many Renaults and parts *STOLEN*, Epping VIC :(

I feel sorry for you. If I was cashed up, I'd just buy them and send them your way. I'd be gutted if someone stole my Renault, let alone if I had a few stolen with all their bits. They're not 'just' cars to us Renault freaks.
 
It looks like that place sells unique parts for art and etc and isn't a straight forward wrecker? Have you reached out to them at all?
 
If you don't want to approach media or the 'wrecker', why not tell the Pigdon person the vehicle he has bought and onsold is stolen and the subject of an ongoing police investigation. Both those owners are obviously locals and would likely not be very happy about this. Give them the police contact and see if that gets a reaction when one or both call and express concern about unwittingly receiving stolen goods.

Did you buy it from the person who wanted to buy it back and now apparently owns it? That might be helpful as they may recall you buying it. You should let them know the vehicle is recorded as stolen with VicRoads (I assume you have reported the stolen VINs?)

Vic Police are obviously too busy beating up harmless people. Earning contempt, not respect.
 
David S said:
If you don't want to approach media or the 'wrecker', why not tell the Pigdon person the vehicle he has bought and onsold is stolen and the subject of an ongoing police investigation. Both those owners are obviously locals and would likely not be very happy about this. Give them the police contact and see if that gets a reaction when one or both call and express concern about unwittingly receiving stolen goods.

Did you buy it from the person who wanted to buy it back and now apparently owns it? That might be helpful as they may recall you buying it. You should let them know the vehicle is recorded as stolen with VicRoads (I assume you have reported the stolen VINs?)

Vic Police are obviously too busy beating up harmless people. Earning contempt, not respect.
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Thanks David.

I have spoken with Pigdon, who has passed on his details, but not the new owner.
I am not sure if he has alerted the new owner, but I will contact him again, make sure he has and ask for a phone number or something.

The person I bought it from may have been this person.
It was in his grandmothers garage and had to move when I 'saved' it, the exact time or place I'm not clear.

I tried to mark them stolen (I didn't have the VIN for this one, just an engine number) with VICroads, who informed me that they could not do this, and it was 'proper' for the police to be contacting them.

I've given all the VINs to police, to my knowledge none were maked as stolen, even the white R16 that someone has bought and since registered in Melbourne.
 
Police inaction has left you in a poor position. There is a complaints unit in Victoria Police.
I recently lodged a theft complaint over stolen stock. Response was slow but it came. There was quite a bit of paperwork and I was given a victim receipt.
Do you own the land where the items were taken from?
 
Russell Hall said:
Police inaction has left you in a poor position. There is a complaints unit in Victoria Police.
I recently lodged a theft complaint over stolen stock. Response was slow but it came. There was quite a bit of paperwork and I was given a victim receipt.
Do you own the land where the items were taken from?
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Thanks for the insight.
No the space on the property was being sublet to me.
 
As a lawful tenant you have legal protection of your possessions. You need to escalate the complaint. Police complaints will tell you who to contact as next step up in the local police hierarchy. Failure to list the vehicles as stolen with VicRoads has resulted in financial loss to you and made it difficult to recover the items. That's a high crime area and the police don't want to be bothered. As a last resort there is a Victorian Ombudsman.
 
Russell Hall said:
As a lawful tenant you have legal protection of your possessions. You need to escalate the complaint. Police complaints will tell you who to contact as next step up in the local police hierarchy. Failure to list the vehicles as stolen with VicRoads has resulted in financial loss to you and made it difficult to recover the items. That's a high crime area and the police don't want to be bothered. As a last resort there is a Victorian Ombudsman.
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And the media but you lose control immediately if they bite.....
 
Russell Hall said:
As a last resort there is a Victorian Ombudsman.
Click to expand...

No. I looked at the Vic Ombudsman's website yesterday and they don't want to know about Police matters. It seems it may be a case of complaining to IBAC if it fits their remit (and inaction is not likely corruption) OR you complain to VicPol and they presumably investigate themselves. That's not that surprising given the quality of the people running the state.

I would think publicly outing them might help. Their inaction has led to not one, but two people buying stolen vehicles that were reported as stolen, one of them even registered again. How can that be when there is likely some 'task force' regarding vehicle rebirthing and some states have even killed off the insurance salvage industry in an attempt to stop it.

The scrap industry supposedly has laws preventing them paying cash for cars on random trailers. If this 'wrecker' is in that business and bought them from someone as opposed to perpetrating the theft themselves, they should be able to point the finger at someone. If they were behind the theft, then they might just send anything leftover to the crusher immediately. However, it doesn't sound like they are in any rush given these cars were stolen almost a year ago now.

Is it an A Current Affair moment???
 
David S said:
Is it an A Current Affair moment???
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I'm a fairly private person, and don't like airing my dirty laundry in public, but Im willing to try anything that gets results.

