ACFT MAINT DISCREPANCY -- THIS FLC PICKED UP AN ACFT WITH OPEN MAINT ITEMS IN THE LOG AND LATER RETURNED TO THE GATE TO HAVE CONTRACT MAINT PERSONNEL CLR THE ITEMS.

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MY CREW DEADHEADED TO AN OVERSEAS OFF-LINE STATION TO PICK UP AN ACFT THAT HAD LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT BY MISTAKE. THE CREW THAT HAD LANDED THE ACFT HAD BEEN RELIEVED FROM DUTY. WHEN MY CREW ARRIVED AT THE ACFT; WE FOUND AN ACFT FULL OF IRATE PAX THAT HAD BEEN KEPT ON THE ACFT FOR 4 HRS. THE CABIN CREW WERE THREATENING TO WALK OFF DUTY IF THE ACFT DIDN'T DEPART WITHIN 15 MINS. THE INBOUND FLC HAD FAILED TO NOTIFY DISPATCH OR MAINT CTL ABOUT 4 PAX CABIN WRITE-UPS IN THE CABIN LOGBOOK. I NOTIFIED DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL OF THE WRITE-UPS VIA ACARS. OUR INTENTION WAS TO GET THE WRITE-UPS DEFERRED BY MAINT CTL VIA ACARS WITH THE PLACARDING AND SIGNOFFS PERFORMED BY THE CAPT (AS ALLOWED FOR IN THE COMPANY FLT OPS MANUAL). NO RESPONSE HAD BEEN RECEIVED FROM MAINT CTL VIA ACARS BY THE TIME THAT A PUSHBACK CREW ARRIVED WITH TUG AT THE ACFT. RATHER THAN DELAY PUSHBACK WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM MAINT CTL AND RISK HAVING THE FLT ATTENDANTS 'WALK;' THE CAPT ELECTED TO PUSHBACK; START ENGS; AND TO COMMENCE TAXI. AN HF PHONE PATCH TO DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL WAS OBTAINED WHILE HOLDING ON A TXWY TO THE ACTIVE RWY. MAINT CTL REFUSED TO PROVIDE SIGNOFF AND PLACARDING OF LOGBOOK ENTRIES OVER THE RADIO; AND TOLD US THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO TAXI BACK TO PARKING TO HAVE CONTRACT MAINT PERSONNEL SIGNOFF THE LOGBOOK ENTRIES. AFTER RETURNING TO PARKING SPOT AND SHUTTING DOWN ENGS; CONTRACT MAINT PERSONNEL PLACARDED INOP ITEMS AND SIGNED OFF LOGBOOK ENTRIES. THE FLT THEN DEPARTED STATION FOR THE ORIGINAL DEST. WHILE ACARS CAN BE VERY HANDY IN ACCESSING WX RPTS AND SENDING ROUTINE MESSAGES; IN UNUSUAL SITS (AS WE WERE IN) THAT REQUIRE A RAPID EXCHANGE OF INFO; IT HAS ITS LIMITATIONS. USING HF RADIO ON THE RAMP FOR A PHONE PATCH WOULD HAVE ALLOWED FOR A RESOLUTION OF THE SIGNOFFS PRIOR TO THE FIRST PUSHBACK.