A sinking feeling in my stomach

[284 International]

You found my stolen YM240!! Ooh, and it's a 4WD one. Yep, that is definitely mine! PM me for the address you can deliver it to. <whistles innocently>

Want to cover shipping? I'll charge a reasonable finder's fee!

I'm SOOOOOO relieved it's something to joke about, and not have to deal with the legal system over.

:laughing:



I'm probably going to end up doing a paint job on this one, so will be asking for your experiences with painting these old greasy things. Paint and primer selection, degreasing/prep work, etc.

 

[Brake Weight]

We had a 'little' theft ring locally get busted a few years back. These guys had a network spanning 5-6 states or more. They were stealing locally and moving them to another cell that would in turn give them something else stolen. They had all heavy equipment from small tractors to track hoes to bull dozers to whatever. The local guys got caught, squealed on the out of state guys, and by the time they could get local law in the other state mobilized, the culprits were gone leaving all their hot equipment.

Just saying, if it were stolen and the crooks weren't total idiots, they wouldn't turn around and sell it local. Just keep it. It's not like it's a firearm that could fetch some jail time.

 

[k0ua]

Hey at least you did the right thing, and your in the clear..Thats got to be a good feeling..

James K0UA

 

[Brake Weight]

Hey at least you did the right thing, and your in the clear..Thats got to be a good feeling..

James K0UA

True. I probably would've never noticed it either. As a matter of fact, I've had mine for about 4 years now and have never checked the serial numbers.

 

[Car Doc]

Like others have said the transmission case may be a replacement and the serial was ground off because it isn't the serial to the machine it was put on and they either weren't the ones that ground it off or didn't know or care to re-stake them.

I bought lots and lots of wrecked Toyota 4wd trucks for years as part of my business and rebuilt them and re-titled them and sold as used cars.

There are a lot of regs in the salvage/rebuilding business and we may not know all there is to this it may or may not be hot.

I am thinking it is long past anyone looking for it if it is and may turn into a nightmare or if they dont have a report you can keep it and they may re-stake a serial on it and give you a title. good luck!

 

[deepNdirt]

I believe for the sake of having a documented ownership of some sort, would it be possible to get an affidavit from the seller and then have the sheriff dept. sign off on it stating it has been cleared of being stolen, I'm not sure if this is a practicle thing for the sheriff dept. to do.. or even if they would do it?
but if they would? this would give you a cleared document of sort if ever need to re-sale it,

 

[284 International]

I understand what you're saying, Car Doc, but I doubt you ever drilled out the rivets for VIN plates and swapped them between vehicles. I'm more sure you didn't grind the engine numbers and restamp them to match with their new pickup.

I understand it may have had a replacement back half put on or something, but there's really no reason I can think of to grind the serial number unless it's stolen. At this point, though, it's not really an issue. The serial number for the machine that is presumptively correct does not come up as reported stolen. There are no other identifiers on the machine. There isn't anything left to do except drive the thing and keep the police report that the number is clean.

It has at least spurred me to go record and document through photographs the serial numbers and condition of all my tractors, then store that information in an accessible place (online archiving) so that there is an additional data set beyond receipts and bills of sale in case something happens or comes up.

The state of California doesn't issue titles or otherwise keep record of tractor sales so far as I know, and there is no registration requirement.

 

[Car Doc]

I never did anything illegal thats for sure it isn't worth that I never ground off any numbers to hide anything you are right 284 thanks!

I had the state give me new serials a couple times they had me rip the old ones out of the dash though and they riveted a state issued one in the door jamb my wife is driving one of them now. fwtw

We did have to have vin documentation of every single used part we put on especially engines and tranys and cabs.

I had to show all my receipts and have DMV checks on every one of them when the highway patrol did the final inspection to give me a rebuilt/salvage title meaning they were road ready. That is where I am getting my ideas from on your tractor.

Kansas doesn't have titles as such either but the serial is recorded on bills of sale and bank loans and insurance policy's fwtw. good luck