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#21
When my car was stolen, I watched it drive away from the front of my house (with the same make and model car right with it). I immediately called the police and they chased and lost my car 2 times going from city to city. They picked it up first within 2 miles of my house, and picked it up again about 5 miles from my house. After that, they lost it and it was never seen again. They more or less said, if the car was in good shape, they are going to strip it down for parts and it will be up on ebay and craigslist. People need replacement hoods, fendors, airbags, catalytic converters...basically anything that is in working order.
I was bummed because I lost lots of personal stuff. Car seats for kids, gym bag, headphones, a few videos, some cd's, etc. I estimate I had about $500-$600 worth of personal stuff...that my homeowners would cover, but I have a $500 deductible..so it was more or less not worth making the claim. To pay $500 to get $500.
I honestly feel that very little effort was exerted by my local police department in catching the person who stole my car. I mean, the car was a 4cylinder with 180,000 miles. How did it manage to outrun and lose 2 different cops in 2 different jurisdictions. That's just hard to comprehend. And there was no way with the $1031 that I got from insurance that I could replace the car with anything even remotely close too it in terms of it's shape and mechanical soundness.
To this day, I'm sad about it..and it was just about 1 year ago. I sometimes hit Google maps to look at the picture of my house with my car sitting out front. It sucks, it really does
I wish you the best and I hope you have more luck then I did.
Not silly though. In the sense that yes it's only stuff, but it is your stuff. And when some low life(s) doesn't respect that it is your stuff, you have every reason to be very angry.
I've never had a car stolen yet, but years ago I had one broken into when I stopped at a bookstore on my way to my grandparents house to housesit while they went on vacation to Florida. I had alot of stuff in the trunk which thankfully they didn't take the time to go into, but in the rear seat I had stuff including a brand new winter jacket, and a custom bowling ball my parents had given me for Christmas. All gone. They even took my subscription glasses, no doubt to laugh about it as they smashed them on the pavement. They were in and out quickly as they used a slim jim and in their haste cut themselves as I had blood on the window (the first sign something was wrong), steering wheel, and seat. Cleaning it up my anger wished something worse for them.
This happened at a bookstore that was right across the street from the police station! I walked over there to file the report in total disbelief and anger. I still get angry and have a sense of something lost to this day when I think especially about that bowling ball, a gift.
Whatever anger you have you've a right to it.
That really, REALLY sucks. Sorry to hear about it. 36 years! I know how attached you must have been to it ... so attached they might have stolen you with it!
-Max
Yeah, they only give you the relative blue book value of the car when it's stolen. My car had been perfectly maintained, new battery, new tires, new brakes recently and once stolen, I got $1,031 for it. Had well over $20,000 into it over the years in payments, maintenance, etc. But the insurance companies cannot cover what you have invested, just the value of the car as it sits via blue book.
Some people have owed more on the loan then blue book, and when the car was stolen, they didn't even get enough to cover the loan...so it "cost" them money in the end. Talk about sucking.
Well I'm going to name her the Boomerang ! She was found by a neighbor eight blocks away who lives across the street and noticed the car had just sat there for a week. Curiosity got the better of him and after noticing the car was gutted and the contents of the glove box all over the floor he saw the registration with my address and came looking for me. So now I'm thinking she was backed down the street and started without notice and then driven off for her stereo, seats and 4 way seat belts (which cost more than the tuner buckets). All of this either for some jerk wads own project car or for a couple hundred bucks for a quick high. Good news is she's back the bad news is in my current situation I have to move her once and week for street sweeping and that's going to be a trick without a working battery and seats. Just another chapter in my 72's saga ! Thanks all for your thoughts, well wishes and encouragements !
That's good you got it back. Maybe after some time passes you can put it back in shape.
Good luck
Jerry