[Wsovonick]

Check out this interesting clip about a 65 Mustang owner that discovered her car was actually stolen after 38 years of ownership! I'm sort of surprised that this could have gone un-noticed for 38 years, but who am I to judge? I guess the moral of this story is to make sure all the VIN's match before you buy.

Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com

 

[shagadoodle]

Ok so does that mean she gets to keep the door? since she owns that VIN LOL! i'd take all the stuf out of it that wasn't in that original VIn and be like....HEres' your car back and only thing it will have is just a frame LOL!

 

[andrewmp6]

The insurance company of the last owner owns it but theres probably a loop hole where she can keep it or the last owner can buy it from the insurance company for what they paid him for it.

 

[Jay H 237]

The insurance company of the last owner owns it but theres probably a loop hole where she can keep it or the last owner can buy it from the insurance company for what they paid him for it.

Why would her insurance company own it? It was stolen BEFORE she bought the car so she has no right to it 'nor her insurance company. Her company has no claim against the car, it wasn't stolen under her possesion. She has no choice but to give the car back (she was trying to sell it anyhow) as the original owner still owns it. He never got a payout from his insurance when it was stolen back in 1970. So his insurance doesn't own it now, or whatever company he was with back then.


If your vehicle is stolen and you either don't have theft or decline the payment for the theft from your insurance company then you still have claim to the vehicle if it's ever found. Your insurance company won't have anything to do with it.

You could also take the payout from the theft but also ask to be notified when (if) the vehicle is found and have first chance to buy it back before it goes to an insurance auction. Same as buying back a vehicle after it's totaled. In this case the insurance company WILL own it after the vehicle is found and will continue to own it until either you buy it back or pass on it and it's sold at auction.

 

[andrewmp6]

No the last owner not her since it was stolen im sure the vin got changed or how else did she registered it with a vin showing stolen.

 

[Jay H 237]

No the last owner not her since it was stolen im sure the vin got changed or how else did she registered it with a vin showing stolen.

In one of the articles somewhere it mentions the door tag was changed with a different warranty number (VIN) and that's how she bought it and the used car dealer she bought it from registered it as. Since she kept it registered all those years (renewed registration only) and never moved or had to get it registered in another state where there would be an inspection of the vehicle it never showed up as stolen.

It wasn't until she was getting ready to sell it that they went by the true VIN on the aprons in front did the car come back as stolen. She never knew the door tag was wrong or that's what the dealer had registered the car as. The dealer most likely isn't in business anymore let alone if it is may not have the same people working there. The dealer may not have had anything to do with the theft either, as they may have gotten the car at auction or trade. Then again the dealer may have been the one to steal vehicles and sell them off the lot. With 38 years passed it will be difficult to investigate or even prosecute.

Back then there were no computer databases or throrough inspections of vehicles like they do today, so it wasn't as difficult at that time to do stuff like this.

 

[andrewmp6]

Heres a couple story's like that one ImediNews - Stolen Thunderbird returned after 31 years FOXNews.com - Stolen Corvette Returned After 37 Years - U.S. & World part 2 GM donates $2,500 in parts to stolen Corvette guy - Autoblog