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A classic car I bought has turned out to be stolen - where do I stand?
I bought a 1973 Corvette in June 2024 for the sum of £12,500. Before I bought it I carried out an HPI check which stated the car was not stolen. I also checked it out on .gov and it had been untaxed since 2022. The seller told me the previous owner stored the car in a rented garage and he had died in 2022 and the garage owner had to wait a long time before he could dispose of the contents of the garage. There was no V5C with the car so I applied for one in my name and address, which arrived in about 4 weeks.
I now have received a letter from the police stating the Corvette was reported stolen on the 28/02/24. I have now done a second HPI check and it is now recorded as stolen. Where do i stand on ownership?
I now have received a letter from the police stating the Corvette was reported stolen on the 28/02/24. I have now done a second HPI check and it is now recorded as stolen. Where do i stand on ownership?
Asked on 9 October 2024 by stephen steele
Answered by
Craig Cheetham
Without knowing the circumstances we can't be sure, but ultimately if the car was sold without the owner's permission then it remains his property. It does, unfortunately, sound to us like you have been a victim of fraud and were sold a stolen vehicle. If, however, the car was reported stolen before the date you had an HPI check carried out on it, then you may well have a claim under the HPI Guarantee, details of which can be found here: www.hpi.co.uk/guides/guarantee.html
Tags:
stolen cars
classic cars
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