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Message started by jandaso on 10/17/11 at 13:07:51

Title: My Bike is Back
Post by jandaso on 10/17/11 at 13:07:51

Just wanted to say hello to everybody and that the cs1 and other projects are looking really good. Unfortunately 4 months ago my bike was stolen but yesterday the Atlanta Police Departmet called me giving me the good news that they have recovered my bike!!! Good News!!! So I went to get the release papers to get the bike from the impound and also got the police report. The police report said that the guy who had my bike drop it at his mom's house (keep in mind this guy is 42 years old). His mom after noticing the bike called the cops and reported the bike at her house (you know what happened next) The guy is still out there but a warrant isis out there for him as well.

The bad part: I went to the impound and there she was! But not looking the same. The guy ate the whole back tire doing burnouts, "Hotwire" the bike, dropped the bike both sides, ripped the seat, etc... I will post pictures.

I will go ahead and take my previous project to the next level and get the kit and rebuild the bike from the ground up.

Can I do something legally to this guy since he basically destroyed the bike? Just off the bat I had to spend 139 dollars to take her out the impound.

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/17/11 at 13:09:45

Yes, sue him,, file a civil suit, maybe small claims court, of course, the odds of getting anything out of a LOSER arent too good,, Most lawyers will give a 1 time chat,, get some free advice..

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by splash07 on 10/17/11 at 13:15:18

26393F3825221323132B39357E4C0 wrote:

Yes, sue him,, file a civil suit, maybe small claims court, of course, the odds of getting anything out of a LOSER arent too good,, Most lawyers will give a 1 time chat,, get some free advice..

+1

always a good idea to consult with a lawyer, and most will do the first consult for free.

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by babyhog on 10/17/11 at 13:15:20

Well thats good! And bad...

At least you already have the police report and they handled the recovery, so surely it shouldn't be hard to prove fault. But since he had to resort to theft, I agree with JOG, you probably aren't gonna get much out of him. Your insurance company may be able to help you decide what route to take. Talk with your agent.

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by Ed L. on 10/17/11 at 13:32:09

With any luck your insurance will pay for the repairs on the bike and then go after the butt head who stole it to get thier money back. It can't hurt giving them a call.

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/17/11 at 13:55:16

Some states allow for wages to be garnished, iof he gets probation, one of his requirements will be to get a JOB,, Im sure his mom would like that, too.

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by Jerry Eichenberger on 10/20/11 at 06:08:27

As a lawyer, but not one admitted to practice in Georgia, let me chime in.

First, assuming you have insurance on the bike, that's the best and fastest way to get it repaired properly. Let a good shop at a good dealer to it first rate.

Suing anyone for less than a couple of grand is a waste of time. You'll make repeated court appearances, take off of work to do so, and generally spin your wheels ( no pun intended ) with little to no chance of recovery.

Assuming you get a judgment against this guy, then you have to collect it - more time wasted trying to garnish wages ( assuming he has a job to begin with ).

Just another reason to always have your property properly insured.

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by RidgeRunner13 on 10/20/11 at 07:00:57

For years I carried nothing but liability insurance on my Savage, thinking that at it's age & value it wasn't worth full coverage. Then my carrier hit me with a price increase I thought was ridiculous. :o

I went insurance shopping & found I could get full coverage for far less than I had been paying for liability only. I have a "declared " value of $2000 with full coverage & roadside assistance for $108 a year with Foremost now. 8-) The lizard had gone to over $150 just for liability. >:(

I know this may not help you now but someone else may be able to profit from my experience. :)

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by Fish on 10/20/11 at 08:06:14

You have to pay to get your stolen vehicle out of impound? Talk about adding insult to injury. Jeeze.

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/20/11 at 16:11:01

4F607A61090 wrote:

You have to pay to get your stolen vehicle out of impound? Talk about adding insult to injury. Jeeze.

Seems likie they could at least tack that onto the penalty imposed on the thief,,

Jerry,, thanks for that input,, I am now a bit wiser,,

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by Fish on 10/20/11 at 17:50:49

I definitely agree with that.

That's the kicker though.
It all comes down to money.
They know they can get the money from the owner, because he wants his bike back.
They figure it's unlikely to get money from a thief on the run.

Money rules all.

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by RidgeRunner13 on 10/20/11 at 20:03:20

66495348200 wrote:

Don't blame it on the towing service, they're just doing their job. When they get the call, which may well be in the middle of the night, all they know is they're picking up a motorcycle. The LEOs don't tell you it's a stolen recovery until after you get there.

They still have a truck, driver, fuel, insurance, building, impound yard & various permits to pay for. It's hard to make a profit these days even charging what seems like an extremely high price for the service given the overhead.

I used to be in the towing & recovery business before that overhead forced me to quit. The joys of having to deal with a just released drunk trying to get their vehicle back..... let's just say I don't miss that at all! And that is not the worst part of the job. :-[

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by Fish on 10/20/11 at 21:42:16

I was thinking a police impound lot.
Didn't think about how there aren't really any police tow trucks, forgot about the civilian aspect of all that.

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by RidgeRunner13 on 10/20/11 at 22:01:15

Some cities do have police tow trucks & impound lots, most don't.
Many have more than one local tow service working on a rotation basis. The tow services usualy have to pay a fee to be on the rotation schedule. Their impound lot has to meet certain stadards & may be licensed by the state, county, & even city. Guess what, more fees to pay.
The tow trucks may also have to be licensed, beyond the normal registration fees we all pay.

The more companies on rotation, the harder it is to pay expenses since you get fewer tows. I gave up when my town had 5 companies on rotation, 3 from out of town. One week in five won't pay the overhead, & insurance for the trucks & yard is outrageous.

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by JohnBoy on 10/20/11 at 23:51:55

3D363933362438570 wrote:

Can I do something legally to this guy since he basically destroyed the bike?

Why not invite him to go fishing...out past the three mile limit ;)

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by built2last66 on 10/21/11 at 06:44:05

I hate motorcycle thieves (unless it's called for like you're running from the Terminator or space aliens).

I hope you get it taken care of.

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by jandaso on 10/21/11 at 17:47:34

i had liability only. I prob wont get money back from the thieve but at least i got my motorcycle back. I cant expect a lot from a 42 year old guy that was turned in to the cops by his mother!!....i just hope he lives a miserable life. (i shouldnt be saying that)

im on the process of the ryca kit, getting a bigger piston, cams etc.. so by that time i need full cover! i dont want to invest a lot of time on the bike for a ..... to come and steal it. i will have to shop for a cheap insurace, I know the lizard is just to expensive and progressive es another one that quoted me a lot of money.

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by jandaso on 10/22/11 at 11:42:14

This is the person who had my stolen bike when it was recovered.
Maybe he is in this forum.

http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m638/jandaso/c40aaf39.jpg

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by built2last66 on 10/22/11 at 12:35:57

Are you from GA?

http://www.bustedmugshots.com/georgia/marietta/joseph-keith-melton/25571621

http://www.bustedmugshots.com/image/get/listing/mug-shot-25571621.jpg

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by built2last66 on 10/22/11 at 12:41:09

Also, how and where was your bike stolen? Was the steering column or anything locked?

Title: Re: My Bike is Back
Post by jandaso on 10/22/11 at 13:37:01

It was not lock. It was in a parking deck in Atlanta. It was stolen arpone 4-6am