Unknowingly bought a stolen car. Advice urgently needed.

Wig

Woody. wrote: »

So if I stole your car when you were on holiday, sold it to a garage who then sold it on before you got home and reported it. You accept the new owner had good title to it?

Considering you are the first garage in this hypothetical equation...... Why did you wait 7 weeks before reporting it stolen?

Wig

So far in this story as far as I can see the car is not stolen.

If I was you OP I would phone the police and ask for someone higher like the Chief Inspector on duty. If they don't let you speak to him ask for his name and write him a letter demanding your property be returned to you without any charges.

Wig

Woody. wrote: »

Because it's reported to be a stolen vehicle. You knw that part about securing and preseving evidence?

What would you suggest they do had the vehicle been a stolen brand new and unregistered vehicle?

Same rules apply.

I would suggest that when they take the report of the "stolen" vehicle that they ask what the circumstances of the "theft" were, and in this case they should have told the garage no/1 that it was not stolen but that it was a civil matter.

And if garage no.1 has lied about the circumstances of the 'theft' in the initial report, then the police should prosecute them.

Tilt

Wig wrote: »

I would suggest that when they take the report of the "stolen" vehicle that they ask what the circumstances of the "theft" were, and in this case they should have told the garage no/1 that it was not stolen but that it was a civil matter.

And if garage no.1 has lied about the circumstances of the 'theft' in the initial report, then the police should prosecute them.

Agreed. OP has a choice here IMHO; Ask the seller again to refund the £500 purchase price as he sold a stolen car which is now in the possesion of the police. If he refuses, contact the police (go down to the station) and ask to press charges against the seller for handling/selling stolen goods and obtaing money by fraud/deception to the tune of £500. Leave the car where it is, don't pay the recovery charges/storage fees because at the moment, it is not your car so not your responsibility. If the police fail to prosecute the seller (which would probably get your money back), sue the seller in the small claims court. However, that is not always straight forward and a gaurentee of recoving your money.

bassmomma

"question for the op thats got nothing to do with it being stolen, why did you register the car in your name if its your daughters? is it so you can get cheaper insurance?"....By the way, the reg docs are in my daughters name..but that does not mean that she is the owner, it just means that she is the keeper.
This has all been clarified by the police, that is why I am trying to sort this out as the original biil of sale is to ourselves with our address on it.

We have contacted the inspector of the police in the area where the car is stored and they still keep referring us to the police department in another area where the 1st garage reported it stolen.

looks like I will probably have to go down the small claims route as the garage whom i bought it off refuse to hand over the £500 cash for the car unless they have police presence and that will not happen.

Tilt

bassmomma wrote: »

"question for the op thats got nothing to do with it being stolen, why did you register the car in your name if its your daughters? is it so you can get cheaper insurance?"....By the way, the reg docs are in my daughters name..but that does not mean that she is the owner, it just means that she is the keeper.
This has all been clarified by the police, that is why I am trying to sort this out as the original biil of sale is to ourselves with our address on it.

We have contacted the inspector of the police in the area where the car is stored and they still keep referring us to the police department in another area where the 1st garage reported it stolen.

looks like I will probably have to go down the small claims route as the garage whom i bought it off refuse to hand over the £500 cash for the car unless they have police presence and that will not happen.

Have you contacted them? If you still get no joy there then personally I would be thinking of making an official complaint.

Wig

You need to contact the other force then, and ask them is the car stolen or not?

If it is not stolen then the car belongs to you and you demand it's return immediately with no charges.

If it is stolen ask them for some written confirmation of this, which you will present to the other garage and then sue them in small claims.

bassmomma

You need to contact the other force then, and ask them is the car stolen or not?

If it is not stolen then the car belongs to you and you demand it's return immediately with no charges.

If it is stolen ask them for some written confirmation of this, which you will present to the other garage and then sue them in small claims.

Hi Wig
I have on numerous times(and kept all records) to contact the other force who are dealing with the original garage who reported car stolen initially after 6+ weeks to see if the car is now stolen or not. The officer on the case is usually on night shifts and at present still has to interview that garage for a statement. He cancelled their first appointment then told them he did not want to be interviewed at his home address so they would have to wait until he was available during garage work times only.So they cannot conclude the investigation as yet. they also do not keep me up to date.

I did want written confirmation that the car was stolen so I could go back to the garage whom i bought it from, but they will not issue anything because they say they need a statement from this garage.

That is where i am at the moment..What a shambles.

cheers for your reply and everyone elses. Please keep suggestions coming because I am thinking of seeking the advice of a solicitor to see if I can sue the police for negligence etc. and also the garage who sold it to me

Wig

Then you should write to that forces chief inspector and demand that this matter is resolved one way or the other either it is stolen or it isn't, and give him 7 days to reply and tell him if you don't get a satisfactory reply then you will make an official complaint against the force and will be seeking legal advice as to what you can sue the constabulary for.

Apart from that I don't know what else you can do except you could CC the to your local MP
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/

Explain everything that has happened so far and that you have lost the use of your car and they have not even decided if it is stolen or not after 6 weeks! Also write in the letter that this letter is being copied to the MP.

Then put a covering letter to the MP asking for whatever help they can give you to put pressure on the police to pull their finger out and assign a detective who can go to the garage during working hours. Waiting 6 weeks for this to be done is ridiculous.

Keep us updated and the final outcome.

Tilt

100% agree with Wig's advice. Too many people just roll over when the police fob them off. Clearly this is one of those cases and I agree it's a ridiculous situation. If the cas was stolen the seller must re-inburse the OP and the police should see that happens.