recovering a stolen car
Discussion
hi all
im new to pistonheads and only found it as i was looking for answers about my sons car
it was a ford granada estate mk2 and very good condition
but just two weeks after he got it it was nicked the police was informed as was the insurace company police didnt realy bother to look or follow leads given to them and as it was only insured third party well thay didnt want to know either
but that was two years ago
it has now turned up as a banger car the police were told where it was located and thay have cheaked it and it is my sons car and was told to go and collect it that fine
we went to collect it and the guy who has it said that he wants the engine and gear box and all other stuff that has been put into building the car for racing and the police have said he could
now that surly is not right
so i thought that befor we get involved with solicitors or the like i was hoping to see if any one could shed some light on the subject and may be we can get all the car back and sombody prosicuted for theft of the car the guy has resiepts for parts he replaced
in my opinion regardless of what has been done to the car we should be intitled to have back the car as is
even if the guy had spent thousands of pounds in it its not his car
im new to pistonheads and only found it as i was looking for answers about my sons car
it was a ford granada estate mk2 and very good condition
but just two weeks after he got it it was nicked the police was informed as was the insurace company police didnt realy bother to look or follow leads given to them and as it was only insured third party well thay didnt want to know either
but that was two years ago
it has now turned up as a banger car the police were told where it was located and thay have cheaked it and it is my sons car and was told to go and collect it that fine
we went to collect it and the guy who has it said that he wants the engine and gear box and all other stuff that has been put into building the car for racing and the police have said he could
now that surly is not right
so i thought that befor we get involved with solicitors or the like i was hoping to see if any one could shed some light on the subject and may be we can get all the car back and sombody prosicuted for theft of the car the guy has resiepts for parts he replaced
in my opinion regardless of what has been done to the car we should be intitled to have back the car as is
even if the guy had spent thousands of pounds in it its not his car
yes i understand what your saying
but the receipts he has do not state wat parts he has brought the one for the engine do not state that it is that engine the numbers have been ground out so if it was legit why would he do that
and at the moment we feel gutted and thinking of scraping what little we have of the car
but the receipts he has do not state wat parts he has brought the one for the engine do not state that it is that engine the numbers have been ground out so if it was legit why would he do that
and at the moment we feel gutted and thinking of scraping what little we have of the car
I agree with the chap above (assuming nobody has posted in between 
)
You have no claim to the parts the new owner has put into the car.
Assuming he bought the car in good faith, didn't steal it etc etc.
I'd say you have a few choices really.
a) demand the remains of the car back.
b) Ask the new owner for a reasonable amount of money to buy the car from you.
c) Give the new owner the car, ask for a couple of free tickets to the banger racing and if he becomes the next Lewis Hamilton to bung you a few million.
)You have no claim to the parts the new owner has put into the car.
Assuming he bought the car in good faith, didn't steal it etc etc.
I'd say you have a few choices really.
a) demand the remains of the car back.
b) Ask the new owner for a reasonable amount of money to buy the car from you.
c) Give the new owner the car, ask for a couple of free tickets to the banger racing and if he becomes the next Lewis Hamilton to bung you a few million.
?Not saying that's ok at all.
But, put it another way.
Imagine your son bought a shell of a car for banger racing.
He buys a new engine from ebay, puts on some new carbs.
Gets a new gearbox from the breakers yard, rebuilds it an fits it.
Then someone shows up, claims the original car was stolen and demands it back – including the new engine and gearbox.
It's not right.
I'm not sure why someone would grind off serial numbers from engines.
Can anyone think of a legitimate reason for it?
The best I can come up with is because in the second hand trade it's easier to grind them off then have this sort of problem. Especially if it's stolen/recovered car sent to the wreckers yard.
But, put it another way.
Imagine your son bought a shell of a car for banger racing.
He buys a new engine from ebay, puts on some new carbs.
Gets a new gearbox from the breakers yard, rebuilds it an fits it.
Then someone shows up, claims the original car was stolen and demands it back – including the new engine and gearbox.
It's not right.
I'm not sure why someone would grind off serial numbers from engines.
Can anyone think of a legitimate reason for it?
The best I can come up with is because in the second hand trade it's easier to grind them off then have this sort of problem. Especially if it's stolen/recovered car sent to the wreckers yard.
minimad45 said:
so apart from one person your saying it is ok to steel a car provide receipts of stuff you say you brought for it and take what you like and leave the owner with nothing
what a poor wourld we live in when the crooks win well by the sound of it we lose
No one said that.what a poor wourld we live in when the crooks win well by the sound of it we lose
It is highly unlikely that the fella who has the car now actually stole it. Therefore he has bought it in good faith, and is gonna lose out as well as your son. It's only right he should keep any parts he fitted, although this could prove difficult for him if he can't provide any proof that they were his to begin with.
As for the HPI check, I doubt there are many banger racers HPI'ing their latest purchase tbh.
I knew a woman who bought a stolen recovered vehicle. Identification numbers had been ground off by the thieves. The authorities (not sure if Police or DVLA) have the engine, chassis etc restamped with new numbers. She was told it is not legal to have a vehicle without such id numbers, thats why they had to stamp them into the chassis like they did.
So, are the Police aware of the ground off numbers on the engine? I would suggest another call to them is worthwhile, and if you get nowhere go up the chain of command until you do.
The situation at the minute seems like, if I nick a car, crash it, have a new front end put on it, then the original owner finds it, because I have replaced the front end I am entitled to cut this off before you get it back.
The common sense solution seems to me that you should be entitled to recover the vehicle in a state similar to that in which it was at the time of theft. Hence if there is damage the new owner should be held liable (and I'm guessing a banger car will be dented a bit). The phrase to consider is 'caveat emptor', and that is why we have such things as HPI.
So, are the Police aware of the ground off numbers on the engine? I would suggest another call to them is worthwhile, and if you get nowhere go up the chain of command until you do.
The situation at the minute seems like, if I nick a car, crash it, have a new front end put on it, then the original owner finds it, because I have replaced the front end I am entitled to cut this off before you get it back.
The common sense solution seems to me that you should be entitled to recover the vehicle in a state similar to that in which it was at the time of theft. Hence if there is damage the new owner should be held liable (and I'm guessing a banger car will be dented a bit). The phrase to consider is 'caveat emptor', and that is why we have such things as HPI.
jdw1234 said:
This is why I would never go to a banger race.
Would be like going for tea on Dale Farm.
class! Would be like going for tea on Dale Farm.
The way to deal with this might be talk to the person who currently has the car, tell him he legally has to give it back (minus some bits) but for £200 he can keep it and give him the log book and the £200 goes towards your son getting another runner. Then he does not have to take the bits off and find another banger Granada to put them in.
NiceCupOfTea said:
Hugo a Gogo said:
NiceCupOfTea said:
Worth a chat with a solicitor? My take is that the buyer should have done an HPI check.
a banger racer, rightwould I expect them too? no
no doubt someone will come on and say "I'm a banger racer and as honest as the day is long" but they have a certain reputation, let's say
Hugo a Gogo said:
NiceCupOfTea said:
Hugo a Gogo said:
NiceCupOfTea said:
Worth a chat with a solicitor? My take is that the buyer should have done an HPI check.
a banger racer, rightwould I expect them too? no
no doubt someone will come on and say "I'm a banger racer and as honest as the day is long" but they have a certain reputation, let's say
If I bought a stolen car and did some modifications to it, do you think the police would let me take the bits off? I doubt it!
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