Moms car stolen today while at Doctor's office for a checkup...

[dragoneggs]

So you retrieved the photos and personal items and they are in your possession? Hope that is what I am reading.

Now is it just a matter of whether you/mom want the car back and will have to bid for it???

 

[newbury]

<snip>
It's like someone drove it around and just parked it...

Stranger things have happened.
Back in the '90's a close friend of SWMBO's had her car stolen in Fairfax County, VA. It was an older nondescript American car worth only about 5K.
After all the paperwork with the police etc. she had to go back down to the courthouse to file something a few days later. Right in the parking lot was her car. She promptly went in and got an officer, they got the car and the perp who was in the courthouse because of some other infraction.

On the plus side the perp had it detailed

 

[k0ua]

On the plus side the perp had it detailed

Rather thoughtful of him don't you think?:laughing: Reminds me of a friends pickup truck stolen and found by police in Texas, I think it was 9 years later.. new v8 engine when it had a 6 in it, at it may have had a new transmission in it also... Can't remember for sure.. It was sort of upgraded and made over.

 

[ultrarunner]

So you retrieved the photos and personal items and they are in your possession? Hope that is what I am reading.

Now is it just a matter of whether you/mom want the car back and will have to bid for it???

Albums that Mom was taking to share with Grandchildren are gone... other things like remembrances from Dad's funeral, a Saint Christopher that she was given by her Godparents was still in the car... also her London Fog rain coat...

I will need to contact the auction house to see what I have to do... today is a bad day as many have already started their holiday weekend...

Mom has read some of the kind words from TBN and it gives her comfort...

 

[MossRoad]

...they found Mom's car about 10 miles from here and we have 30 minutes to come and get it... ...

Holy crap! Sorry for your hassles.

Will be following the progress and good luck! :thumbsup:

 

[EddieWalker]

What an interesting turn of events. So happy to hear you where able to get some of your personal things back. That's all that really matters. Do you know if the car runs? Did they take care of it? Do police even bother with fingerprints anymore? I would be the car has them all over it with it being gone that long.

Eddie

 

[ultrarunner]

No sign of fingerprinting... car just looks like it has been parked and left... except that it is really dirty inside... as if someone mowed lawns all day... dry grass is everywhere.

Mom would have to request and pay for a report for any additional information... the tow company let us look at the drivers report to see when and where it was found.

There was also a handwritten note on the windshield from an apartment manager that said the car would be towed if not moved...

Ignition Switch is tweaked... no sign damage on the outside locks.

I opened the hood and the battery I had bought is still there...

The sympathetic officer at the 150th ave Sheriff substation said there are some that take cars for transportation and abandoned it when they are done... which is much different from hearing that it would be parted out or taken out of State...

The auction yard is off Depot Road... I have no idea what it would sell for... the unknown of the mechanical condition would make me suspect and I would think it would go for a fraction of the settlement...

This is all new to me... which is a good thing.

In retrospect... neighbors have asked if it was good the car was found... while difficult for Mom to see and bringing back the loss... it was good to be able to get a few small things of sentimental value...

 

[RobertN]

We had our IROC Camaro stolen 16 or 17 years ago. LEO caught the guy with the car; he was just released on parole.

Car looked ok from 20'. There were a couple noticable dings. Upon closer inspection, there rear tires(near new Michelin XGTV sticky radial) were pretty worn. Stereo and amp gone. Heater hose broke, and bypassed. When car went in to shop, they found the motor mounts and transmission mounts broke(probably from dropping the clutch/hot rodding). Car was full of stuff like two people were living in it.

Worst part, as non-smokers; it smelt like an ash tray inside...

Insurance took care of it it all. It still ran great. But it was not the same...

It was stolen out of Intel parking lot in Folsom, mid day. Wife and I worked there. I had drove my truck cause I had a class after work. at 8am, I parked a few cars from it. Had a lunch errand, and when I returned at 1pm parked near it again. Someone got it between 1-5pm. LEO said they like 9-11am, and 2-4pm, because at big companies, most people are in by 9, some start leaving for lunch around 11. Same in afternoon; folks are usually there by 2pm, and some start leaving by 4pm.

Funny thing is, the LEO saw the car because the tags were past due. Otherwise they would not have known... We had some misplaced mail after a move, and had missed the due date for registration... When LEO saw that, they got closer to the car and the guy started being evasive. Call to dispatch showed car stolen, so they waited for multiple units to pull him over.

 

[ultrarunner]

Part of me just says to move on... the other part says I should at least show up at the auction... if only because of the history and documentation of spending the day as VIP at NUMMI watching it being made from shell to the first start driving off the line...

Being a car person has a lot to do with it...

The CSAA policy of going to Auction did set me back some... now, looking at it, it might be worthwhile...

The downside is you guys will be subject to a thread that never quite goes away...

 

[newbury]

Did you get to check the odometer to see how much it had been driven?