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Question about stolen Motorcycle

There is no way to legally sell stolen property, and the bike is his. I have recovered more than one stolen vehicle and other stolen property that to possessor claimed to have obtained with out any knowledge that it was once stolen. In one case a WWII era 1911 that was stolen 17 years prior from the original owner. In all cases the verified stolen property was impounded and the originating reporting agency notified to complete the case so the property could be returned to the rightful owner. Just my personal experience though. Here is an example of a stolen car returned to the rightful owner after 40 years because the original owner had the title and police report was filed and the car entered into NCIC:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/07/12/man-finds-car-stolen-over-40-years-ago-on-ebay.html

Like I said, good Luck Scott, hope you get it back.


Honestly I don't want it back. It's now 15 years old, according to the Salvage yard now has over 30k miles and has been totaled in collision.

I only hope that whoever wrecked it was somehow involved in the theft of it and is now paralyzed from the neck down from the accident.


I was more interested is seeing if I could find out where a title bond was issued and filing a claim against the bond.

If I had to guess, the VIN (which was given over the phone to my dad and then over the phone from my dad to the PD) was written down wrong or nevery actually put into the system.
 
There is no way to legally sell stolen property, and the bike is his. I have recovered more than one stolen vehicle and other stolen property that to possessor claimed to have obtained with out any knowledge that it was once stolen. In one case a WWII era 1911 that was stolen 17 years prior from the original owner. In all cases the verified stolen property was impounded and the originating reporting agency notified to complete the case so the property could be returned to the rightful owner. Just my personal experience though. Here is an example of a stolen car returned to the rightful owner after 40 years because the original owner had the title and police report was filed and the car entered into NCIC:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/07/12/man-finds-car-stolen-over-40-years-ago-on-ebay.html

Like I said, good Luck Scott, hope you get it back.
wrong. if it , a vehicle goes thru the system it becomes property of the lien holder. storage or mechanical. if you bring a bike to my shop for repairs, i fix it, you dont pick it up, i file a mechanics lien for the repairs and or storage, i can get a court order title for it. even if there is still a loan on it. if it is stolen and ends up in a salvage yard, and it is not picked up by the owner, the yard can then file for a court order title and it becomes their property. i have seen it happen more than once...
in his case it may have been impounded, he was not notified, they filed for a title, got it, and then sold it. then it was totaled and another yard/shop got it and sold it as such. but if it was bonded or court ordered, he should have been notified....
 
Yeah, my biggest question is how, after being listed as stolen, did it get that far through the sys through so many hands. But, after running across multiple vehicles that have "no valid insurance" in the system, I've learned that VIN numbers are very easily recorded/entered wrong and that wouldn't surprise me at all.
 
wrong. if it , a vehicle goes thru the system it becomes property of the lien holder. storage or mechanical. if you bring a bike to my shop for repairs, i fix it, you dont pick it up, i file a mechanics lien for the repairs and or storage, i can get a court order title for it. even if there is still a loan on it. if it is stolen and ends up in a salvage yard, and it is not picked up by the owner, the yard can then file for a court order title and it becomes their property. i have seen it happen more than once...
in his case it may have been impounded, he was not notified, they filed for a title, got it, and then sold it. then it was totaled and another yard/shop got it and sold it as such. but if it was bonded or court ordered, he should have been notified....
I understand that in your example abandoned property can be placed under lien. But there is a big difference in abandoned property and stolen abandoned property. The fact that stolen property is later abandoned by the thief or some other person who thought he obtained it legally still doesn't mean it's not the original owners property. In the example you state, if the bike is found in the salvage yard by the owner, le and identified and confirmed as stolen it will be impounded, and eventually returned to the original owner. Just because some thief abandoned it doesn't mean it can't be seized and returned to the owner, mechanics lean or salvage lean not withstanding. If you or the salvage yard man wants to be reimbursed, your recourse will not include the stolen property or the original owner. Stolen property is seized and impounded everyday from legitimate businesses who though they obtained it legally.
 
