Call Your Car Insurance Company
After the police, your auto insurer should be your next call. Make sure to have a copy of your police report handy. Note that in some instances, you may not be able to make an insurance claim without a police report. An insurer may ask for additional details such as contact information for anyone who had access to the vehicle and the location of all car keys.
Be aware, not all auto insurance policies offer coverage for a stolen vehicle.
Only policies with comprehensive insurance, which pays out for most incidents except a car crash, will cover a stolen vehicle. If you have minimum coverage only, your carrier wont reimburse you.
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What To Expect Ifyour Stolen Car Is Recovered
Make sure the police are aware.If the police did not find your car, make sure you call them first to let them know your car has been recovered. Your vehicle was likely entered into the National Crime Information Center when it was reported stolen. Only the police can remove the stolen status, so make sure you let them know you have your car back, or you could find yourself being pulled over and suspected of driving a stolen vehicle.
Have your vehicle cleaned.Many opportunistic auto thieves are heavily involved in the use of drugs, such as methamphetamine or heroin. These thieves may use your car as a place to smoke, use drugs, eat, sleep and otherwise live. The thieves may leave garbage, body fluid, and drug paraphernalia in the vehicle. You will want to have your car cleaned once it is recovered.
and inform them your car has been recovered.
Will My Premiums Go Up If My Car Is Stolen
In all likelihood, yes you can probably expect the cost of your insurance to rise the next time your policy is up for renewal if you make a stolen car claim. A stolen car will also be logged on the Motor Insurance Anti-Fraud and Theft Register , which could affect how much providers charge you for your premium.
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File An Insurance Claim
If the stolen car gets recovered but is damaged or declared a total loss, your comprehensive insurance can be used to fix or replace it.
Only about half of stolen vehicles are recovered, so theres a good chance that you wont get your car back. In that case, your comprehensive insurance will reimburse you for the cars actual cash value , which is what it was worth at the time that it was stolen.
For leased or financed cars, the settlement will be paid to your lender or lessor. If there is a balance remaining on your loan or lease after your insurance pays out, then you will need gap insurance in order to avoid paying for a car that you no longer have.
What Happens If My Car Is Stolen While Im Still Paying Finance
Your car has been stolen & youre still paying finance. The first thing to do is not panic. Take a look here for what you should do next.
What should I do if my car is stolen? First things first, lets have a look at what you need to do if your car is stolen. May seem obvious, call the police and call your insurer, right? Well, yes, but theres a bit more to it than that. And we suspect that if youve never had the pleasure of being the victim of a car thief, youll have no idea! So, if you walk outside to where your car should be, and find an empty space instead, first make sure your wife/husband/child hasnt taken it without you knowing. If they havent, you should call the police and report it stolen. If its not an emergency, which is probably wont be, dont use 999 use 101 instead. When you get through, ask for your local police station. Of course, if you believe it is an emergency, use 999.
Have the car details to hand, like the registration, make, model and colour. If there are any modifications that would make it stand out, such as spoilers or unusual alloys, tell the police about those too.
The police will give you a crime reference number. Make a note of this, as youll need it when you call your finance and insurance companies to report your car stolen. The police will inform the DVLA of the theft, and if your car is found again, so you dont have to worry about that.
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Call Every Cab Company When Your Car Is Stolen
Cab drivers can help trace your stolen cars, trucks and vehicles. Whatever the situation is, calling all the cab companies in the area where your stolen car is left running or parking is definitely a good option to find your stolen car.
Taxi drivers seriously outnumber police, thus increasing the chances of finding your missing car. Besides, you should give enough reward, such as $100, to the taxi driver who finds your stolen car.
The reward is an incentive to encourage more people to join your stolen vehicle search team, which increases the possibility of recovering your stolen car.
File A Report With The Police
As soon as you realize your car may have been stolen, it’s important to file a report with the police. You can file a police report by calling your local department’s non-emergency number. Some police departments have an online crime-reporting portal.
Acting quickly to report the theft can get the ball rolling with other processes, such as your insurance company opening a claim. Your insurance company may not be able to help you until after the theft is reported to law enforcement.
