Engagement ring stolen, sold to pawn shop - Legal question?

Not sure if I'm posting this in the right place, but it seems the best place to post it.

Long story short - my engagement ring was stolen and sold to a Cash Converters/Cash Generator type place by my Uncle who was living in my Grans house as was I at the time.

The police have recovered it and I have it back, and we are waiting for them to arrest my uncle.

The thing is, on the morning the ring was stolen, right after I noticed it missing, my Mum and I phoned every single pawn shop in the city and I'm fairly certain we phoned the one he sold it to. So if they'd already taken it, they should have contacted the police. And if they hadn't had it already, they should have known full well not to buy it.

My question is, can I take any legal action against the shop in question? Since they were clearly told that X was stolen and that Y may be in to try to sell it to them? They were given all the details they'd need to avoid the purchase of the ring, yet still took it or had already taken it and neglected to inform the police.
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Comments

  • Emzycal wrote: »
    Not sure if I'm posting this in the right place, but it seems the best place to post it.

    Long story short - my engagement ring was stolen and sold to a Cash Converters/Cash Generator type place by my Uncle who was living in my Grans house as was I at the time.

    The police have recovered it and I have it back, and we are waiting for them to arrest my uncle.

    The thing is, on the morning the ring was stolen, right after I noticed it missing, my Mum and I phoned every single pawn shop in the city and I'm fairly certain we phoned the one he sold it to. So if they'd already taken it, they should have contacted the police. And if they hadn't had it already, they should have known full well not to buy it.

    My question is, can I take any legal action against the shop in question? Since they were clearly told that X was stolen and that Y may be in to try to sell it to them? They were given all the details they'd need to avoid the purchase of the ring, yet still took it or had already taken it and neglected to inform the police.

    They only had your word for it that it was stolen. You have the ring back, you aren't out of pocket.

    I really don't know what you are asking, as any legal action (which would be civil) would be for compensation, and you don't need compensating!
    Science adjusts its views based on what's observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation, so that belief can be preserved.
    :A Tim Minchin :A
  • What action do you imagine you could take?

    You should be thankful that your ring was recovered.
    I'm not that way reclined

    Jewelry? Seriously? Sheldon you are the most shallow, self-centered person I have ever met. Do you really think that another transparently-manipu... OH, IT'S A TIARA! A tiara; I have a tiara! Put it on me! Put it on me! Put it on me! Put it on me! Put it on me! Put it on me! Put it on me!
  • Emzycal
    Emzycal Posts: 301 Forumite
    To be honest, more out of principal than anything. These shops don't have the right to operate the way they do. If it was an individual buying clearly stolen goods from people, they'd probably be prosecuted for it.
  • molerat
    molerat Posts: 31,695
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    edited 16 September 2012 at 1:57PM
    If the police think they have done anything wrong they will prosecute them plus they are a regulated business so could lose their licence.
  • Mention it to the police. Is the phone call in any of your phone records?
  • k12479
    k12479 Posts: 707
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    Emzycal wrote: »
    These shops don't have the right to operate the way they do.
    And you don't have the right to expect for-profit businesses to enter into the problems of disfunctional families.
  • scooby088
    scooby088 Posts: 3,385 Forumite
    OP only advice I can give you is be thankful you got the ring back and let it go.
  • fluffnutter
    fluffnutter Posts: 23,179 Forumite
    Emzycal wrote: »
    The thing is, on the morning the ring was stolen, right after I noticed it missing, my Mum and I phoned every single pawn shop in the city and I'm fairly certain we phoned the one he sold it to.

    My question is, can I take any legal action against the shop in question?

    You want to take legal action against a shop because you're 'fairly certain' you phoned them?

    You need to be a lot more than 'fairly certain' before you try to ruin someone's business. As others have said, let it go. I find it strange that you seem more annoyed with the shop than you do your thieving uncle :D
    "Growth for growth's sake is the ideology of the cancer cell" - Edward Abbey.
  • Nicki
    Nicki Posts: 8,166 Forumite
    Your phone bill will show whether you dialled the number of that pawn shop and whether your call lasted long enough for you to tell them about the stolen ring. So, if you did phone them, you will have evidence which can be used in a prosecution of the date and time of the call. The pawn shop should also have records of when they accepted the ring.

    So the first step is to check that you have evidence that you called them, and if you do, the second step is to notify the police and the local Trading Standards people so that a prosecution/revocation of their license can be considered. If you have no such evidence, then there is no second step.

    I am sure that OP is as cross with her uncle, if not more so, than she is with the pawn shop. However, if she notified them of the theft, then of course it is right to pursue them if they nonetheless accepted the ring. I am baffled with people who want to protect the pawn shop's right to knowingly fence stolen goods and who presumably want such a facility in their areas where those who burgle or pickpocket them can easily dispose of their goods for cash!
  • My thoughts on your situation. If the shop had acted on your advice and not bought the ring from your uncle, then your uncle may well have travelled to another town, say 50 miles away to sell the ring and you may never have seen it again. At least you have it back as they did buy it.
    Thrifty Till 50 Then Spend Till the End
    You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time but you can never please all of the people all of the time
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