  Ruxy17 Member Username: Ruxy17 Post Number: 5 Registered: 08-2007 |
My brother's car was stolen from our (poorly) gated lot last night. I live in the New Center, at 3rd and Pallister. They also took the catalytic converters from three cars parked nearby. It was a 1998 dodge neon. The officer who filed the report for him said that they almost always find neons in one piece (more or less) and that we'd probably get it back. other people i've spoken with have been less optimistic. does anyone know anything about how often stolen cars are returned to their owners? and please, i don't want to hear about how i should have expected this because i live in detroit. it's the price my brother and i are willing to pay to live in the city we love. any info would be greatly appreciated! | ||
Detroitjim Member Username: Detroitjim Post Number: 28 Registered: 02-2008 |
I have had two different Ghetto cruiser vans(1986&1992) of mine stolen .They recovered them both. One of them it took only a week for me to get back (Damage only to the steering column) I was able to drive it home.The other I got almost a month later and had to pay a couple of hundred bucks in storage charges.(they give you the first three days storage for free) Worst part about it was that they actually recovered it two weeks before but the officer at the precinct didn't notify me then . Besides the column on that one they stole the battery .The LL's at the tow yard wouldn't let me bring a battery ,put it in and drive it home, nor would they let me tow it home with the first van from the yard. Instead I had to pay them to pull it out on the street . More LL ripoff tactics. | ||
Alley Member Username: Alley Post Number: 507 Registered: 02-2008 |
I hear vans are hot to steal because they're good for transporting loot stolen from B&E's, scrapping, etc | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 2393 Registered: 12-2005 |
Most of the time you don't want that car back. In 12 hours a thief can subject a car that you have maintained and carefully driven to 10 years worth of torture. Ever heard the phrase "Drive it like you stole it" | ||
Ggores Member Username: Ggores Post Number: 245 Registered: 10-2007 |
Have a funny story, and I've heard it repeated a few times on local television. My friend truck got stolden one night because he left it parked out on the street, which in retrospect was dumb, and I even felt dumber for not chastising they friend earlier in that same day. We not only stab each other in the back, but we also watch each others back. Anyways, I'm feeling bummed out because friend had just recently sold me a super cool van for a song. But, that's how things go some times and they was nothing I could do. He reports to the DPD. Two weeks go by. Fraynd get a letter in the mail from DPD stating that the van was recovered TEN DAYS AGO and was taken to a local tow yard. So friend go by the tow yard and man say that it'll cost him roughly six hundred bucks to check it (the stolden truck) out of the tow yard. "Eh. Whatever. I done went and bought a new vehicle anyhow, so just let it go." The truck, a GMC Safari, was found over in Warrendale (as I had suspected), and it had been stripped, but still would've had enough value that the cost of repairs would've been less than friend having to buy a new, used vehicle. Sounds kind of shady that DPD notifies you via a letter, that your car/truck/van been recovered, and has been sitting in the local tow yard for eight days. And one day, while watching some call-in talk show on the almighty 'HPR, this old codger calls up and says, "What's UP with this? I've had three of my friends tell me this story." The "story" being the one I have just told. Lesson learned - don't park your car out on the street. Park in the fortress driveway. That is, if you live in a fortress. In Detroit. | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1941 Registered: 11-2003 |
My ex-wife had a '91 Plymouth Acclaim stolen from in front of our house back in 2003. They found it like 3 days later, but the LLs did some other dirt while they had the car. So since they got caught while in our car we could not get it out until an "investigation" was complete. We called EVERYDAY and no one knew the deal. We finally called and were told that we could get it and then got hit with $600 in storage fees and said we had the option to buy it back at auction if we couldn't afford the fees. WTF? On top of that, the police report said the ONLY damage was the column, we got to the car and the radio was gone, the glove box gone, speakers gone etc. I told the lady at the yard what the report said and her reply was... those cops miss a lot of things so don't worry about what the report says WTF? So the yard did all the dirt, stole our shit and we got stuck with the bill, we said no thanks and left it there. There was nothing we could do about it. My grand mother had her car (2002 Cirrus) stolen in March from church, got a rental car and they came to the HOUSE and stole the wheels off the rental car (Pontiac G6). She got her car back a week later with minimal damage, This is why I don't leave anything with my name and address in my car. I don't leave my registration in the car, I am the only one that drives it so no one needs it in the car. | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 1794 Registered: 04-2006 |
