Nah. I think he's the dick. Worth taking it to court? If you got a small business... that's all time money and resources you had to put out in order to service a ped he abandoned. You tried to reach him and made a public notice addressing him
What can the police do? I mean he did leave it at your place. If its being handled as stolen property... shouldn't it be recovered from whoever it was sold to? Was it registered in his name? (edited)