Question about firearms in the vehicle and wrecks

[Electrician Mike]

I have to agree with peanut on this one. I have never personally had a car impounded, but have been along while picking up friends cars where stuff was missing. Once (many years ago) a running car was impounded for street racing. When we went to pick it up the next day the carb and ignition box was missing.

 

[okiebryan]

If a wrecker service impounds a running vehicle, and when you come in to get it, parts are missing that makes it not driveable, I would call the police and file a report. Then I would file a claim against the insurance of the wrecker service. That's pretty damn cut and dried. All state impound operators are required to carry garagekeeper's insurance to protect the vehicle while in their custody.

I hate hearing that some wrecker services have people working there who are dishonest. All I can say is that in the years I've had mine, nothing has EVER come up missing from a car.

Now, after the car has not been picked up for 30 days, we file for title 42 and the car and everything in it is mine to dispose of as I see fit. Most things of value, I sell on eBay, and the car goes to auction at Copart. Any proceeds get credited to the towing and storage bill. Any outstanding balance gets sent to collections.

 

[Electrician Mike]

This happened over 20 years ago. Tulsa police was called. We were told they wouldnt do anything about it because the car had been impounded for street racing. My friend just paid the fine and went on.
I am glad to hear you run a honest wrecker service, I as well run a very honest electrical business. Unfortunatly there are dishonest people everywhere which gives us all a bad rep.

 

[kinggabby]

I'm sorry that you have had a bad experience, but your characterization that your property has disappeared "several times", I highly doubt. I run a wrecker service myself, and I have never had so much as a pack of smokes come up missing. My impound is locked and alarmed, and has cameras. Please remember when you post things like this, that Oklahoma gun people work in many varied lines of work, and slamming an entire industry because you had a bad experience is patently unfair.

Truth be told, I've seen more than a few occasions where people totaled their vehicle, then released it to the insurance company without coming to the impound to clean out their stuff. The salvage pool is not legally responsible to anyone but the insurer, and the car gets cleaned out. Then they point fingers at the tow company. Guess the point here is to clean out your car BEFORE you release it to insurance.

I've had many cars come in with guns. They get unloaded and stored in the safe until the registered owner of the car contacts me. After 60 days with no contact, they become mine by law, but that's never happened so far.

I commend you on running an honest business. But just because you do does not mean property theft does not happen at other places. And as much as I hate to say it but i think it is a matter of time before you end up with a dishonest employee. I just hope when it happens you catch it early.

 

[Double Tap]

Bryan...I don’t want to get into a fight here, however when a car gets impounded, it is up to LE to do the inventory which the suspect and/or accident victim do not get to view or sign to confirm. IN the little towns and counties 90% of the time they do not get done at all. So let’s say your car is impounded for something (Fail to comply with compulsory insurance law) Can you PROVE what your car looked like before it was towed? Can you PROVE what was inside the car, how much change was in the ashtray? If the unpaid reserve who hasn’t even been to reserve school yet, leaves your Kimber TLE II off the inventory, when you get back to the department or SO looking for it and swearing it was there, their “official” position will be that “it wasn’t on the inventory, do you have any proof it was in there?”

 

[henschman]

And that is where you would file a civil suit.

But be careful... there is only a 1-year statute of limitations when suing any part of the state government.

 

[vvvvvvv]

Bryan...I don’t want to get into a fight here, however when a car gets impounded, it is up to LE to do the inventory which the suspect and/or accident victim do not get to view or sign to confirm. IN the little towns and counties 90% of the time they do not get done at all. So let’s say your car is impounded for something (Fail to comply with compulsory insurance law) Can you PROVE what your car looked like before it was towed? Can you PROVE what was inside the car, how much change was in the ashtray? If the unpaid reserve who hasn’t even been to reserve school yet, leaves your Kimber TLE II off the inventory, when you get back to the department or SO looking for it and swearing it was there, their “official” position will be that “it wasn’t on the inventory, do you have any proof it was in there?”

This.

I had an issue with an area enforcement agency where a very valuable item was inventoried as a similar looking item. When they called to inform me that they had recovered my stolen vehicle, they asked me over the phone about a couple of the more valuable items in the car. At the time, I didn't know to not answer their questions over the phone, but according to them I forfeited the device in question when I responded that I did not own a handheld GPS device (it was a handheld audio analyzer - and they hadn't binned it yet when I picked up the car so I knew for certain that it was mislabeled). I spent months getting the run around between the PD that I filed the stolen vehicle report, the recovering PD, the Sheriff, and a DA that wanted nothing to do with it or the stolen vehicle, so I eventually gave up.

 

[shelshy]

I'd like to know who the said "part-time Warr Acres cop" that drives a tow truck is. Having worked with those guys, I'm pretty sure none of the drive wreckers....

 

[Crosstimbers Okie]

Back in 1998 I had a wreck in Edmond. The traffic officer who responded asked me not to shoot him when I showed him my CCW. End of story.

 

[hnbanks]

Im sure the medics don't care if there is a weapon. Just hope nobody steals it while your unconscious.