What to do if a car is stolen: instructions, help from a lawyer

Unfortunately, nowadays the probability of going out and not finding your vehicle in its usual place is quite high.

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To say that the situation is unpleasant is to say nothing, but not everyone knows what to do in this situation. This is not surprising - after all, it’s not every day that a car is stolen, and not everyone’s.

In order to behave correctly in such a situation, and increase the chances of returning the vehicle, it is worth studying in detail how to behave if you are faced with theft.

What is car theft and what are its causes?

Conventionally, all thefts can be divided into four categories. After analyzing them, you will understand that not a single car owner is immune from the fact that the following crime will be committed against his car:

Hijacking to order. Expensive premium foreign cars are at risk here. It is worth noting that professionals deal with such thefts, and it is almost impossible to secure your car. Expensive alarm systems, guarded parking lots, etc. will not help. It is also practically impossible to get your car back, only if the car thieves accidentally make a serious miscalculation.
Theft for the purpose of disassembling for spare parts is already losing its popularity today, because... The market is already quite saturated with available components. However, hijackers who work specifically for this purpose still exist. Getting your car back after such a theft is also quite problematic.
Hijacking by "tourists" . If you encounter such thieves, it will not be easy to find your car, because they work with the goal of transporting the car to another region and sometimes even another country. It is not uncommon for such hijackers to work on order.
Theft for ransom. The most common crime today, used by criminals of all stripes. It is not uncommon for such thefts to involve not very experienced criminals who are simply unable to steal an expensive car, and therefore they are absolutely “not shy” about cheaper vehicles.

First steps after car theft

Due to the fact that losing a car is quite a stressful situation, you should immediately understand how to behave. Every minute of delay in this case can be decisive, so there is no point in delaying decisive action.

Where to call and contact?

First of all, you should make sure whether the vehicle was actually stolen, because there are various situations, for example, the car was towed due to a parking violation or someone from your family used your vehicle without your knowledge.
Notify the police, where they will need to provide the approximate time of the theft. Here you can and even need to cheat a little and name a period of time of less than half an hour. This is due to the fact that if the car was stolen more than half an hour ago, the traffic police are unlikely to take emergency measures, because "late".
Often, a satellite tracking system is installed on corporate vehicles; if the vehicle belongs to this class, then if a loss is detected, this information should be immediately reported to the dispatcher.

Where and how to file a theft report?

You need to file a report about the crime you have committed at the nearest police station, and you should be extremely polite and correct, despite the stress, you should not behave aggressively with people in uniform.

When submitting your application you will be required to:

Clearly describe all the circumstances during which the vehicle was stolen. It is advisable to note such points as the location of the car at the time of the crime, the presence of video surveillance, possible witnesses, etc.
Provide the most complete information about the stolen car, especially focusing on appearance.

After the application is submitted, you should definitely take a coupon from the duty station, which will confirm your application to the authorities. It would also be a good idea to periodically call the department while searching for a car and find out how the investigation is progressing.

Is it possible to report theft if there are no documents for the car?

It is possible, but you will have to take into account some features of the procedure. So, for example, if the registration certificate and insurance policy that were in the cabin were lost, then you can write a statement based on the PTS data.

However, if for some reason the PTS was lost along with the car, then the police department will need to provide:

Vehicle owner's passport
Sales contract or other document on the basis of which the citizen became the owner of the vehicle
Second set of car keys

Using the information received, police officers will be able to establish the fact that the car belongs to the applicant and, based on this data, accept a report of theft.

Actions of investigative authorities

After receiving the application, the mechanism of investigative actions aimed at finding the vehicle should be launched.

Employees have a huge number of mechanisms for searching for cars, but it would not hurt to periodically remind the investigator about yourself through calls and visits.

The car owner can also assist the investigation in the following ways:

If you go around the car market, it is quite possible that a car with altered license plates is already on sale.
View advertisements for the sale of vehicles on the Internet and in newspapers.
Spread information about the stolen car on social networks.
Post around the city information about the missing car, preferably with photographs. Particular attention should be paid to the territory of garage cooperatives, where a “sump” may be located.

Is insurance against theft possible?

It is possible either by taking out a standard policy or by making a CASCO policy, but it is worth remembering that the insurance payment for a stolen car will, as a rule, be less than its value, and if the vehicle is returned, it will be necessary to make a choice between the car and the insurance payment .

If the victim has CASCO insurance

A voluntary car insurance contract may include the risks of car theft.
However, such insurance does not mean that the victim will be immediately compensated for the damage and paid compensation. Even if CASCO protects against theft, the owner should remember the following points:

Applications for insurance payments are reviewed within 30 days. During this period, the insurance company will conduct its investigation, and first of all, suspicion falls on the owner, who may be involved in a crime or has not taken proper measures to preserve the insured property. In both cases, compensation will be denied.
Insurance companies do not reimburse the full cost of a stolen car. In most cases, the victim receives 80-90% of the cost, depending on the type of insurance coverage.
Insurers are delaying payments in every possible way in case of theft. Even if the case is recognized as insured, you will have to wait 2-3 months for money. The company will hope until the last moment that the car will be found and that it will not have to incur losses.
If a person's car is stolen, renewing insurance may cost more than the original cost of the policy. Some companies even refuse to renew contracts for people who previously applied for insurance payments.

In any case, before contacting the insurance company, you need to do the following:

Contact the police and file a theft report to record this fact.
Receive a control pass.
Take a certificate confirming that the victim applied specifically in relation to the theft.
Wait for the results of the preliminary investigation - to receive insurance payments, corpus delicti is required.

