Got a question regarding older stolen cars

[Hylton]

A similar true life incident occured here not 5 miles from my house. Here's what happened:

I live out in the country side with farmers and horse breeders. Basically the roads are fairly quiet. Some guy was driving down a road in my area about 8 years ago and noticed a very clean looking 1972 Mercedes Benz SL parked on the side of the road with no plates on it. He pulled over to get a good look at the car. It had less than 2,000 miles on it and was mint! The guy called the cops from his truck and waited for them. They came and ran the VIN. Nothing came up. No owner, no stolen report, nothing. The cops then said we will have to tow it and then do some investigative work. The guy said fine but I get first dibs on the car. The cops agreed. The car then went to the tow truck companies storage facility. After a few months, the cops found out that the car was stolen out of Boston, Mass in 1972 and somewhere, somehow the car ended uphere and sat in storage for almost 25 years! The police also gave the tow truck company the name of the insurance company who handled the claim.

Being the fine greedy entrepeneur he was, the Tow truck guy decided he wanted the car and so told the insurance company that they owed him $2,000 for storage but he would so graciously accept the car in exchange for the storage costs. The ins. company agreed since the case had been settled decades before and were not interested in having to sell a car and payout more on a previously settled claim. As Kim can tell you, they are the first to say that they are not in the car sales business. The original guy who found the car was pissed! He thought that he had been swindled out of something which he had found first. He sued the Tow truck company and lost.

[Jeff H]

So who do you actually go through to check the VIN of a car to see if it's listed as a stolen vehicle? Local police, DMV, NICB?

[Hylton]

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So who do you actually go through to check the VIN of a car to see if it's listed as a stolen vehicle? Local police, DMV, NICB?

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Jeff,

It all depends how long ago the car was swiped. As our resident lawyer has said, someone will have a legal interest in the car and it may be difficult to find out who that is. It is just like the Grandma who found 2 common shares of some obscure stock only to find out through exhaustive research that over the years, the company changed its name, was bought out 5 times and the stock is now called IBM and each share is worth 100k! If the theft occured a while ago, you have to go through NICB.

And if you are inquiring because you did find those 6 ZL1's........

[Redneck]

I just went through this in South Carolina over a 1981 Z-28. The way the NCIC works on cars is as follows: the car or truck in question stays in the NCIC database for the year of report + 4. After this time has elapsed it's still a stolen car it just takes lnger to access info on it takes a little digging if someones desires. I have a tow storage facility and had a customer bring a 53K 81 Z28 to me to get running. he was complaining about chest hurting and died 2 weeks later. Fast forward 6 months and no family members come for the car. I send the correct form into Columbia where they check on NCIC and last registered owner which came up clean and no records found. Went to the local magistrate filed the paperwork and a state Constibal came out 14 days later and held the auction starting the bid where storage and repairs costs were. No one ever shows up for these auctions ( have 2 a month at times} The Constibal gives a form to take to the DMV and I get the title, get it running and start driving the thing. I come out of Red Lobster with the Family to find 2 County cop cars around the Z with a very pissed of guy in his 40's that had called them stating it was his car that had been stolen in 1985. Long story short since I followed all the state guidelines and crossed all the I's and crossed the T's legally the car was mine. the guy was pissed but nothing any off us could do. Might be different in other states.

[nuch_ss396]

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I come out of Red Lobster with the Family to find 2 County cop cars around the Z with a very pissed of guy in his 40's that had called them stating it was his car that had been stolen in 1985.

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Ken,

I can't imaging being in this position ! How did the guy
come to the conclusion it was his formerly stolen car? How
pissed was he when he found he couldn't get the car back?
Did you at least take him for a ride? Or, just duck & run. No sense tempting fate - huh?

[SS454Elky]

What about a car that was not insured? I had a '69 pace car stolen in 1984 that was not insured so no claim was filed. It was just gone. It has never resufaced, but if it did I would assume I would have the right to recover regardless of the current owners knowledge. Is that right? The VIN was 124679L529099 in case anybody runs across it.

[Jeff H]

[ QUOTE ]
And if you are inquiring because you did find those 6 ZL1's........

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Ha! I wish. But the thought was triggered because I figured if I was lucky enough to find something like that I would one heck of time actually getting it(or rights to it). Actually, I found a long lost 71 Hemi Cuda ZL1 JL8 convertible! Yeah, that's it.