My '71 Classic has been STOLEN from a guarded car storage!

[Manoah2u]

Well i had the unpleasent visit from a Detective - yes, a Detective, asking me whether i had picked up my beloved classic from a guarded car storage about 2 weeks ago. That was not the case, so i asked - "no, why?"

the next question was : did you authorize a certain individual of Polish descent to pick up the car on your behalf?

my reply: " Absolutely not! what is going on?"

Turns out, my car has been stolen from a guarded car storage park. 2 weeks ago already!
The incident came to light because a Detective was doing investigation to some suspicious reports and by mere chance they discovered my car had been stolen. And here's the craziest thing of it all:

The car can - or lets say should - only be handed out to the original owner, or a representative but always under confirmable authority which demands A) original car papers B) owner's passport * C) original car keys D) payment of parking fee during used period.

* = or copy with signed declaration including a telephone call between owner and storage manager

The people that thus stole my car did NOT have my car papers, car keys, passport, or anything like that, there was no telephone call, nothing YET the car was HANDED TO THEM.
they did - oddly enough - pay the parking fee, which confuses me even more, but apart from that, nothing.

Police are now going to do a full-scale investigation of the car storage park and responsibles have been arrested on suspicions of fencing.

Turns out some Polish lady paid the parking fee, and then some other Polish guy with a trailer took the car from the guarded car park (they did copy his POLISH ID), and was handed to them DESPITE all aforementioned, AND the ambulance having a Polish license plate, NOT having car keys so it's a complete mistery how they were able to take the car and load it (or, not a mistery but i'm expecting full break-in and damage which can NOT happen under obligatory assistance from the car park crew) onto the hauler, and then they went off into the sunset.

Since this happened already 2 weeks ago i was already fuming that i had not been informed or contacted - i'm preparing legal action at this point and i'm going to unleash pure hell on them - but i also expected the car to be long gone in Poland by now.

Oddly enough Police has a lead based upon apprehention of the 2 people who stole my car (they are actually still here and known) that the car should be parked indoors in a terrain of a car garage (meaning, one that fixes cars up, not a parking), and tomorrow early in the morning when they get the green light from the minister of justice they are going to do a raid on the facility and apprehand the car - and from the information they can't give me but tiny amounts i do get through it seems that there might be a jackpot there with stolen vehicles.

Tomorrow is gonna be a very nervous day for me.
Especially because i don't know what to expect. Will the car still actually be there or is it really gone?
In what state will it be in? will only the locks be damaged, or will there be more damage? Will it be in it's original paint? Will the VIN numbers still be intact? Will it be in 1 piece? Will the (rare) engine in there still be there?

And then comes the part of putting down responsibility and starting criminal charges.

It's completely out of my comprehension that somebody can get their hands on a car without proper documents and identification like that - meaning, if it was 'not an inside job' but a really, really stupid mistake from the people working there. But all lights indicate that it was a deliberate move and thus people working there have given a hand in things (despite the fact we've got video footage from security cameras and a copy of identification papers leading to the apprehantion of the perps). Somebody is going to have to take responsibility though and that'll be the car park in the end either way as that is the deal you make when getting paid for guarding somebody else's possessions.

If the car is gone, or the engine itself - then that is a unpayable loss to be honest. It was not - yet - in full concourse condition. Would it have been, we're looking at a 60.000 USD loss. At the very least ,it's worth between 25.000 to 30.000 USD despite that not resembling it's potential value. Not even mentioning the 'emotional loss' and again, potential 'revenue loss'.

I hope the car will be still there tomorrow but i'm fearing the worst.

unbelievable how dirty people are.

And yes this is about my gorgeous 1971 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400 with Ram Air 6.6 L (400cui) engine option (Pontiac GTO engine) with 400 HP and factory Automatic with HURST gate shifting option, factory custom interior, and year-correct ORIGINAL Cragar SS wheels (as old as the car is and in mint condition). My actual boyhood yet achievable dream car (i can't afford a Lamborghini Aventador or a Pagani Huayra for example) is now gone with the wind.

