Junkyards enabling car thefts

[sgrizzle]

http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0407/417093.html

quote:Tulsa - A new car theft scheme is becoming a big problem. Thieves are taking older cars right from owners' driveways right to the scrap yard -- and they're getting paid for it because you don't need a title to sell a car if it's more than ten years old. Right now, most salvage yards are paying more than one hundred dollars per ton for a car. Five years ago, it was about 40 dollars.

I know two people who have had older cars stolen. I think I know why now..

This needs to be changed. ASAP.

[Steve]

I agree.  I saw that story yesterday on Ch. 8.  I drive a 14 year old Oldsmobile 98 (I'm the original owner) that still looks brand new and only has 53,000 miles on it. (I don't drive much.) Makes me think twice about parking it and securing it at my home, since I don't have a lockable garage, only an attached carport.

[sgrizzle]

You just made me feel bad about having 91,000 miles on my '03.

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

You just made me feel bad about having 91,000 miles on my '03.

I'm definately an exception.  Mine's a 1993 Olds 98 Regency Elite, I special-ordered it from Dean Bailey in Jan. '93.  Just checked the odometer, it says 52,842!  I ordered it with every option on the books except the engine block heater.  Stickered for $32,000 back in '93; I have had more than a few offers to buy it from me in recent days, but I am keeping the old gal.

I think any car seller should be required to have a valid title, regardless of the car age.  And perhaps scrap dealers should be required to hold the car for 5-10 days before destroying it.  As it stands now, less than 24 hours after an older car is stolen, it can be reduced to a block of unrecognizeable scrap.  

[cannon_fodder]

The only problem with requiring titles for all is the car that sits in a field for 30 years.  If you needed a title it would nearly be impossible to scrap that out - condemning the 2 tons of steel to waste.

A betters solution would be requiring an ownership affidavit with the VIN number and proof of ID  - OR - a title to sell a car for scrap for CHECKS only.  That way a thief would be deterred from trying the scheme and have a possibility of getting caught when the VIN is reported as stolen.  If a scrap yard isnt keeping track of VINs and crushing cars that still runs, its probably knowingly engaged in illegal activity and should be shut down anyway.

[sgrizzle]

I like those ideas, here are a few others:

• Waiting list (a week or so)
• Stolen vehicles check
• No payment on untitled vehicles until waiting period ends

[Wrinkle]

Seems the Tag Agency should be the enabling entity, not some guy running a claw.

Even older cars without titles should receive some document from the Tag Agency before a scrapper is allowed to crush.

Besides, lost title fees would be good for the State.

VIN registry is surely maintained. Flagging a stolen vehicle should be about 7 secs of work.

This seems another example of legislation-enabling crime.

[Conan71]

That story made me shudder.  I guess I'll quit leaving the Shelby GT 500 parked in the street at night.  I'd like to at least think someone would try to get $500 out of it instead of $200[]

No, seriously, my truck is a '98 model and in a couple of years, it could wind up in such a scam.  You would think a junk yard that was suddenly winding up with a string of cars from someone w/o a dealer or salvage license would get a clue.

I really don't care what kind of hard-ship some might think it would cause for scrappers.  Most legit salvors can get a rebuilder or salvage title for $10-$20.  A legit salvage yard would seldom show up at the crusher with a complete car.  Most of the salvage guys I know would send something to the crusher that looked like a pack of locusts had just finished feeding off it. [}:)]

Scrap metal prices has gotten a lot of tweakers and pot heads off their dead asses.  There's rarely a day goes by we aren't missing some steel or copper off our lot at work in west Tulsa.

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

Scrap metal prices have gotten a lot of tweakers and pot heads off their dead asses.  There's rarely a day goes by we aren't missing some steel or copper off our lot.

The rental house next door to me had all the copper plumbing pipes stripped and stolen last year, due to rising copper prices.  Fortunately, that house has now been repaired, restored, and is finally owner-occupied after 20 years.

With the ever-increasing cost of new cars, people like myself are keeping their autos for longer periods of time.  Scrap metal prices going up, all this is only more incentive for thieves.  No title required for a car over 10 years old is just plain stupid in these times.
 

[Conan71]

Steve, if memory serves me correct from previous discussions, you are in Florence Park and I'm in "faux" Florence Park across 15th.  I've lived on the same block of Gary Place twice.  Once was from '89 to '93 and the second time is the last two years, almost to the day.

I'm really not used to hearing about crime this time around, but copper and other metals will bring out the weirdest people in the most unexpected places.  [:O]

The first time, there was a small crackerbox rent house two houses over which never looked like it fit the neighborhood.  The woman who was the lesee had a daughter who would roam the street freely talking about the "diamonds" her mother's boyfriend was making in their kitchen.  Needless to say, that house was vacant within a couple of months after she told me I could (or should) buy diamonds there.  Uh, along with their scabby biker friends, I'm sure.  I figured I'd be in a lot less trouble if I just bought them at Moody's a few blocks away. []

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

Steve, if memory serves me correct from previous discussions, you are in Florence Park and I'm in "faux" Florence Park across 15th.  

No, I live on 26th Street, just east of Yale in the Lortondale addition.  Not far from you.  All the houses in my neighborhood were built on slab foundations, with galvanized steel pipes in the slab; over the years most all homes have been replumbed with copper pipe, rerouted through walls, closets, etc., so there is easy access to the copper pipes.  Our homes were built in 1954, when there was still a copper shortage from the Korean War.
The rental house next door to me east was a drug dealer house for about 6 months last year.  The sheriff finally evicted them, but they or their cohorts came back and vandalized the house, stripping all the copper plumbing and trashing the house.  Fortunately, the property owner did a fine job of restoring the home and it is now owner-occupied for the first time in 20 years.  There is a god, after all.

[AMP]

Old news....

Saws All the Catalytic Converter off and it brings $40 to $150 depending on the size.  

Alloy Wheels and decent tires bring around $40 to $50 depending on the size.  

There is an Auto Repo Yard I visited not to long ago and out of 360 vehicles he had in storage limbo over 200 had suffered from having the catalytic convertor sawed off.  About 50 were missing radios.  

Car Crushers will take any vehicle no matter the age.  They just crush em up and pay cash.

The Precious Metal Vampires are prevelant everywhere.

[Radio]

We are experienceing real issues with people climbing our towers and stealing the copper waveguide, and on a smaller scale the coax.

Some of the towers have round waveguide, that weighs in at 3.5 lbs a foot, solid round tube, no jacket.  200 foot tower with four dishes,
can clear over 12k for less than a days stealing.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by Radio

We are experienceing real issues with people climbing our towers and stealing the copper waveguide, and on a smaller scale the coax.

Some of the towers have round waveguide, that weighs in at 3.5 lbs a foot, solid round tube, no jacket.  200 foot tower with four dishes,
can clear over 12k for less than a days stealing.

Wow, long time, no see.

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

You just made me feel bad about having 91,000 miles on my '03.

nah dont worry, he has 60k miles on his horse and buggy...

(just razzin him about the anti-cell phone remarks in another thread)