Vizon brings up a great point. Never leave anything like a registration or proof of insurance in a car. They will screw up your credit badly. Growing up we had several cars swiped several times. They were recovered all over the place. As an adult I had one car that was stolen twice in livonia and once in warrendale. I got it back from livonia both times, but the warrendale pick-up it was gone for good. I still miss that crappy old Dodge Shadow. It got good gas milage, and I could carry a ton of stuff in it due to the hatch/folding seat combo. | ||
Detroitrockcity Member Username: Detroitrockcity Post Number: 5 Registered: 07-2008 |
Depends if they stole your car for parts or to commit a crime and just need a getaway car. In that case you will probably get it back in decent shape. If they stole it for parts forget about it. | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 13681 Registered: 12-2003 |
This does explain why the city towing franchise is so damned valuable...looks like something they will have to precisely address when we finally have a worthwhile City Council. "Any and all recovered stolen vehicles free storage countdown begins when the registered letter is received by the owners, all damage to the stored vehicle is the responsibility of the towing/storing party, etc." Yanno, that kind of language...because right now there is certainly a thirty point kickback to the Kwhyme/McNamara organization, I'd bet dollars to doughnuts on it. | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1943 Registered: 11-2003 |
^ that's bullshit to me, since we NEVER got any notice from the cops. The towing franchise is a huge industry in Detroit. You see Shady ass Boulevard Trumbull Towing on the scene FIRST all the time for speed traps, hooker pick ups, accidents etc. The impounds are slightly shadier than the actual towing company. FUCK ALL OF THEM man, it's shit like this that gets residents and visitors fed up about Detroit. You live/visit Detroit and have your property stolen and get FUCKED. | ||
Django Member Username: Django Post Number: 1538 Registered: 10-2003 |
Ive heard of numerous stories of this BS happening. Has anyone seen a reporter on this obvious newstory? Bill Gallager should have had been called by now. I know of this shit goin on for over 5 years. Ive never had a car stolen, probably cause when I drove they were all beaters. I used to find stolens in the Packard Plant all the time. Id sometimes rummage the cars for the phone number or address of someone and try to let them know where their car was. I have to admit that a "tip" or "finders fee" would be nice. They were always happy to get their car back, whether they left a few bucks with me or not. There was one lady I called though, to tell her I found her car, she was not happy to talk, I assume it was an insurance job. She hung up on me. Many times the cars were brand new, they had no paperwork in them, no plates, only the battery gone. They would sit there for about 2-3 days and then they were gone. I assume the thieves put them there in case of Lojack. | ||
Fnemecek Member Username: Fnemecek Post Number: 2870 Registered: 12-2004 |
All that I know about it is that when my car was stolen in February of 2004, DPD managed to recover it rather quickly. http://nemecek.blogspot.com/20 04/02/okay-my-first-thought-wa s-to-write.html | ||
Johns Member Username: Johns Post Number: 9 Registered: 10-2007 |
Two months ago had my 1995 stolen out of a lot on Clifford and Bagley. Went to report it and found it had been towed as abandoned from a lot at the Medical Center Apartments, within an hour of my parking it. It was towed to Monroe and cost me $400 to get it out. Tow truck operator said he didn't notice ignition dangling. DPD wouldn't take it off the stolen vehicle list until I brought it in to verify, and when I did, they didn't even go out to see it ("we take your word for it"). | ||
Johns Member Username: Johns Post Number: 10 Registered: 10-2007 |
