Hi guys need some advice, started carving 2 years ago and bought a used van fron a local private seller , it was a cheap sub £2k 1996 baileys as we did not want to spend to much on our first van just incase we did not enjoy it, it was sold as it was not being used by the current owner, all seemed fine and nothing un toward.
I kept it for 9 months then traded it in for a brand new van at a local dealer in march
Tonight iv had a phone call from the police stating that they believe the van may be stolen. They have two vans registered in CHRIS, now I remember checking the vin and the numbers on windows and all was fine. I did not register it on CHRIS as I did not know it existed until we got the new van.
Now police are trying to trace all previous owners. We have given the sellers details and they have not said if its been resold or not but now I'm concerned of where I stand. Am I liable for the trade in value I was given by the dealer ?
Due to the age of the van it's not stock that the dealer we traded it to will sell so I beehive they passed it on somewhere, as for who has it now the police would not say, TBH. I dont believe mine was the stolen one, all the windows and chassis numbers matched, there was no document with it so nothing to check it against. When we insured it I did decode the vin and it all made sense. Age and make we're correct.
Obviously I have no details on the van that is also claiming to be this same vin so don't know about that one.
Dealer should have done a CRIS check when you traded it in. As they accepted it, it is now their responsibility and the only way that they may claim against you could be through a civil court. However to do this may be difficult as it may need to be proved that you stole the caravan which is hardly likely. Not your issue any more.
What are the circumstances regarding the stolen caravan itself?
As for buying a 1996 Bailey caravan 2 years ago for under £2000 would have been a really good bargain price.
I would have thought that if you insured it when you bought it that the insurance company would have found out it was stolen as they share information about all theft claims etc, every insurance form i have ever seen all say the same thingf " we share information with other companies and the police to combat fraud "
atb Bill
------------- Bill n Kay
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I would have thought that if you insured it when you bought it that the insurance company would have found out it was stolen as they share information about all theft claims etc
crossed my mind too,feel sure they checked ours a few years ago
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
hi guys thanks for the reply, first of all it was a 1996 Abbey 416 (could not remember the make) yes it was insured for the whole duration of my ownership, as for price it was not it the best of condition, they were looking for just over £3K but it had been sitting for 2 year and it had a few other problems, the tyres were shot (never been changed from the looks of it) the bathroom was very mouldy as there was some water coming in from the seem above it, and the shower pan was cracked, it was tatty all over in general, it needed some work to make it a tidy van, the sellers were a local family and refused a number of offers, in the end they just wanted to get rid of it as they were paying storage fees.
so after some negosioation we agreed £1900, we then spent another few hundred tidying it up.
a for the details of the stolen van they won't tell us anything, The POLICE have said they are not looking at us with regards the crime as the dealer we PX it with were very good and did not believe we would have done it, they are trying to trace ownership back it seems at the moment.
Hi hundleton1, Insurance company should have noticed that van possibly stolen, it should have been flagged up when they put in chassis number , That is why I asked if van insured from purchase date, shouldn’t think you have anything to worry about regarding theft of van, in some cases of theft, persons involved along the line, have on occasions been charged with handling stolen goods, hence the question did you get a bill of sale from the seller, to help verify to some extent that the van was bought by you in good faith, plus the fact that you insured van, would suggest that your purchase was above board .( no one in their right mind would try and insure a stolen van, would only draw attention to the fact they could be involved in the theft), I would think the seller would have more to worry about, especially if he had not insured it, registered it, and got van without any paper work. You may indeed have nothing to much to be concerned about, my post is going by my past experiences (similar to your situation a very long time ago). As to the position with the PX for the new van, I think that this is one for Phil, surprised he has not seen this post yet, he should be along shortly to clarify your position.
------------- If everything runs smoothly then I must have done something wrong
If in Doubt Check it Out.
The caravan was probably stolen yrs ago when it was quite new, I guess plenty who buy caravans privately have never heard of Cris & the 'van could well go thru several owners without problems until a new owner(possibly the dealer in this case)decides to Cris check it.
Until we come into line with most other European countries with DVLA registration & numberplates on caravans nothing will change. A few yrs ago when caravan registration was introduced in Holland, 100s of stolen 'vans were discovered.
It's all very well saying that regarding thefts of caravans, that nothing will change until we have DVLA registrations and number plates. Along with that will come road tax and MOTs. More and more expense. What with caravan sites squeezing as much out of us as they can and HM Government making the pips squeak with fuel duties and VAT on top, we will all be caravaning in next doors front garden.
Quote: Originally posted by Tentz on 09/12/2011
The caravan was probably stolen yrs ago when it was quite new, I guess plenty who buy caravans privately have never heard of Cris & the 'van could well go thru several owners without problems until a new owner(possibly the dealer in this case)decides to Cris check it.
Until we come into line with most other European countries with DVLA registration & numberplates on caravans nothing will change. A few yrs ago when caravan registration was introduced in Holland, 100s of stolen 'vans were discovered.
Hi Tentz, That’s a very real possibility that the vans stolen and then sold privately to unsuspecting buyer, the new owner may not even think of insuring it, then sell it on again and all the subsequent owners do the same, the vans could stay under the radar for the rest of its life, until it is checked with CRiS, or as the link that was on here a few months ago,(you tube I think) when the police did a check of vans on a campsite, for the chips in vans, to see if any stolen, I remember it as the family(4/6) in the van were taken out of it, and the van was confiscated, leaving the family with all their possessions and equipment to fit in their car, and the bloke standing there completely shocked, seeing the van go, and the large some of money he paid for van go aswell.
------------- If everything runs smoothly then I must have done something wrong
If in Doubt Check it Out.
I cant imagine the police are tracing a stolen caravan that may have been stolen over two years ago. And as you mention it was in storage for 2 years when you saw it so would the police be tracing a crime over 4 years ago! Surely its currently stolen and they are looking for it and hence contacting previous owners. Thats always a 1st call as they have access to copies of the keys so could sell it on and then nick it. I bet its been stolen reciently and after you sold it.
If someone did a CRIS check either prior to buying or afterwards, then CRIS are obliged to investigate and notify the police. The police have to then act on it as it would involve insurance companies and an old unclosed case number.
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Topic: Possible Stolen van
