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I just wanted to drop in and update anyone who may have replied to or even just read my thread "Twice Stolen Corvette - Suggestions?" I think it was...
I know I said I was "letting it go" after y'all recommended just that. And mostly, I did. I quit investigating, but I still had sale notifications coming in for EVERY Corvette for sale anywhere, lol. It was Saturday night when I finally got sick of the notifications and ACTUALLY let it go.
The Scottsdale Police Dept. recovered the car on Sunday morning, after finding some guy driving it around Scottsdale with one of those novelty plates you can get at a gift shop. A quick look at his FB page indicates that he's had the car since at least January. He was arrested, charged, and released on a PR bond within hours.
I flew down to AZ and drove it back. How fun, yet stressful! I couldn't find a dealership to change the oil or anything within the time I needed to leave, so I had to hope for the best. It isn't in perfect condition, but considering I didn't expect to ever see it again, I am elated. Thanks for all of your advice. I'll likely be back for more as repairs are needed.
Last edited by COVetteHunter; 08-31-2023 at 04:40 PM.
Reason: I SPeLleD CoRveTte WrOng
I just wanted to srop in and update anyone who may have replied to or even just read my thread "Twice Stolen Corvette - Suggestions?" I think it was...
I know I said I was "letting it go" after y'all recommended just that. And mostly, I did. I quit investigating, but I still had sale notifications coming in for EVERY Corvete for sale anywhere, lol. It was Saturday night when I finally got sick of the notifications and ACTUALLY let it go.
The Scottsdale Police Dept. recovered the car on Sunday morning, after finding some guy driving it around Scottsdale with one of those novelty plates you can get at a gift shop. A quick look at his FB page indicates that he's had the car since at least January. He was arrested, charged, and released on a PR bond within hours.
I flew down to AZ and drove it back. How fun, yet stressful! I couldn't find a dealership to change the oil or anything within the time I needed to leave, so I had to hope for the best. It isn't in perfect condition, but considering I didn't expect to ever see it again, I am elated. Thanks for all of your advice. I'll likely be back for more as repairs are needed.
So how does that work. A stolen car 8 months ago that you got paid for, you don't just get to keep it. Don't you now have to buy it back from the insurance company?
So how does that work. A stolen car 8 months ago that you got paid for, you don't just get to keep it. Don't you now have to buy it back from the insurance company?
Insurance had lapsed prior to it being stolen. See the original posting. It’s quite a tale.
That one really needs a hidden immobilizer installed. Congrats on getting it back. Where’s your brother now?
So how does that work. A stolen car 8 months ago that you got paid for, you don't just get to keep it. Don't you now have to buy it back from the insurance company?
Bold of you to assume it was insured! lol
My brother had let the insurance lapse in August. He has a lot of issues (see original post).
Insurance had lapsed prior to it being stolen. See the original posting. It’s quite a tale.
That one really needs a hidden immobilizer installed. Congrats on getting it back. Where’s your brother now?
Thanks! I thought about an Apple AirTag thing or something, but it is fully insured - for now; I won't be able to afford more than one payment. Man, I sure do wish I could keep it, at least for a while. Alas, I cannot, for I am "a poor"!
My (half) brother, we'll call him CJ, is in prison FOR VEHICLE THEFT through 6/25(ish). He is severely mentally ill, has a traumatic brain injury, and does crazy stuff after days awake on too many meds. He actually does better when in DOC custody because of the structure and supervision, especially of his prescriptions.
This freakin' car has been such a big deal for me because it (or the money from its sale) is all that remains of his two-thirds of our inheritance from our Dad's passing in 2020. So I feel like I'm doing this in honor of my Dad and Grandpa as much as anything else. He got two-thirds because I helped him sue our other (also half) brother (we'll call him JT) for his share; JT had CJ's POA when he was locked up last time, and was in charge of selling CJ's house. He did, but he kept the money. Gambled it all. He was also stealing from our Dad the whole time. I learned he wasn't using Dad's SSI checks for his HOSPITAL BILLS, but rather for his own expenses, and betting on everything from tennis to golf.