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No Its Been Towed Away
Firstly, you need to find out where your car has been towed too. To do this, you can contact the non-emergency number 101, or go to your local police station. They should have records of your car, and which impound site it may have been taken too. Once youre there, you will need to pay a release fee to recover your car. You may also need to pay a separate penalty if your car was illegally parked.
Rule Out All Other Options
When you go and see that your vehicle is not where you remembered it to be, panic is most likely the first result of the realization. However, keeping calm and ruling out all other options is your best bet. There are plenty of possibilities that could have happened other than GTA.
There is a very high possibility that your vehicle was towed. While this doesnt seem like a good solution, at least you can rest assured knowing your vehicle can still be returned to you. Calling towing locations to see if your vehicle had been picked up, or checking the surrounding area for signs that state towing will occur if parked.
There is also the possibility that you have forgotten where you have parked your vehicle. There are plenty of people who tend to forget where they parked, or remember where they parked the day before.
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What Happens When Your Car Is Stolen And Recovered
Last Updated on May 11, 2022 by Fair Punishment Team
No matter how well we try and prevent it, sometimes unfortunate situations such as a stolen car cant be helped!
So, if youve recently had your car or vehicle stolen and youre interested in what the recovery process might look like, or you simply want to make sure that youre prepared in the event that it does happen then rest assured that you have clicked on the right article because were here to lend you a helping hand!
To make sure that youre well aware of what will happen in the event that your car is stolen and then recovered again, we are going to be talking you through the process below so you know exactly what to expect.
In addition to that, well also be providing you with some additional information that will help you gain a clearer understanding of what happens in the instance of a stolen vehicle being recovered again. Read on!
Call The Police And File A Report
You should call the police within 24 hours of your car being stolen. When you file a police report after your car is taken, you will need your vehicles specific information. This may include your cars physical description , license plate number, and the vehicle identification number . You should also provide police with the specific date and time that the theft occurred.
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If You Have A Loan Contact Your Lender
If your car is financed, notify your lender as well. Its just a good idea to give them a heads up. But the bad news is that youll still have to make your payments.
Sorry to tell you that, but theft doesn’t affect what your bank is owed. Thats why lenders require that you purchase comprehensive and collision coverage. Your obligation to the financial institution ends only when the loan is repaid, whether you have a car in the driveway or not.
Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority
It doesnt matter what kind of car you drive, all vehicles are a potential target of theft. In the state of Texas over 65,000 cars and trucks are stolen and almost 200,000 are burglarized each year. Many jurisdictions report that keys left inside and doors unlocked are major factors in stolen and burglarized vehicles.
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What Should I Do If My Car Is Stolen
It may sound obvious, but check with towing companies before reporting your car stolen – it may just have been towed.
If your car has been stolen, tell the police. They’ll want to know the make, model, and registration number of your car, where and when you last saw it, and whether it was locked or alarmed. They’ll give you a file number to use in your claim. After that, you can report your claim online or by calling us on .
In straightforward cases, we wait about 10 days for the car to be recovered. If it’s not recovered during that time, we’ll pay you the listed on your , and we’ll work hard to help you get back on the road as quickly as possible.
What If The Insurance Paid For Your Stolen Car And It Is Now Found
If the insurance company paid for your stolen car, they now own it and can sell it if it is in good condition.
However, the insurance company will usually not change the title of the car to their name. This is often done to save money and to avoid the stress of transferring ownership of a car that may never be found.
If the police recover your stolen car, they will notify the registered owner, not the insurance company . If you don’t tell your insurance company or try to put the car back on insurance, they may not know it has been found.
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States With The Most Car Thefts
Automobile thefts are rising nationwide. In 2019, almost 800,000 cars were stolen. In 2020, that number rose to nearly 875,000. Some states, however, have been hit particularly hard by the rise in crime. Auto thefts have increased by more than 25% in 10 states over the last decade.
Change in automobile thefts by state 2010 – 2019| State |
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Contact Your Auto Insurance Company And Lender
This should be your very next move after the police. Call right after making the police report, advises Penny Gusner, consumer analyst with Insurance.com. If you wait, it may look suspicious.
