An unusual (even by Russian standards) incident left a hardcore hockey fan without his television in the middle of his favorite team's game.
On the afternoon of November 20th, a group of court officers and housing officials raided an area in the city of Novosibirsk, targeting people who had long-standing debts due to failure to pay apartment maintenance fees. In one apartment, preparing to deal with a man who owed 19,000 rubles (approximately $298 USD), authorities had to wait a while for the tenant to come to the door, since his TV was at full volume and he had initially not heard the knocks. Upon entering. the man quickly went back to his living room and the TV. The surprised court officers followed, only to enter a room full of hockey memorabilia and paraphernalia, realizing that they are dealing with a hardcore fan.
Attempts at conversation proved extremely difficult, as the man was unwilling to avert his eyes from a contest between his local KHL team HC Sibir and division rival Ak Bars. After realizing that the man was barely paying attention to the situation at hand, the court officer in charge made the decision to confiscate the television, among other objects, as collateral for the debt. (A fully legal procedure under the laws of the Russian Federation.)
The unfortunate fan did not get to see the rest of the rest of the game, though that may have been for the best, as 9th place (Eastern Conference) Sibir lost to the conference-leading Ak Bars by a score of 1:4. The television has been temporarily released back into the possession of the fan, pending his payment. While the exact deadline is unknown, the television will be confiscated if he doesn't clear his debt as soon as possible.
Source: Federal Court Officers for Novosibirsk
