Security & Theft Stolen equip- is there a clearinghouse for info

[gordon21]

Is there a central clearing house to determine if a tractor or high priced attachment is stolen, recalled or been involved in an insurance claim? Other industries have similar databases where a stolen item would be detected if it ever went into a shop for repair. I am curious because I will be looking for a backhoe and some other items within the next 6 months. I want to avoid a bad situation with a dishonest seller or e-bay. If I buy one of those really great deals from a private seller, I want to make sure the cops don't show up a week later to repo the stolen goods and cuff and stuff me.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Take the serial # to your local police dept. They can run it through N.C.I.C. computer database. That SHOULD tell you if it's stolen.

 

[BobG_in_VA]

Yeah, and if its stolen...you lose it. Can't win, huh? Seems if you bought a piece of equipment "too cheap" you should worry, especially if it came from somewhat less that perfect circumstances. Regarding a "clearing house", the PD is the only place I know that you could find such info. Also if your equipment doesn't have a serial #, it wouldn't do any good anyway. In that regard, you could "scribe" your own # in an inconspicuous place and keep tract of that in your own records. Firearms are the perfect example here. You could tell the police that your pistol was stolen, but if you don't have the serial for them, you can't prove it. BobG in VA