Yeah, my biggest question is how, after being listed as stolen, did it get that far through the sys through so many hands. But, after running across multiple vehicles that have "no valid insurance" in the system, I've learned that VIN numbers are very easily recorded/entered wrong and that wouldn't surprise me at all.
Yep, when dealing with 17 alpha numeric characters it's very easy to honestly get it wrong. When it comes to dishonestly getting it wrong....lots of ways too. I once was involved in a case where a stolen car ring was bringing cars into the state and had a member working for the tax assessor's/tag office here. She would process the tag/title info using the actual vin of the vehicles. I quick visual verification of the title, insurance card with the vin plate would match up. Run the Georgia tag, it would come back to the vehicle. It worked for a while, but eventually they were busted.
 
Honestly I don't want it back. It's now 15 years old, according to the Salvage yard now has over 30k miles and has been totaled in collision.

I only hope that whoever wrecked it was somehow involved in the theft of it and is now paralyzed from the neck down from the accident.


I was more interested is seeing if I could find out where a title bond was issued and filing a claim against the bond.

If I had to guess, the VIN (which was given over the phone to my dad and then over the phone from my dad to the PD) was written down wrong or nevery actually put into the system.
You dont know you dont want it back or not without seeing it.....for all you know they couldve customized it....plated it gold or something!
 
Is it possible the bike was too old to require a title for transfer? Like older vehicles in GA? No Title bond would be needed...just a simple Bill of Sale from the Auction.
Or, simply fixed up but never registered...just used Off road only
 
I understand that in your example abandoned property can be placed under lien. But there is a big difference in abandoned property and stolen abandoned property. The fact that stolon property is later abandoned by the thief or some other person who thought he obtained it legally still doesn't mean it's not the original owners property. In the example you state, if the bike is found in the salvage yard by the owner, le and identified and confirmed as stolen it will be impounded, and eventually returned to the original owner. Just because some thief abandoned it doesn't mean it can't be seized and returned to the owner, mechanics lean or salvage lean not withstanding. If you or the salvage yard man wants to be reimbursed, your recourse will not include the stolen property or the original owner. Stolen property is seized and impounded everyday from legitimate businesses who though they obtained it legally.
i gonna start by saying i love cops. i have some great friends that are LE. that said, there are to many laws for you to keep up with.. if you own a salvage yard. you pick up a bike, its impounded as stolen. the PD does not contact the owner. you now own that bike. if the department has a impound yard of their own, they hold it, dont contact the owner, and sell it at auction. i purchased a 2000 cbr 929 that way,stolen as the day is long, they never contacted the owner, and sold it.. i owned it free and clear, no liens or wants.....
 
i gonna start by saying i love cops. i have some great friends that are LE. that said, there are to many laws for you to keep up with.. if you own a salvage yard. you pick up a bike, its impounded as stolen. the PD does not contact the owner. you now own that bike. if the department has a impound yard of their own, they hold it, dont contact the owner, and sell it at auction. i purchased a 2000 cbr 929 that way,stolen as the day is long, they never contacted the owner, and sold it.. i owned it free and clear, no liens or wants.....
I am not saying you can't tow a stolen bike. I am not saying you didn't do that. I am saying that if/when a NCIC hit happens because le has run the vin/tag..it will be impounded AND the original reporting agency will be notified. Le who check the status of property and find a stolen NCIC hit as are required to impound the property and notify the original reporting agency, who then notifies the owner. If the legal owner never shows to claim the property then, yeah it can be legally designated abandoned. But if the owner wants the property back, they get it. There is no le seizing of stolen property without notification of the agency who first reported it stolen, who then notifies the original complainant/owner. If you are dealing with le who seize stolen property and never notify the originating agency/owner.....they are doing it wrong.
 
the agency most of the time, lets it end. they do not follow up. by lack of man power or other reasons..... i am head to the gun show. i will share a couple of more of my personal experiences later....
 
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