Two months ago my 1995 Caravan was stolen on Bagley and Clifford. Went to report it and found out it was already "recovered" and towed within an hour of my parking it to Monroe. Cost me nearly $400 to get it out. Tow truck company picked it up as abandoned in a gated parking lot at DMC, never noticing the ignition dangling from the steering column. Police wouldn't take it off the stolen vehicle list until I brought it in to show them, and when I did they didn't even go out to see it ("we take your word for it"). First stolen car in nearly 35 years of Detroit parking. | ||
Andylinn Member Username: Andylinn Post Number: 960 Registered: 04-2006 |
go over to freds key shop in midtown and pay them $100, and get a kill switch. best $100 i ever spent. i dont have any kind of theft insurance on my dodge neon... never had a problem in the 2 years i've had it here. | ||
Steelworker Member Username: Steelworker Post Number: 1123 Registered: 02-2004 |
My neon was stolen and found all before i woke up. It was used for a smash and grab. I came home at 3am woke up at noon to my car being gone went to the precinct to find out they already found it and it was at the impound. My first car that was stolen in detroit was a 1987 pontiac6000 that barely ran but they never found it. Oh wait they did about 4 years later they called me to tell me they found my POS. | ||
Ggores Member Username: Ggores Post Number: 247 Registered: 10-2007 |
Stopped by a gas station on way to work (had an important 8:00 am meeting), went inside the get a pack of smokes, came out and car was gone. 88 200SX. Clerk call the cops. Ten minutes later cops call back, say they apprehend the guy at Michigan and Schaefer, bolting towards Detroit. I gets the car back and was 5 minutes late for important meeting. Bossman got a good laff outta that one. | ||
Melody Member Username: Melody Post Number: 248 Registered: 11-2007 |
I've had two Neons. The 1995 was broken into 3 times. They would've stolen it once if they knew how to drive a stick. My newer Neon has been broken into twice. Locations include Magic Stick, Alvin's, a residence in Corktown and twice in front of a residence in Hamtramck. The best advice is get the Club, have a detachable face on your stereo (or a really crappy one), and don't leave anything in your car. Not even a quarter. My boyfriend's Jeep Cherokee was stolen in 2006. They drove it into a tree and some other cars. He still hasn't gotten it back. The impound lot had it forever before let him know, won't give it to him without paying for the back fees, even though he has an order from the judge. It's really frustrating. | ||
Dannyv Member Username: Dannyv Post Number: 314 Registered: 08-2007 |
One of the common threads of these posts are the disproportionate number of Chrysler products stolen. There was a video of some kids demonstrating how easy it was to accomplish this on the news a few years ago. I had a bias toward Chrysler products until I saw this video. I still maintain that the Midtown restaurant and bar owners should hire a private mobile security firm to patrol their streets and businesses. There seems to be too much acceptance of the inevitability of getting one's vehicle stolen. | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1950 Registered: 11-2003 |
Detroit stolen car video talking about Chryslers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =hDyZgO0gxMs | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 6023 Registered: 12-2005 |
Good video but its bad quality really screwed up his face at the end! What's that on his face? Some kind of growth? HA! | ||
Gibran Member Username: Gibran Post Number: 3462 Registered: 02-2007 |
I remember coming in one snowy night and wondering where my dad's car was...I saw the tire marks going off in the snow...it was stolen from our eastside neighborhood... a week later we get a call, that they have found the car...and we would have to pay for the tow..this was such irony; since it was burned, on blocks and no wheels...such a sense of justice.. I laugh now (thirty years later)...but if you could have seen the look on my dads face when the police told him that he was facing a fine if he couldn't remove it...I don't recall the outcome...but I only imagine the conversation my dad had with the officers.... | ||
Ruxy17 Member Username: Ruxy17 Post Number: 7 Registered: 08-2007 |
Thanks all for the responses. After reading these stories of the shady towing companies and impounds, and the ridiculously slow notice from DPD and the crazy fees I called up a good friend of mine to gripe about what happened, and what others had experienced. Not only are you down and out because your car got jacked, but you get screwed in fines to get it back. It's like being victimized twice. The friend I talked to is a story editor at Fox 2 News and said he thought it would be a great story. He's interested in talking to some of the people who have had this experience. Would any of you be willing to participate in a news story, i.e. go in front of a camera? | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1955 Registered: 11-2003 |
