Fathers Lost Yenko Chevelle #358034 Butternut

[Steve Shauger]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 69hurstSC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Where had Chris noted that he thought it was stolen? Let's not put words into someones post. I had noted that it was stolen, though I'm just a casual observer making an assessment on the information posted so far.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: paceme</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Initially in the thread you stated lost and now it morphed to a stolen </div></div> </div></div>


Actually Wes you stated it was stolen property in several of your posts. So in fact that was really your interpretation of Chris's posts which was mine as well. See your post below:

69hurstSC Online
Glad you have the documentation between the Army and your mom. Stolen property is stolen property, whether it's a Picaso a Yenko Chevelle or a baseball glove. Someone took it upon themselves to take advantage of your mom who was no longer located in CO with your father. I feel bad for anyone who may have owned or purchased the car w/o knowing it's history, but the car was never rightfully theirs.

Chris did state many times his mother never relinquished ownership because she never signed any documents and as such has claim to legal ownership and tried to report it stolen.

In the end I only hope everyone involved get what is rightfully theirs.

[Charley Lillard]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 69hurstSC</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Charley Lillard</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
You also state you have not initiated any legal proceedings yet in earlier posts you stated you tried to apply for duplicate title and you once tried to report it stolen. Those look legal to me.
No hard feelings. </div></div>

A 9 year old kid picking up the phone and calling or pretending to call law enforcement is reporting it stolen? Come on Charley, you're better than that. </div></div>

He said he started looking for the car when he was 9. He did not say he reported it stolen when he was 9.

[twertsy]

Man, this thread <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">almost</span></span></span> makes me hope I don't find my uncle's COPO..................this scenario is exactly what I hope NOT to encounter! I just hope everything works out fairly for everyone.

[njsteve]

Just an anecdote on Colorado law back in the day. In 1980 when I was going to diesel school in Denver I lived in a rented house in a suburb outside of Denver. We had some crabby neighbors who were always calling the police on us for no reason. Too many cars in the driveway...oil drips on the street, too many pretty ladies visiting the house, etc.

Anyway, the &quot;Crabbies&quot; eventually moved out and when they did they left their 1972 Chevy Vega parked in front of our house (*among other items left behind). It sat there for three months gathering parking tickets. No one ever came to get it. So I called the police and they said to go to the DMV and apply for an abandoned vehicle title and then do whatever I wanted with it. I did just that. All I had to show was the police report, reporting it as abandoned and they issued a title and registration for around $25. I eventually traded the car in to a used car dealer who had a connection to a wrecking yard. At the wrecking yard was a rusty 1971 383 Cuda convertible that had been abandoned at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver! I got the Cuda with a bill of sale, and applied for title and got it.

* as for the other items? One of which was a six-foot tall pot plant that the police noticed on the Crabby family's screened-in back porch. They promptly seized it and took it away in the trunk of their patrol car, smiling as they drove away.

[Cworkman2]

I know the past few pages of this thread have taken a turn for the more abrasive and posturing. I need to apologize for perpetuating that if it came off that way.
It is a very delicate situation when you start questioning the history of any automobile because no one wants to be painted in a different light or cast any shadow over ownership.
If you start reading this thread from the beginning you will see that it has evolved from simple speculation to hard pressed facts. I believe Charley is representing the current owner in a positive and respectable light. It is from my understanding that the cars purchase was a completely valid and legal given the information at hand, and I'm positive they want the true history to be brought to light so that this can be resolved as soon as possible.
As far as I know, the car was never abandoned. My mother never received any information regarding the claim of abandonment. Mind you, she was never in Colorado at the time of my father, and has not been since. I am trying to remain objective and open-minded regarding all possibilities regarding the time from from 1978 to 84 when the car was purchased by Mr. Funk. It is unfortunate that his passing leaves a hole in the history of this car which I'm sure he would willingly divulge and put this thing to rest.
Once again, I need to thank Charley and the current owner for coming forward and contributing to this thread. I know it was their prerogative to remain silent and are only trying to keep the reputation of this car pristine with their comments and rebuttals.
I believe the truth is out there in some DMV microfiche or title history and will soon come to light.
Have a great day to all of you who have been reading and commenting. I believe the comments...either in support or critique or criticism is valid on each account. It what separates the wheat from the chaff and makes a truly epic story and journey.
Thank you
Chris Workman

[tom999q]

If it was stolen in the 1970's, then the current owner is in possession of stolen property, no matter if he has a title in his name or not. It happened to me... I bought two vehicles in good faith that turned out to be stolen years before. I lost the vehicles and all the $$ I had into them when the cops came knocking on my door...

[Tracker1]

There is no stolen vehicle report. End of law enforcement story. Somebody on the base in Colorado - perhaps in cooperation/cahoots with some of Mr. Workman's extended family or perhaps completely separate - pulled a fast one in 1976. Good luck finding documentation for that; it doesn't exist! From what I have read of this thread the car is not even on the military's list of Mr. Workman's effects upon his death, making it doubly hard to prove anything.

If the Colorado re-titling process was as &quot;loose&quot; as njsteve suggests in his examples, I think Chris is going to have to be happy knowing the car is safe and in good care cuz that's all he's going to get.

[Charley Lillard]

The title that Funk turned in when he bought it was title # 04P094649. No idea if it was Colorado or Michigan.

[Cworkman2]

Unfortunately they did not put the title number on the registration I have from 1975/76. Im sure we will find out soon enough where the information Mr.Funk had came from. Regardless, Thank you to Charley for posting the information.

[resto4u]

Did you find out who was in charge of his estate at the time of death? someone had to remove his belongings from the house. Did you find out if the house was on or off the base? were you able to get any military records. It's good to see the facts are floating to the top. This is the most open discussion i have seen on here with regards to posting informative and critical information that most people keep private. chris, i have known charley for years and would trust him. I believe he has no skin in the game, other than wanting to help you. He is the coolest car guy i have ever met.