If your car is financed, as noted, notify your lender as well. Its just a good idea, though, um, yeah, youll still have to make your payments. Sorry to tell you that, but theft doesnt affect what your bank is owed. Thats why lenders require that you purchase comprehensive and collision coverage. Your obligation to the financial institution ends only when the loan is repaid, whether you have a car in the driveway or not.
Even if you only carry liability, you should still call your insurance company, Gusner says, to protect yourself if the thief causes damages to other people or property with your vehicle. Typically, if you werent negligent, youre not responsible for damage caused by the thief.
When you contact your insurer, have the following information handy:
- Date and time of the theft
- Location of the vehicle
- Names and contact information for anyone who had access to the vehicle
- Detailed description of the car and its condition when it was stolen
- Contact information for your financing company if the car is financed
- Police report number
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Report Your Stolen Car To Your Leasing Or Financing Company
If your stolen vehicle is financed or leased, youll need to contact the financing or leasing company. In this scenario, the insurance company pays a claim out to the financing or leasing company and you’re no longer be liable for payments.
Have your financing or leasing company contact your insurer directly, so that the claims process moves quickly.
What Should You Do If You See A Car That You Suspect Was Stolen
Police do not recommend searching for your stolen vehicle, but if you do happen to sight your stolen car or a car you suspect is stolen, do not approach the vehicle or anyone within it.
Instead, contact police and inform them of the location and description of the vehicle , as well as of any people within it.
If you locate a car that looks like its been abandoned, contact police and do not touch the vehicle, so that any evidence can be preserved.
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They Can Use Your Vehicle Identification Number
Vehicle Identification Number, together with some other details of your car registration card, can be used to determine the ownership of your vehicle.
The thief can simply sell your car with the vehicle title since they can pass themselves off as the owner. When the time arrives, they might attempt to take it and lawfully sell it without leaving any indications of crime.
Find Your Stolen Car With Vin If Your Car Is Stolen
When your car is stolen, you can locate and find your stolen vehicle with the VIN number.
A vehicle identification number is a unique code used by vehicle industry to identify individual motor vehicles, towed vehicles, motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, etc. You can track a stolen car online with the vehicle identification number.
VIN not only helps you check if your car is stolen but also plays an important role on locating and finding your stolen car.
How to Find & Locate Your Stolen Car with VIN: Step-by-Step Guide
- Go to AutoCheck, and purchase a vehicle history report. The cost of the report will be between $30 and $40.
- Enter your vehicle identification number and credit card details on the vehicle history report search screen. You will see a chronological history of the places where your car was registered, titled and serviced. The last known registration or service should be the most recent location of your stolen vehicle. Thus you can narrow down the search range when your car is stolen, and get your car back fast.
- Contact the Police. They will help you trace down your stolen vehicle with the information you provide.
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What Happens If Your Car Is Stolen And Recovered
If your car is found, what happens next is a case-by-case scenario. If the car is retrieved, your auto insurance company will see if any damages are repairable and will cover the cost of repairs up to your comprehensive coverage limits. If the car is unrepairable when found, they will pay you out at actual cash value minus your deductible.
If your claim has been paid out before the car is recovered, it depends on your auto insurer. They may take ownership of the car to recoup their costs, or they may require you to return the claim payout.
As soon as you get your car back, you should inspect it for any damage or items inside that don’t belong to you.
What Happens If The Police Find Your Car
A high percentage of cars reported stolen are located, however they are often damaged or even burnt out beyond repair.
When a car reported stolen is located, police will make contact with the owner to let them know.
If the car hasnt been used in any further offences, the owner will normally be given the option of picking up the car or having it towed to their desired location.
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What Happens If Police Do Not Find Your Car
If the police cant find or recover your car, then if it is insured, your insurer will be able to settle the claim after a certain period.
Once the claim is settled, the insurance company effectively becomes the owner of the stolen car, so if the police find it following that period, they will surrender it to the relevant insurance company, which will then arrange to return it to you.