6 that arrived I know of 4 that were sold. I am presuming more cars went through him, but thats the line of enquiry I was hoping the police could follow to find the seller, and possibly where the empty containers ended up.

The police need a shipping container taskforce, I hear of these being stolen at an alarming rate.
 
vivid said:
I'm a fairly private person, and don't like airing my dirty laundry in public, but Im willing to try anything that gets results.

6 that arrived I know of 4 that were sold. I am presuming more cars went through him, but thats the line of enquiry I was hoping the police could follow to find the seller, and possibly where the empty containers ended up.

The police need a shipping container taskforce, I hear of these being stolen at an alarming rate.
Click to expand...
My advice based on experience is to not go to the media. I really wouldn't. Get a lawyer, definitely. Really sorry about your predicament, I find it incredible that an old car gets stolen, sold on and then registered, like it's just routine.
 
I’m astonished the police aren’t going after an easy collar given Vivid has done the investigation for them.
 
They have different imperatives. Stolen cars are usually recorded just so you can take the report to your insurance agency. They don't actively look for them. I know that from a police officer. My guess is, they won't do anything even if you give them details such as those unearthed in this thread as long as they don't see a certainty in a verdict in court. Even then, like I said, because this (car stealing) is a rather low importance crime, they won't be in a hurry to do anything. Unfortunate, but that's how I see it from my limited experience.

I would try to contact the registration authority that has registered the vehicles sold and see what they say. Maybe they'll do something. But I am pretty sure they'll ask for a police report to show that you have alerted the police to the theft so have that on hand. Come to think of it, for anything to be conclusive you might have to prove that the cars are positively identified, which means yu would probably need to go see the current owners, and take pictures of VINs or something. Short of that, if you have proof of ownership and that includes VIN numbers that coincide with the current numbers recorded against the new registration, you might have a chance. That still won't be definitive proof that you own the cars and indeed that these are the same cars you own(ed). But at least you should be able to prove you are not some loony who sold the cars and now wants them back (for free, potentially).
 
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Vivid,
I have had the same problems of police inaction.
Fire Arms offences by neighbours shooting into my property and destroying cars.
50 stud Merino Ultra fine sheep stolen, tagged
150 X bred sheep tagged stolen.
Local police did nothing.
I eventually found in Cooma the wool had been sold at my wool broker, he knew the wool by sight.
So there was a clear trail to the theft and the person put their name to invoice.
Janice Denny c/o Tantawanglo lane .Tantawanglo.2550.

However if i had been growing two plants of dope i would have the pigs around in a minute.

Shots were fire in my daughter's direction.
Subsequently i loath police.

I read all these posts and my sympathy goes out to you and in part relive the pain.
Going to the kitchen, need a vodka.

Kindest regards,
Berridale.
 
Country police can be quite inactive and then you get a keen sergeant sent up from the city and all changes. There are very few police in the country and most small stations are unmanned. At night there are large areas with no police at all.
Illegal shooting is dangerous. Years ago I stopped it around our farm by making a fuss with the police and taking private legal action against some offenders. It's bad in some districts that attract deer shooters. The law is clear and police powers extensive but sometimes not used.
Stock thieves are sly and clever, well organized and no doubt assisted by crooked agents. Never seen or detected. Used to have a Stock Squad in Victoria Police. You never see your stock again. I now have cameras along certain parts of the boundary.
If Vivid's thieves are ever caught they will argue that they thought the containers/ cars were abandoned which will work with the courts and they will be let go with no restitution or real penalty. The police know that and that's probably why they can't be bothered.
 
Well this is all just unacceptable to me. Things need to change, so I think I've found a new calling.

People think that the laws protect us from theft, it turns out laws protect our insurance policies against theft.

This (in my mind) is just another example of corruption that penetrates our whole system, wreckers, repairers, and insurance companies.
Those that end up paying are those that don't have the resources to defend themselves.

Where are the advocacy groups? Support groups? Is anyone lobbying for change?

I'm almost convinced now my best cause of action is to buy the remaining cars myself, and go to the media.
Without a satisfactory result, I figure at this point I have little to lose taking it to the media.

I will make it my life mission if I have to, its a bit like education when your kids or grandkids are out of school (or are a teacher)
"It's no longer my problem".

If precedence needs to be set, I'm not afraid to attempt to sue the police for their inaction.
I wouldn't expect a result but I'll be more than happy to make some noise if it helps the situation for others in the future.

Berridale said:
Shots were fire in my daughter's direction.
Subsequently i loath police.
Click to expand...

This is hardly a good outcome either. I admit I'm a bit jaded too.

I have a fair amount of experience with country cops now, and I agree with Russels sentiment about inactive country police.
I guess in their case its mostly about resource management, and at first just saying no to everything.

They are 'another level' down here.
A story I heard recently was about a 'caught theif' in a Tasmanian country town, taken out on a boat and tied to a cray pot (threatening their life) while the copper looks on from the shore, just to make sure no one dies.
 
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