I have an opportunity to buy a very nice 2006 Bailey Pageant 4 berth caravan which has recently been recovered as stolen by the police.
Briefly, the caravan was stolen when it was about 2 years old and the thief then kept it tucked away until a month or two ago when he tried taking it out of the country to Ireland. The Port Police nabbed him and the caravan was seized.
I have looked the caravan over in the compound and it looks almost new, just a couple of very tiny dings high up on one side. The makers registration plate has been prised off and the window CRIS numbers altered crudely. Other than that nothing I can see wrong.
The insurance company paid out to the owner years ago and the loss adjusters (who I have been in touch with through police) say they will accept offers because it means they will not have the costs of transportation back down south to put the caravan into an auction, plus any other associated expenses and inconvenience.
Are there any downsides to buying a total-loss caravan like this, and what would be a sensible bid for me to put in?
I would phone Cris registration first on 01722 411 430 with the caravan Cris registration details and find out if you legally can purchase the caravan. If they say yes then you need to find out how you can obtain the Cris registration number and be the legal owner if you purchase the caravan otherwise there could be loophole whereby you could be deemed as handling stolen goods.
Thanks for quick reply - perhaps i should have mentioned, the man at the loss adjusters did say he would arrange transfer of CRIS registration to any new owner (I presume they/insurance company are the owners if they paid out to the original owners?)
Opps, should have mentioned as well that the police have 'released' the caravan and have no further interest in it as the thief has been dealt with and caravn now in custody of insurers.
cost i cant ancwer but it sound a great deal i would buy it, just make sure you pay well under the price youd pay for an unstolten on, and you might struggle for insurance.
Vehicles such as this are sold all the time. Also crooksvehicles sold as proceeds as crime. If you are buying from a reputable source and particularly with Chris reg transfered I don't think there would be a problem at all.
Check all the locks. It will have been laid up a good while. Think about changing the tyres & go over it with a damp meter.
Taps etc may have split in the cold if not drained down correctly. Not a huge problem.
Has it got an alarm - will you get the code?
Does it have locking wheel nuts. Will you get the key.
It's not a total loss, it's a stolen recovered, even so total loss comes in four Categories and this would be the least , ie, Cat4
Insurance then on proof of ownership should be no problem,
Remember costs mount up, loss adjusters fees, storage, transport to auction, more storage and then commission on 'trade' hammer price.
Get it right and you could end up with a gem for a very good price.
Also, for a fee CRIS will supply a fresh set of numbers to etch on, having first polished of the old ones.
As it has been stolen, and then the Insurers have owned it, the chances are that it has not been maintained etc so it may be prudent to get it checked over first before you buy. Try one of these engineers. You won't get any warranties etc from the Insurers and its unlikely that you have any sale of goods act protection - depends how they are selling. Assume its a Buyer Beware scenario and have the van checked out
Check with your insurers that they will insure the caravan. They will want to know the full history and reason for it being "written off".
Make sure that the seller notifies the HPI folk about the sale and that the van should be removed from their registers. If not you may have a problem selling it in the future.
Phil
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Have viewed in detail the caravan this morning. Apart from a few missing items (gas regulator, fridge shelves(?), gas bottle, all interior bulbs, water pump, water/waste container, mains lead and a dead battery), everything is like new throughout - even makers tags are still hanging on appliances. Damp meter confirmed its as dry as possible inside.
Loss adjusters grumbled a bit but have accepted a bid which is about a third of the retail price, as far as I can make out. They have confirmed they will provide CRIS with new owner details and a registration document in my name will be issued.
So with a modest expenditure for the missing bits, a service and check over, I should have a nice caravan for the summer.
Just out of interest, what sort of van is it. Bailey Pageant ..... which model? The reason I ask is that ours was stolen in 2009 and it was about 2 years old, but when we bought it it was the previous years model. I think ours was a 2007, but it might just have been a 2006. Ours was a Vendee. We have a new van now - curtesy of the insurance, but it would be nice to know it's gone to a good home.
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Topic: Insurance Total Loss
