eBay finally a tool for good

[veemagic]

Just read this story and thought it was cool enough to share. Talk about never giving up hope!



Man recovers car 42 years after theft

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A man whose prized sports car was stolen 42 years ago recovered the vehicle after spotting it on eBay, authorities said Sunday.
Robert Russell told the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department that he had never given up searching for the 1967 Austin Healy after it was stolen from his Philadelphia home in 1970.
Russell recently spotted what he thought was his car on eBay and checked the vehicle identification number on the website with the one on the car's title certificate, finding they were a match, the department said in a news release.
Russell, who now lives in Texas, contacted the department in May, and Detective Carlos Ortega tracked down the car in East Los Angeles.
"Detective Ortega located the stolen Austin Healey at the dealership listed in the eBay ad and confirmed that the car was the same vehicle reported stolen by Mr. Russell," the department said.
After working with Philadelphia police to resolve vehicle identification issues, the department told Russell he could pick up his car.
He has since brought it back to Texas. His hometown wasn't immediately available.
Russell told deputies that he bought the vehicle for $3,000. It's now valued at $23,000.
He said "he continued his search for the vehicle, not for its monetary value, but because it had sentimental value to him and his wife," the department said.

[RacerX]

Here's the Jalopnik article with more details and a pic

http://jalopnik.com/5924444/man-finds-his-missing-car-on-ebay-42-years-after-it-was-stolen

[veemagic]

Cool Ron. The picture, and the rest of the story is even better. Its amazing that he was able to convince all parties involved, or at least legal parties, enough to get it back. There must have been some obvious shady dealings with the title somewhere along its history.

[tomanyjacksons]

veemagic, you must have never worked at a used car dealership. It all comes down to $$$. It's not impossible to get a "new" title, especially if you have a way to bill a financial charge to a car from actual work being done to it or something as simple as storage. Happens everyday. The laws for checking a title I would think change from state to state so it can be sent through right under the governments "watchful eyes" and not get detected. I've bought 2 cars that way, not stolen of course but one did have a lean that I didn't end up having to pay.

[veemagic]

No I haven't worked at a car dealer, but what I meant was there must have been something fairly obvious somewhere to allow this guy to get his car back that easy after 42 years. It doesn't say how many hands it went through, but my guess is more than the original thief. For the police to trace it back in a couple of months based on a set of keys and some friends accounts, there had to be more of a paper trail.

[RacerX]

It wasn't as complicated as all that. I believe the dude still had some original paperwork with the VIN.
The eBay ad included that same VIN. Voila, instant stolen car.

Here, I checked the article again:

"Russell still had the original keys along with signed affidavits from friends and the original owner that he never sold the car. He just didn't have the police reports. Thankfully, Philadelphia and Los Angeles Police stepped up to the plate and reopened the case."

[Rsmacker]

If the insurance paid out for it all those years ago, wouldn't it belong to the Insurance Co? Obviously he wasn't insured...!