stolen bike which has been sold on?

antgirl
antgirl Posts: 2
edited August 2008 in Road stolen
If a stolen bike is sold on by someone who didn't know it was stolen, what are the legal ins and outs? And if it was sold on via a classified ads website, what are the implications?

This is my stolen bike I'm asking about.

Comments

  • Felix-da-house-mouse
    Felix-da-house-mouse Posts: 801
    get the feds involved asap. i think it goes regardless if you know its stolen when they bought it, i believe the police will seize it and the funds will not be re-imbursed definately not by you. i think the new buyer will have to persue it through the seller. but i may be wrong. (not the 1st time)
    felix's bike

    pedal like you stole something!!!
  • schlepcycling
    schlepcycling Posts: 1,614
    I agree with Felix, as I understand it if you buy a bike that you know is stolen then you risk being charged for receiving stolen property, however if you buy a bike in good faith and it then turns out to be stolen(and the police can't prove you knew it was stolen) then the police can take it away from you to reunite with the rightful owner and you are left out of pocket for whatever you've spent. I'm sure one of our lawyer friends will be along in a minute to tell me that's boll*cks.
    'Hello to Jason Isaacs'
  • timbooth
    timbooth Posts: 160
    I am not sure who "the feds" are in the UK (?!) but stolen goods will be reunited with the rightful owner, where ownership can be proved.

    That means that the unsuspecting buyer loses out and then should pursue the seller of said stolen goods through the courts for their money back (if they bought stolen goods themselves).

    This information has come from a friend who lost a car that he bought in good faith, when the police came and took it away. He wasn't prosecuted, but lost his car and his £7,000. I don't think he ever got the vendor to court.
  • Aidanw
    Aidanw Posts: 449
    I got a bike that was subsequently found to be stolen and the officer I dealt with said if the owner was found the bike would be returned to them, but I would not be left out of pocket. This was by phone and none of the e-mails confirmed this. Unfortunately for the original owner they were never found, what I don't know is what happens if I now sell the bike. The copper said it was okay to sell but i had to inform the purchaser that it had been stolen in the past, I am not sure if they could then have the the bike removed from them or if ownership is now mine (after the few years I have had the bike).

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