[Jolle]

Oh man, that is very --- up! Good luck and I have my fingers crossed for you!!

[Phil]

**** i really hope it turns out well. Fingers crossed mate!

[TAG]

Sucks reading these kinds of posts, hope things turn out as best as they can for you. Fortunately the classics have value as a complete car and not parts. Unfortunately the people that took it knew what they were doing. I'm a Porsche Club member and see some of these post on various forums. They don't always end badly. Put the word on enthusiast forums and provide pictures and detailed description of the car in the hope that someone will get their eyeballs on it in a for sale ad or at a port. Speed is of the essence and two weeks is a long time in the stolen car world.

A lot of these cars will wind up in markets like Mexico, or the UAE. If you're lucky the car hasn't left the country.

[digitalrurouni]

Man I am so sorry to read about your experience. I feel for you big time. What. The. Heck. I really hope they are able to get your car back from you and put those f*#kers in prison. Fingers are crossed!

[Manoah2u]

still no releaving words, waiting on annoying jurisdicial procedures before they can have a go.
there is intel that they will hit a jackpot and roll up an entire cartel of car thieves. There might be
dangerous people involved so they're now aquiring the rights to do a violent raid and need warrents for
arrests and total lockdowns of the location. this needs to be investigated well and without raising suspicion
as if the location is wrong and there are innocent people there, they can ruin a business AND if word goes out
they might leave in 5 mins, or set the location on fire and all will be lost including evidence.

because it's obvious they're dealing with a whole network of Polish, Ukrainian and Russian 'handlers' that all have suspicious businesses on 1 single car garage they're also aquiring european warrants so they can apprehend and confine them immediately. If not, and if the warrants don't match with the people, then they go out freely and you can be sure that every evidence will go along with them.

supposedly there's my stolen Firebird, but also a rare Cuda, Mustang, Ferrari (can't name the model as it's rare enough to pop on google), Aston Martin, Jaguar, Mercedes, Bentley and a Rolls. They want to do the raid this week preferably since they're expecting them to transport the cars in plain sight with other cars intended for 'sell abroad' paired to non-outlandish vehicles.

I have an idea which place the car might be but regarding the severity of the situation it would be unwise to go there, especially since i don't know what i might do if i see my car there. I might piss myself enough to walk in there and start bashing around with a wrench vin diesel style and end up 6 feet under or arrested and make things far far worse for myself and surely others too.

So i can only wait.

[NL_Fer]

How hard is to get a search warrant for the premisses and just enter with an armed arrest squad and take every person found to the police station?

[Manoah2u]

How hard is to get a search warrant for the premisses and just enter with an armed arrest squad and take every person found to the police station?

apparantly, very hard

i literally had the responsible police forces on the telephone aching to get out and do the bust but they're waiting from higher up suits sitting in their office chairs presumably checking whether they haven't got a friend that's gonna get busted or such.....geesh.

it's been 33 hours since they sent out the inquiry for doing the siege. i'm gonna call early in the morning tomorrow and put some pressure on them.

i already know where the car must be by now - if it's still here though - and i'm starting to get impatient and am about to mount a bullbar on my Honda HRV and smash through the front gate and tow the car myself, GTA V style. Any blood collected along the way will power wash off without a sweat anyway. I also managed to get hold of the perps home adresses. mounting a bullbar would also take down that brick wall there. i'd be inclined to call the police that i've done the job for them and they're free to enter.

every day longer - every hour for that matter - increaces chances it'll disappear OR that it'll be found stripped of it's vitals and valuables and repainted, even if it's all original......*ssholes are stupid enough. i'll sue them to smithereens but that won't change the fact that the value of the car will be blown to bits and pieces by some soviet ***holes after surviving 46 years of pure unmolested perfection. they won't be just r*ping the car itself, but it's heritage and it's lightbearing status.

it's odd how something material and metallic can have such emotional impact. i feel like Liam Neeson in Taken.



or tom cruise in tropic thunder; WARNING-FOUL LANGUAGE

[TAG]

it's odd how something material and metallic can have such emotional impact. i feel like Liam Neeson in Taken.

