyond the statutory time period at the end of the fiscal year.

[JorgeStolfi]

Please see what QuestionAuthority had posted about the process. Every year agencies that are behind on processing FOIA requests make a report that says how many people are waiting in front of you.

I read that.  Still, a nice query letter may prompt someone to pull that request from the bottom of his drawer and push it forward through the paper mill.

AFAIK there is not a queue of FOIA requests, certainly not across different agencies and branches.  I doubt that there are many requests stuck at the USMS auction offices (unless 10'000 bitcoiners all submitted a FOIA for that auction.  )

[QuestionAuthority]

Please see what QuestionAuthority had posted about the process. Every year agencies that are behind on processing FOIA requests make a report that says how many people are waiting in front of you.

I read that.  Still, a nice query letter may prompt someone to pull that request from the bottom of his drawer and push it forward through the paper mill.

AFAIK there is not a queue of FOIA requests, certainly not across different agencies and branches.  I doubt that there are many requests stuck at the USMS auction offices (unless 10'000 bitcoiners all submitted a FOIA for that auction.  )

This is the way it was explained to me years ago. Government agencies get requests for freedom of info docs constantly from college students writing a term paper all the way to other agencies looking for newly released info. Every document goes through a review to determine if it can be released if it's not already marked for release (is it still classified, does it violate privacy rights, etc.). This review takes time and it takes more time especially on new information. You could get info about the 1940s trinity nuclear test tomorrow because they already know exactly what to release. This is new info and needs to be researched. It's going to take time. If they have people waiting before you for info that also needs to be researched it's going to take even more time.

[johncarpe64]

Please see what QuestionAuthority had posted about the process. Every year agencies that are behind on processing FOIA requests make a report that says how many people are waiting in front of you.

I read that.  Still, a nice query letter may prompt someone to pull that request from the bottom of his drawer and push it forward through the paper mill.

AFAIK there is not a queue of FOIA requests, certainly not across different agencies and branches.  I doubt that there are many requests stuck at the USMS auction offices (unless 10'000 bitcoiners all submitted a FOIA for that auction.  )

Most government agencies do not have public accountability from a customer service perspective. Just look at how efficient the DMV is at handling customer requests - it isn't. The agency would have no incentive to give priority to your request unless you got a member of congress somehow involved (congress controls the purse strings).

EDIT: I think the USMS would likely have a lot of FOIA requests from people who have had their assets seized from them and other people interested in the same.

[zxcvbs]

So price is dropping.  Surely he payed too below Market value. Especulative funds are not stupid.
Meanwhile his address is undimmed.
What would prevent him, to create, or reuse a virtual exchange, fake the rates (like mtgox), and sell all the coins at funny prices?
Is there a way to find the real btc-usd rate, between blockchain transactions and fiat money?

[jbreher]

We know he didn't pay far under market because of what one of the losing bidders divulged.

Is there a way to find the real btc-usd rate, between blockchain transactions and fiat money?

The only rate that should matter to you is the rate you are able to negotiate in your transaction.

[JorgeStolfi]

We know [ Tim Draper ] didn't pay far under market because of what one of the losing bidders divulged.

I am aware of someone revealing a bid in the 400--500$ range.  (The market price at the time was over 600$.)  Were there other cases of people declaring their bids?

Somehow Tim Draper's face reminds me of Eike Batista, formerly the richest man in Brazil, whose net worth fell from plus 34 billion US$ to minus 1 billion in less than two years:

http://oglobo.globo.com/economia/eike-tem-patrimonio-liquido-de-us-1-bilhao-negativo-13968641

http://www.tylatin.org/extras/cb2.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nn3PcESF7w

[a447513372]

We know [ Tim Draper ] didn't pay far under market because of what one of the losing bidders divulged.

I am aware of someone revealing a bid in the 400--500$ range.  (The market price at the time was over 600$.)  Were there other cases of people declaring their bids?

Somehow Tim Draper's face reminds me of Eike Batista, formerly the richest man in Brazil, whose net worth fell from plus 34 billion US$ to minus 1 billion in less than two years:

http://oglobo.globo.com/economia/eike-tem-patrimonio-liquido-de-us-1-bilhao-negativo-13968641

http://www.tylatin.org/extras/cb2.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nn3PcESF7w

I don't think he so much plans on selling his bitcoin outright in the market in the future, but rather plans to use the bitcoin as a way to create an exchange for people in third world countries and use the bitcoin as a cushion to not have to utilize exchanges as much.