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belfast1949 · 06-21-2022, 02:54 PM

I live in Canada and stored our 2017 Newmar BayStar just across the border in WA state (WA tags). When not travelling I would cross the border each month to check in on the rig stored in a secured storage facility. Covid shut the border down and ended that practice so it was a full two years of not taking care of the RV. Sometime in summer of 2021 our rig was stolen from the lot. Papers/signatures were forged and our rig was sold to an unsuspecting buyer off an RV dealer lot.

The theft was not discovered until this April when the border was reopened without testing restrictions. Needless to say I was gobsmacked to discover our beloved rig was not there. I went immediately to the police station to file a report and the clerk checked the VIN and told me I was not the owner and the current owners lived down the road just past Seattle. The police tracked the paper trail and it went from thief (meth head) to broker, to RV dealer in Fife, to the new owners in Yelm. Ferndale police were great, thorough, prompt and professional. Thief is in jail. They are looking at the broker to determine his involvement in the fraud but think the RV dealer bought it in good faith as did the present owners.

The great news is that Progressive Insurance were a dream to work with. Professional, caring, thorough and prompt. I now have my settlement in hand. The amount was fair. Would still love to be the owners of our Newmar but this is not too bad a consolation prize. Not sure where we go from here as this might be the end of our 7 year motorhome adventure. Perhaps time to move on to some other form of travel in another part of the world.

We have loved it...and have zero regrets. If I had it to do over again would have invested in a wheel lock but never in my wildest did I envision it stolen off the lot.
We lost some personal effects that are not replaceable but c'est la vie.

bigb56 · 06-21-2022, 03:00 PM

Wow what a story! We have actually heard of sticks & Bricks homes being sold out from under their owners with forgeries and in one case I read about it was nearly impossible for the victim to convince authorities and she ended up doing most of the investigating and legwork herself before the authorities would finally step in.
Out of curiosity who is getting stuck with the bill? I'm sure the insurance company wants their money back from someone, will it be the dealer or will they take the RV back from the unfortunate buyer?
Glad to hear you were made whole again, well almost whole.

Sgt B · 06-21-2022, 03:02 PM

Wow, what a story!! Can't trust a damn sole these days, no moral's at all left in this country. Sad! Don't give up on RV-ing though.

Backcountry1 · 06-21-2022, 03:12 PM

Wow is that a horrible and heartbreaking thing to come back to. But atleast the authorities and the insurance came through for you without issues. Did you have the title in the rig? I can’t see how the broker would have bought the coach unsuspectingly without a title in hand, and the few times I’ve had to do title work at the DMV I’ve always had to show ID to prove I was the owner of the title.

In all my vehicles I never leave the title, registration, or insurance information in them. I have pictures of them on my phone in case I need to show them to authorities. Only once did I have an officer give me a hard time for not having physical paperwork on hand. I told the officer I don’t leave personal information in my vehicle in case it gets stolen, for identify theft purposes. I never thought about someone being able to sell it legit easily if they stole it.

twogypsies · 06-21-2022, 03:38 PM

Amazing and heartbreaking story! Good news is that Progressive Insurance came through for you. Best of luck in your new endeavors.

Pointerman · 06-21-2022, 03:49 PM

Not a great storage facility. I know that the place I store my RV comes by and notes each rigs presence a couple of times per week. After yours is not there for a couple of weeks they give you a call to make sure everything is OK.

I added a solar powered GPS tracking device to the roof of my coach after my last one was stolen from a repair shop.

TJFogelberg · 06-21-2022, 03:54 PM

It is crazy, of course in hindsight, we can see steps we should all take with theft a real possibility.

Had the buyer insisted on seeing original purchase documents, might not have been able to pull off.

They must have requested a duplicate title? How on earth did they do that without photo ID?

We have progressive ins co, hope we never have to use it.

On the toad, I carry a cheap steering wheel lock and use it at every stop. (Walmart carries them for less than $25). It's a deterrent.

wjl7727 · 06-21-2022, 04:50 PM

Wow? What a devastating discovery. Happy you were able to collect from the insurance company. I guess secure storage is not so secure. Since I store my coach at "secure" storage facility I should consider additional deterrents. Wish you the best in your future endeavors.

outlawten5 · 06-21-2022, 04:58 PM

With covid our local DMV encourages online transactions

jrollf · 06-21-2022, 06:51 PM

When I hear of thefts and illegal resale like this, I always wonder did anyone ever make the supposided "owner" prove who they are?

To get a replacement title DMV is supposed to require an ID and proof of registered address.

The RV Lot is also to verify ID, and this is more than "looking" at a driver's license. The ID is supposed to be verified with the issuing state before it is accepted, for this exact reason.

Many failures along the way to allow someone to steal and scam a dealer into reselling a vehicle...

jrollf · 06-21-2022, 07:01 PM

Another thought, kind of surprised OP didn't get the RV back. I know of many cases in the US where a car was stolen and sold, sometimes even sold a few times, the police took the car from the person who thought they owned it and gave it back to the original owner or insurance if a loss claim was paid out.

In the articles I've read they all basically said regardless of whom has it or how they got it, the vehicle is still "stolen" and not in possession by the legal owner. The only recourse the "buyer" of the stolen vehicle is to go after the person/entity that sold them stolen vehicle (and up the chain if resold a few times).

bigb56 · 06-21-2022, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrollf

Another thought, kind of surprised OP didn't get the RV back. I know of many cases in the US where a car was stolen and sold, sometimes even sold a few times, the police took the car from the person who thought they owned it and gave it back to the original owner or insurance if a loss claim was paid out.

In the articles I've read they all basically said regardless of whom has it or how they got it, the vehicle is still "stolen" and not in possession by the legal owner. The only recourse the "buyer" of the stolen vehicle is to go after the person/entity that sold them stolen vehicle (and up the chain if resold a few times).

My understanding is that once 30 days passes with a stolen vehicle not being recovered you have the option of settling for payment instead of taking the vehicle back when/if it is recovered.

LMHS · 06-21-2022, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pointerman

... I added a solar powered GPS tracking device to the roof of my coach after my last one was stolen from a repair shop.

Can you tell me more about the tracking device? Where did you get it, etc? Is there a monthly fee for monitoring?

NXR · 06-21-2022, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LMHS

Can you tell me more about the tracking device? Where did you get it, etc? Is there a monthly fee for monitoring?

Another option is available if you keep a cellular hotspot installed in the RV as we do. Each cellular hotspot has its own real phone number and many even have a GPS. That phone number is either on the box or available from its display or admin web interface.

I keep the hotspot's phone number in my Contacts on my cell phone. If the motorhome gets stolen the cops can track it using the hotspot phone number as it checks into different towers.

Ray