The more you made them yours the more they become yours. Not odd in the slightest!

[Manoah2u]

A hopefull update regarding my dear classic.

I have recieved notification that my car has been reposessed by Police Authorities.
Unfortunately i couldn't be told in what state the car was in, only that the vehicle itself is now impounded by the Police and guarded safely at a Police impound facility. I have no clue whether the engine itself is still in the car, whether it's still in working condition, whether the VIN is still original, etc. etc.
Good news anyway that the car has been apprehanded.

Goal is to return the car to it's rightfull owner - that should be me. Meanwhile, they need to analyze the facts with the statements made and decide what steps will be taken then and whom whil hold full responsibility. The 'location' where my car was stored claims that the 'thieves' have been fraudulent with their statements and acted under those false claims, suggesting they are not responsible for damages or theft of my vehicle. Obviously, this holds no water as they have not followed protocol and were in any case responsible for the wellbeing of the vehicle whilst it was on their property. I will hold them responsible and claim damages to them. It's their problem after that to then claim money from the actual thieves.

[mrluke]

If your secure compound has a get out clause for people acting "fraudulently" I would question how that can be sold as secure.

[digitalrurouni]

A hopefull update regarding my dear classic.

I have recieved notification that my car has been reposessed by Police Authorities.
Unfortunately i couldn't be told in what state the car was in, only that the vehicle itself is now impounded by the Police and guarded safely at a Police impound facility. I have no clue whether the engine itself is still in the car, whether it's still in working condition, whether the VIN is still original, etc. etc.
Good news anyway that the car has been apprehanded.

Goal is to return the car to it's rightfull owner - that should be me. Meanwhile, they need to analyze the facts with the statements made and decide what steps will be taken then and whom whil hold full responsibility. The 'location' where my car was stored claims that the 'thieves' have been fraudulent with their statements and acted under those false claims, suggesting they are not responsible for damages or theft of my vehicle. Obviously, this holds no water as they have not followed protocol and were in any case responsible for the wellbeing of the vehicle whilst it was on their property. I will hold them responsible and claim damages to them. It's their problem after that to then claim money from the actual thieves.

Good news! I hope the story ends well for you!

[Manoah2u]

If your secure compound has a get out clause for people acting "fraudulently" I would question how that can be sold as secure.

offcourse they don't, they just know they completely scr*wed up and are busted and there's gonna be a big insurance claim coming their way, so they're just saying all sorts of stuff preparing themselves for when that moment arrives, and we're gonna sit around the table they have something to say to try and negotiate about the height of the claim.

no matter what, they were responsible, end of story. any damages suffered will be accountable to them. same goes for all damages when it ended up in the hands of the 'thieves'. it was no longer on their property, but i had not approved nor taken it from their hands so by acting as such, they are still responsible for anything that happens despite it no longer being on their property.

dutch police is doing a lot of paperwork on this but the good thing is it'll be quite the file to slam on the table when they're gonna have to pay up for damages.

still, i just want my car back - INTACT - and in one piece, unmolested. i only know it's been apprehanded and have zero info on it's current state.

[strad]

So very sorry for your experience.
Brings back the loss of a much beloved SD 455.
The only thing left was to paint it and install the 5 speed that was slated to go in.
At least you'll get it back... when the cops get done with all their evidentiary bullshit.. mine is long gone with my spring compressor still in the right front spring.

[Manoah2u]

whoa you got yours stolen too? thats darn shame and sad.

Didn't know there was a fellow pontiac enthusiast here!
What year? 1973? 455 SD is one hell of a machine, heartbreaking to hear yours got stolen.