So my stolen motorcycle got found....

[Squid]

In Jacksonville.

I got a letter in the mail from a towing place saying they've taken out a lein on my bike (that was stolen in September 2003) that the Jax Sheriff's Dept told them to tow. It it being stored @ $13/day, and will be auctioned off on the 25th of Feb.

It seems that this place mailed some other person who has a 'interest in the property' the same thing I was mailed in Re: the bike.

I want the bike back, and I wanna nail whoever this other guy is that stole it, and I don't wanna pay like $600 in storage fees.

I'mma talk to the local PD, and the PD where the bike was stolen from. I'm also going to tell the towing company it's stolen (hoping they won't still try to auction it off before it gets resolved).

Does anyone have experience in this matter? Should I take it up with the local JAG?

-Alex

 

[ControlledBurn]

I'd contact Jax Sheriff Dept and this place and see if they'll let you off the hook for the "storage" fees since the bike was stolen. I'm sure you filed a police report when it was stolen, so you've got proof there.

 

[Grant]

If the "storage fee" is $13 a day, and the total is around $600, that means that it must have been sitting there for quite a while. Why didnt anyone inform you sooner that it was recovered? Sounds to me like the PD and/or Sheriff's Dept dropped the ball, and should foot the bill...

 

[Squid]

Any of you guys with Florida titles know how to get a replacement title? I got rid of mine a year after it was stolen, and now, fittingly enough I will need another one. If any of you have access to a Florida title, it's on the back in small print how to get a copy if it's been destroyed or lost.

Also, any VP-30 / Jax dudes have room in their garages until I can setup transport for the bike?

 

[smittyrunr]

http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/html/titlinf.html

Try that link, or else myflorida.com I didn't see anything helpful on the back of my title.

Sorry, no garage!

 

[FlyingDoc]

Oh man I'd love to be there to help you beat the ever living piss out of whoever stole it. Nothing gets my blood boiling more.. I better quit, I can feel my blood pressure going up as I type.

I would love be help you beat the living piss out of the towing/impound company. I hate them, they are true thieves.

 

[Squid]

just fedex'd the application for duplicate title to the tax collector.

as I hear it from the tow company:

A Jax Deputy owns the bike, and has a key.
His insurance adjuster was already there to appraise it.
It was found in a raid in someone's house, upstairs.

I'm trying to get ahold of the Jax SO's stolen vehicle dept, but keeps going to voicemail.

Murphy's Law strkes again. A few months ago I went through all the paperwork for the bike, chocked it up to gone, and destroyed everything, including a set of keys, the title, and the police paperwork. I'm an idiot.

 

[Kycntryboy]

Whats the chance on the police keeping a copy?

 

[peanut3479]

Police and Sheriff's Departments are required to keep records, at least for a while (definitely more than a year or two). I'm not saying it'll be easy to get someone to find the records - I can almost guarantee it'll be like pulling teeth (based on my experiences and friends of mine who are in law enforcement) - but they will have the records somewhere. Another option might be to check w/ your insurance company - they likely keep records on losses for a number of years.

 

[Squid]

.. didn't have insurance when it was stolen... I had just refinanced it after paying it off, too....

will the hits ever stop coming?

 

[Jolly Roger]

I would love be help you beat the living piss out of the towing/impound company. I hate them, they are true thieves.

The towing/impound companies in Houston have a sweet gig. Under a new ordinanced passed by the City Council, if your vehicle breaks down, has a flat, runs out of gas on the freeway, a wrecker will be called out to tow it off the freeway to their lot for a $75 fee. It helped with congestion, but man it would be a pisser-offer to me if I had a flat, was in the process of changing it when a wrecker hooks to tow it off. That law needs to be modified some.


ENSsquid,

Tough luck dude, it will get better. At least you have shot at getting it back.

 

[CLAM97to99]

I can’t believe the police didn’t run the VIN as soon as they found it and see that it came up stolen! Then it shouldn’t have been too hard for them to contact you. I would say the police really dropped the ball on this one.

 

[peanut3479]

Sorry about the insurance - what about the bank you re-fi'd through? Did they require a copy of the police report to waive your liability or did you have to pay it off anyhow?

The only part I don't understand is how a JaxSO Deputy legally "owns" the bike (did he/she purchase it from police property following the raid?), yet it was towed by JSO and subsequently put in storage for over 45 days and they're going to auction it off? Something doesn't add up, IMO. Definitely get in touch w/ JSO and get the whole story regarding the chain of custody of the bike.

 

[Godspeed]

Damn squid, sorry to hear about all that bro. If it were me, I would go down to the towing yard with a crowbar and an attitude problem.

Here's what you need to do, explain to them the entire situation. If they refuse to cooperate with you and/or waive the fees, you NEED to get a lawyer. They will square you away with no problems. YOU ARE THE VICTIM OF A CRIME, you aren't responsible for all those fees, especially when they never notified you.

P.S. Im just south of you in Daytona Beach. I'm probably going to be getting a bike here really soon. Did you have any theft prevention devices on it when it was stolen? What theft prevention devices do you reccommend? If/when you get it back, shoot me a pm. Bike week is coming up. We'll have to get together.

 

[Ryoukai]

Just out of curiosity, what kind of bike was it?