I was advised by the care facility to call Adult Protective Services, and once they stepped in, OMG. Have you seen "I Care A Lot" on Netflix? It was basically that. All terrible stuff. It's a whole separate, dramatic, crazy story that could literally be a miniseries. For our family to go through all of that crap, with only me having anything to show for it...it was so hard to let the car theft issue go, as you all suggested. With all of the other money and assets he'd had (it was $147k) for a whopping ten months already lost to his illness, addiction, and theft by scammers, finding this Corvette was the only hope for CJ to have any kind of future upon his release. At least, a future without ME having to take complete repsonsibility for him. So you can only imagine how relieved, amazed, grateful and glad to have it back.
My plan is to hopefully buy him a mobile home, or pay a year's rent somewhere and get furniture, utilities, etc. set up for him so that I don't feel obligated to let him move in with me - or guilty for not letting him. I'll still help him, unless/until things go South like they usually do. But to be fair, I've never been his caretaker before, so maybe that will make a difference? I am pretty awesome, after all.
As his POA, I have already liquidated all of his other remaining belongings except for a $400 set of car-breaking-into tools that no one seems to want - even for $250. The $284 that he did have left when I got the call from the cops on Sunday is just enough for one month of insurance. I'll need to get an estimate for the repairs, then figure out if I should do any or all of them, and what is dealer-only work vs. cheaper or DIY items. So, I have to do a lot of legwork to figure out the best way to go forward from here. In any case, it needs to be converted to cash, soon.
I'll be in touch with Victim's Services tomorrow and learn what the restitution situation looks like. I read some of the stuff today and it appears they have funds for things like covering my travel, tow lot fees and maybe some repairs? Hopefully that works out, because I can't cover many more expenses. Plus, CJ asks for money about once a week, and while this recovery trip was going on he was transferred to a new facility. Somehow that means he needs to replace everything that he's already bought - a fan, tv, tioletries, clothes, all of it. Like $400 worth of stuff, which he's only had since March & April. Then he'll want money for entertainment media and communication with me. And food. They take somewhere around 33% of whatever I send to cover his meds, pay towards restitution, and get their fees. I'm sure it wont be long until he despertely owes someone money, even though I told him not to expect funds from the car anytime soon. So either the Corvette will have to go soon, likely as-is, which will of course be a loss, or...I don't really know what another option could be. Using it to generate income somehow would be cool. But that would require money to fix and register it first. Maybe I could get my good friend who owns a sign shop to do a vynil wrap and turn it into a race car with sponsors? Hmmm...
Perhaps I can start a YouTube Channel like the CO Corvette Guy, and make a cool conclusion to that miniseries of a story! Haha!
'Spose I should quit writing another book on here and start researching things like hopefully fixing the display screen, learning all of the controls, seeing if can I replace my own headlight and such. Thanks for listening and for all of the congrats, everybody! It isn't exactly easy to get in and out of, but it sure is fun to drive! Looks good in the driveway, too.
Last edited by COVetteHunter; 08-25-2023 at 03:10 AM.
Reason: Let it be known!
Congrats and good luck getting it back to the pre-theft condition. Doesn't look like a lot of damage just from the pics.
So far I've found: cracked windshield, headlight out, left front tire wear and pulling to that side, along with a shudder at speeds over 60. Display screen isn't working, there's some weird piece of orange tape on the roof just above the driver's door, a rip in the driver's seat leather, the idiot removed the spoiler then SANDED DOWN the areas where it was attached (and the taped spot, too), and I'm pretty sure he never changed the oil.
08-24-2023, 06:19 PM
UPDATE! Stolen C7 RECOVERED!
through 6/25(ish). He is severely mentally ill, has a traumatic brain injury, and does crazy stuff after days awake on too many meds. He actually does better when in DOC custody because of the structure and supervision, especially of his prescriptions. 
Have you seen "I Care A Lot" on Netflix? It was basically that. All terrible stuff. It's a whole separate, dramatic, crazy story that could literally be a miniseries. For our family to go through all of that crap, with only me having anything to show for it...it was so hard to let the car theft issue go, as you all suggested. With all of the other money and assets he'd had (it was $147k) for a whopping ten months already lost to his illness, addiction, and theft by scammers, finding this Corvette was the only hope for CJ to have any kind of future upon his release. At least, a future without ME having to take complete repsonsibility for him. So you can only imagine how relieved, amazed, grateful and glad to have it back.
