The Police and lost, lost property!
Discussion
I've got a bit of a problem...
A couple of months ago I found a bike that had been hidden in my back garden. Doing the proper thing I called the police to report it and also called the number of a tracking company who had placed a security sticker on it, reporting it to them.
The police said they couldn't come round for a few days and told me to leave it there! I pointed out that might not be the best idea as whoever left it would probably come back to get it later, so I brought it inside.
The next day a PCSO came to collect it. In the meantime I had Googled it and found that this model sells for well over £1,000. I asked the PCSO if no one came to collect it, which I thought would be unlikely could I keep it. He said yes, if no one had claimed it after 90 days I could have it. I signed his notebook and he said he would give me a reference number the next day, but never did.
Fast forward about 6 weeks and I called the property store to see if anyone had collected it and they said no, it was still at the station and they would get the PCSO to give me a call and that I could likely go and collect it.
This morning I get a call from the PCSO to say that there is a bit of a problem and that despite having my details on file and a note saying I wanted to claim it, they have auctioned it somehow!
Now at the least they will have some proceeds from the auction to hand over, but it's unlikely that kind of auction would achieve the true value of a bike like that, which looked very well, so it looks like I may be making some kind of claim against the police.
My brother in law is the son of an Inspector and he said a few weeks back that I wouldn't see it again as the police will get first dibs on it, he may have been right!
A couple of months ago I found a bike that had been hidden in my back garden. Doing the proper thing I called the police to report it and also called the number of a tracking company who had placed a security sticker on it, reporting it to them.
The police said they couldn't come round for a few days and told me to leave it there! I pointed out that might not be the best idea as whoever left it would probably come back to get it later, so I brought it inside.
The next day a PCSO came to collect it. In the meantime I had Googled it and found that this model sells for well over £1,000. I asked the PCSO if no one came to collect it, which I thought would be unlikely could I keep it. He said yes, if no one had claimed it after 90 days I could have it. I signed his notebook and he said he would give me a reference number the next day, but never did.
Fast forward about 6 weeks and I called the property store to see if anyone had collected it and they said no, it was still at the station and they would get the PCSO to give me a call and that I could likely go and collect it.
This morning I get a call from the PCSO to say that there is a bit of a problem and that despite having my details on file and a note saying I wanted to claim it, they have auctioned it somehow!
Now at the least they will have some proceeds from the auction to hand over, but it's unlikely that kind of auction would achieve the true value of a bike like that, which looked very well, so it looks like I may be making some kind of claim against the police.
My brother in law is the son of an Inspector and he said a few weeks back that I wouldn't see it again as the police will get first dibs on it, he may have been right!
Flipping it on its head, if the police arrived and I said "can I keep it if the owner cannot be identified?" and they said no. If I then said "well you're not taking it then" would they have had valid grounds to seize it as evidence? Further if it had not been linked to any crime, would it have been returned to me?
CoolHands said:
what company was the security sticker please?
I did take a photo of it but I think I have deleted it now. It went through to a Scottish chap, I think the company was also based in Scotland if that helps narrow it down? The guy didn't really sound that interested in it however!REALIST123 said:
Perhaps, but, as he said, what law would that be?
Seems we have someone trying to 'claim' for the loss of something that wasn't his. Whatever the 'law' is, how sad does one have to be to sink to that?
I will dig out the relevant legislation tomorrow but short of anyone else saying it is theirs I have more right to deal with it than anyone else!Seems we have someone trying to 'claim' for the loss of something that wasn't his. Whatever the 'law' is, how sad does one have to be to sink to that?
Following the link through, unless it was auctioned before the 19th March, which I think is probably unlikely then it does not appear in the items they have auctioned from that date to now.
http://www.bumblebeeauctions.co.uk/XcAPSearch.asp?...
http://www.bumblebeeauctions.co.uk/XcAPSearch.asp?...
The police have admitted liability and proposed sending me the amount they received from the auction (which is a lot less than the bike would have fetched anywhere else, strangely. I've therefore asked for details of the auction listing, as I still couldn't find the listing anywhere.
Well, it gets more interesting. They replied sending through a recipt from an auction house and also stated they are only obliged to pay whatever they sold it for (which they are wrong on).
However, the recipt they have sent through is for the sale of a completely different bike. It's for a 2014 model electric/mountain bike that sells new for 2,850, which only made ~580 at auction.
So they haven't even got the right bike, but the alarming thing is how little a very new, very expensive bike sold for at auction...
However, the recipt they have sent through is for the sale of a completely different bike. It's for a 2014 model electric/mountain bike that sells new for 2,850, which only made ~580 at auction.
So they haven't even got the right bike, but the alarming thing is how little a very new, very expensive bike sold for at auction...
paintman said:
Don't understand that bit. Are you saying that they have to pay you more than it went for? If you are, what law are you relying on?
The price that is sold for is not the measure of loss, I don't have time to dig out the authorities.For instance, you have control of someone else's Ferrari, and you sell it without their permission. You can't turn around to them and say "well I only got £1k for it, so there you go, I'll hand over £1k, problem solved".
Derek Smith said:
By all means have a go, but even asking a brief if it is worth proceeding is likely to cost you. It all comes down to whose day you will be making if you do proceed.
There is no cost, I will do it myself, I am no stranger to a court room, although not usually this area.I've spoken to 4 different policemen I know and all pretty much said that if you ever have any property that is either lost or stolen which finds its way into the police stores then the chances of you actually getting it back are really quite slim. One said he knows the property store is unsecured at Ipswich and there is nothing to stop anyone wandering in or out of the store with property unchallenged.
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