Hell yeah... hit me up mrcrush1914 @ gmail.com | ||
Ericdetfan Member Username: Ericdetfan Post Number: 280 Registered: 02-2007 |
my grandmas 1993 Cougar XR7 stolen in 1994 near plymouth and Southfield. Recovered 3 days later with missing rims and stereo. Funny thing is they took it to the dealership and not an impound. Everything was fixed on it and my mom now owns it. | ||
Grumpyoldlady Member Username: Grumpyoldlady Post Number: 192 Registered: 06-2005 |
My mom's car was stolen from her apartment parking lot on Morang and Whitehill, and found parked in front of a DPD officer's house on Fordham near Morang. Turns out, I rode the bus with his wife, and just happened to mention to her that my mom's car had been stolen and told her what it was. She said it sounded like the car that had been sitting in front of their house for a while. Her husband ran the plate and sure enough, it was Mom's. Only damage was to the steering column and truck lock. Ironic that the cop didn't even bother to check on a car parked for an extended period in front of his house. | ||
Bvos Member Username: Bvos Post Number: 2302 Registered: 10-2003 |
Chrysler/Jeep vehicles are the most stolen vehicles from WSU by far. WSU Police actually encourage students to not purchase or drive Chrysler/Jeep vehicles due to their theft rate and Chrysler/Jeep's lack of effort to deal with well known security problems. | ||
Django Member Username: Django Post Number: 1554 Registered: 10-2003 |
Let us know if a story gets done on this issue Ruxy. | ||
Detblue Member Username: Detblue Post Number: 60 Registered: 04-2007 |
In 2003 I had a jeep liberty stolen in front of my church while I was in service on Mack and French rd. | ||
Funaho Member Username: Funaho Post Number: 71 Registered: 11-2007 |
My brother has a Jeep Liberty that has been broken into and almost stolen something like 6 times now over the past few years. I say "almost" because it has that anti-theft system in it where you can't drive it without the RFID tag in the keychain, so all they ever have managed to do was cause hundreds of dollars in damage to hotwire the car before it stalls out on them. Me, I buy Saturns. Nobody ever wants to steal those. I've had a couple broken windows (no theft, just vandalism), and once I forgot to lock my door and someone stole my CD case, but that's about it. I still laugh about the CDs because all they got were mostly burned copies of a bunch of JPop music. :-) | ||
Otter Member Username: Otter Post Number: 262 Registered: 12-2007 |
Dirving a beat-looking 15-year-old japanese car seems to have worked well for me when ti comes to hteft non-appeal. I id get broken into at the train station this winter, and all they managed to get was my CheoFeliciano CD. Like those guys are salseros or something... | ||
Melody Member Username: Melody Post Number: 255 Registered: 11-2007 |
My boyfriend would be interested in participating in the Fox 2 report, he'll go on camera no problem. Who do we contact? | ||
Marlonjb2 Member Username: Marlonjb2 Post Number: 14 Registered: 07-2008 |
My cousin's car was stolen back in 2006. Detroit Police never found it. But I did about a week or so later. :D (Around the corner from MY house, about 10 minutes away from hers!) | ||
Scarlet_crush Member Username: Scarlet_crush Post Number: 9 Registered: 06-2008 |
My Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Avenue was stolen outside of Value World thrift store on Woodward Avenue. I immediately called the police to report it stolen and the woman on the phone was extremely rude to me. When I misheard a question that she asked, she acted very put out and inconvenienced, and told me I should call back later, when my hearing had improved. It made an already horrible situation worse and that moment is imprinted on my memory forever. They of course, never found my car, although I had my doubts, after my telephone conversation, that they even gave a damn about stolen cars. | ||
Hpgrmln Member Username: Hpgrmln Post Number: 529 Registered: 06-2007 |
My brother put an ad in Auto Trader for his rotted, tattered '88 Toyota Supra.Guy comes by at night and claims he just needed to know the route and will come back and look at it in the daytime.Of course,about 2 days later he discovered it missing.They actually recovered it quickly,its rusty remains minus most mechanical components,dumped in the middle of Linnhurst.They even took the transmission,unaware it was bad.DPD had it towed straight to the scrapyard and he got compensated.Of course,this could be because it was originally reported to the suburban dept in which the the theft occured.Either way,didnt take long to find it. |