After this, you can contact the insurance company, having previously collected all the certificates and documents.

What to do when asked for ransom?

As practice shows, in most cases of theft today, criminals contact the owner of the vehicle and offer to buy back their car.

The amount is usually said to be around 20% of the market value. To be honest, the best solution would be to agree to the criminals’ conditions, but at the same time try to reduce the price as much as possible.

How to negotiate with attackers?

Remember, in this case, the thieves are not interested in your car, they are only interested in money.

Therefore, the car owner has two options:

Arrange a meeting and involve the police, in which case there is a chance to get a car for free. However, the actions of the police will not always be beneficial. In addition, there is a possibility that the hijackers have their own people in the relevant authorities and simply will not make contact.
Negotiate the price and meeting yourself and hand over the ransom to the criminals. At the same time, you cannot go to a meeting alone; you must take a trusted person with you. This method is more risky, and you will also need to explain to the police how the car was returned.

When the car was stolen with documents

Often in such a situation, a person panics and does not know what to do if the car is stolen. First, try to calm down, think carefully about everything and understand whether we are really talking about theft.

Situations often occur when a car owner includes relatives, friends or acquaintances in the insurance, which gives them the opportunity to use the vehicle if necessary. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is rule out the possibility that one of your trusted representatives took the car.

There is nothing good about the habit of leaving documents in the car. Especially those that are strongly recommended to be stored at home in a safe and secure place. But even when some documentation was stolen, even the main list of documents, you should not give up. The lack of these papers can be compensated for by other documents and things that will ultimately confirm the fact of your ownership of the stolen vehicle. That is, immediately rule out a scenario in which you will not even be able to apply.

It all starts with a statement if you are convinced that none of the authorized persons took the car for temporary use, forgetting to warn you about it.

What to do if your car is stolen before your eyes?

Situations like this are rare, and if you witness someone breaking into your vehicle or being inside, do the following:

Call the police immediately.
Attract the attention of passersby who can act as witnesses.
If there is no one around, then approaching and intervening will be risky, because... health and life are much more valuable.
Observe what is happening, if possible filming everything on camera, in order to subsequently prove the guilt of the criminal.

Theft of a new car without license plates

Such vehicles are in a special risk zone, this is due to the fact that it will be extremely convenient for criminals to sell them. For the car owner, returning such a car will be an extremely unpleasant procedure, because the car has not yet been registered and is simply not in the traffic police database.

Therefore, if for some reason you were unable to immediately register the car, increased attention to the vehicle is required, because in fact at this time the car thieves simply have a “green corridor”.

In this case, you will have to write an application using your passport and purchase and sale agreement, because there are simply no other documents.

Features of taxation

According to current legislation, tax is not charged for stolen cars. However, such a tax privilege is granted only by application; it will not be possible to avoid taxation by default.

It follows that immediately after the theft it is necessary to file a statement with the police. A criminal case will be initiated upon the fact of the crime, and the applicant will receive a corresponding certificate. You need to contact the territorial branch of the Federal Tax Service with this document. Here is an application for exemption from payment of transport tax for the duration of investigative and investigative activities.

Important! When the car is found, the owner must independently report this to the tax authority. Otherwise, he may be accused of tax evasion.

What to do if you purchased a stolen car?

Situations are different, and it is quite possible to assume that the vehicle you purchased was stolen. What to do in this case?

First of all, it is worth remembering that it is necessary to draw up a purchase and sale agreement when making a transaction; it would be ideal if it is notarized.

It is this document that can later become confirmation that the car was purchased from a third party, and you had nothing to do with the theft, but simply became a victim of circumstances.

If your stolen vehicle is seized, you must write a statement to the seller; there is simply no other way to get your money back.

Tips to avoid car theft

You should not save on alarm systems; in cases where the budget is limited, it is more advisable to opt for safer models, neglecting elements of comfort.
Do not leave your keys unattended; if you have to use the services of a service station, it is highly not recommended to leave the alarm key fob to the technicians.
It wouldn’t hurt to make your car “individual.” By adding remarkable features to the design. Flashy cars are much less likely to be stolen.
Do not leave the car unlocked even for a few minutes; closing the lock is much easier than searching for the car later with the involvement of the police.
Do not leave any things in the car that could attract the attention of intruders; it is recommended to even remove the radio panel at night.
Before buying a car, study the most stolen models and brands of cars, this way you will protect yourself even at the stage of purchasing a vehicle.

Nobody wants to face such a crime as car theft, but as practice shows, unfortunately, this happens quite often.

In order to get out of this situation as quickly as possible and with less damage, you should carefully monitor the documents, it is not advisable to leave them in the car, and you also need to issue an insurance policy in a timely manner.

If your vehicle has been stolen, you should not panic; you need to begin to act decisively, based on the information contained in this article.

Didn't find the answer to your question? Find out how to solve exactly your problem - call right now: +7 (Moscow) +7 (812) 309-53-42 (St. Petersburg) It's fast and free!

Free online consultation with a car lawyer

Didn't find the answer to your question? Find out how to solve exactly your problem - call right now: +7 (Moscow) +7 (812) 309-53-42 (St. Petersburg) It's fast and free!

Reducing the likelihood of theft

There are statistics according to which some brands and cars are especially loved by criminals. Having such a car, you need to be especially vigilant.

Recommended:

install a good alarm system;
insure against car theft. This service is not cheap, but it compensates the car owner for the cost of the lost car, since the likelihood that it will be found is extremely low;
label all elements of the car. Labeling is considered an effective anti-theft deterrent;
Do not leave your car in the courtyards of residential areas.