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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Need help finding my 914 and getting it back! SoCal/Inland Empire
Posted by: HellaFella Aug 12 2014, 12:19 PM
I joined the Navy in 2010 and obviously couldn't take my 914 with me so I parked/left (I kept the keys) it at a "trusted" neighbors house. When I came back on leave to collect it they were gone! I talked to another neighbor and found out their house had been forclosed on and they moved to Oregon just the week before. Also that same week neighbor said they had SOLD MY PORSCHE!! Like I said I had kept the keys, so I was confused how this happened, said a fella showed up with a flatbed and winched it aboard! She told them she was my mother and was selling my car because I had left it with her, falsifying my/her signature on the title and everything... Tried taking it up with the California DMV and they told me I had to file some sort of fraud complaint and that it had nothing to do with DMV. Being on a short leave period and not even knowing what to do next I said fuckit, now I'm a civilian again and would love to get that car back. If anyone has any ideas or help with what I can do that would be well appreciated!
I lived in Crestline CA, [in the mountains near Lake Arrowhead] San Bernardino county
California BLUE PLATE. 270 EWZ Rivera wheels
I got some really good feedback on the Facebook page and hope this can aattract more attention to this situation, hopefully this story will have a happy ending, I'll keep you updated! THANKS EVERYONE!! -JD
Posted by: carr914 Aug 12 2014, 12:36 PM
Call the Police & report it Stolen
Posted by: flippa Aug 12 2014, 12:48 PM
Definitely report it stolen with the local and State police immediately! The new owner will not be able to get a title for it.
I purchased a parts car a few years ago that was stolen from the seller's property before I picked it up. I reported it stolen and the local PD assisted on pressuring the guy to give me my cash back, but only because I had a buddy who is a cop in an adjoining town. I am still pissed about it though; it had a mint set of ATS rims and a ton of good parts. 
I hope you get it back.
Posted by: Cap'n Krusty Aug 12 2014, 01:13 PM
Agreed. Get the law involved NOW. Go in and ask them nicely how they can hepl you, and stay on top of it. You may also have some protection under laws protecting the property of active duty military personnel. Looks like they fled across state lines to avoid prosecution, as they say in the news stories. Could that make it federal? In layman's terms, they may be in "a world of hurt".
The Cap'n
Posted by: naro914 Aug 12 2014, 01:14 PM
Absolutely report is stolen to local and state police. If someone in the state has registered it, they would have it in the DMV records if you know the VIN.
I would also do some digging, find your 'trusted' friends and contact them, asking them WTF?
does California title cars that old? Some states do, some don't. If it does, I assume you have the title? makes it much easier to prove ownership.
Posted by: mepstein Aug 12 2014, 01:22 PM
Call the police and your insurance company
Posted by: JawjaPorsche Aug 12 2014, 01:27 PM
Check your local Craiglist and Auto Trader type publications for sale at convenience stores. Good luck.
Thank you for your service to our country. 
You deserve better than this.
Posted by: Mblizzard Aug 12 2014, 03:49 PM
Get the VIN and post it everywhere! Keep us posted. I hate a thief but I especially hate people that don't respect our service men. We all get to sit back and enjoy our lives because of the sacrifices they make. I will help anyway I can.
Posted by: MMW Aug 12 2014, 04:51 PM
Yes I would talk to the police. They would be the only ones who could help because it was stolen.
I'm curious when did you come home on leave to find the car gone? Your post makes it seem as if it was some time ago as you mention you are now a civilian?
Best of luck!
Posted by: Cuda911 Aug 12 2014, 05:43 PM
Wow... that reeks!
For a few hundred dollars, a private investigator can likely track down the "trusted" neighbors.
Posted by: HellaFella Aug 12 2014, 07:43 PM
Wow, the things that can happen in a day. Actually dug into some old boxes from 2+ moves ago dug through paperwork from '07 and found my original title. Called San Bernardino sheriff, they said my best bet was with DMV "Fraud Investigator," but that the would forward my "case" to a deputy also. I'm in far NorCal now, so DMV gave me a NorCal investigator phone #. After conversing with that fella, I find out that A) he recently inherited a 914 of his own and is in the process of restoring it. And B) I need to contact DMV investigation in the Inland Empire, where all this took place... But after his conversation I was contacted 6-7 times by the San Bernardino deputy who seemed to take great interest in my case. Tracked down the vehicle.. it was last registered to an address in Moreno Valley in 2012. It was sold twice after I'd disappeared from my posession. The Deputy contacted those two sellers and the most recent one said that he sold the car to "a man with a European accent." It hasn't been registered since 2012 + the accent prompted the deputy to speculate that I could have possibly been shipped back to europe. He also said that is a long-shot, but we can always investigate with Immigration/Customs to see if that VIN# left the country.. Currently he is trying to track down the people that I left the car with, we ascertained their legal identities and he is trying to find them (now out of state). He's filing criminal charges of Embezzlement, Forgery, and Fraud with the D.A. If I remember correctly. And then said he will be contacting me throughout the week.
I was amazed how much traction I got with the Deputy. The DMV investigator I talked with was very frank with the reality of my situation and said a lot of what will happen is just a dice roll on the Sheriff deputy I talk to. Seems I got a good one, and since this happened in the Arrowhead mountains, that was where the department switchboard forwarded me to, to handle the case. It's a smaller and slower detachment, so mebbe I lucked out with a "bored" deputy. But either way he was amazingly helpful, and I feel like I currently have the best chances of anything happeneing. Either way it's still a damn longshot, but hey.. something
Posted by: HellaFella Aug 12 2014, 07:45 PM
And at the very least he mentioned, he has now built a case against them and collected almost all the relevant information that I could then subpoena for any type of civil action that I might undertake. I wouldn't be getting my car back at that point, but you know.. for principals
Posted by: messix Aug 12 2014, 07:54 PM
it could be that the deputy is also a former veteran and takes these cases as personal as if it happened to him.
he now has the power to karma fuch people who cheat, steal, and screw over people in military service.
good luck and keep us up on the progress.
Posted by: rick 918-S Aug 12 2014, 07:57 PM
Post the vin here. Maybe someone will see the car sitting in a lot or a yard. The car could just have been rendered un-drivable and is sitting in a yard someplace without having the title transferred.
Posted by: Porschef Aug 12 2014, 08:15 PM
"A man with a European accent"??? Jeez, could that be more vague? I've sold a number of cars in the past and always had a pretty good idea of where the individual resided, including the last car I sold almost two years ago
Hopefully your deputy tries to glean a little more info from that dude... 
"No wait, that's right, I remember now...he's a Nigerian prince"
Posted by: rhodyguy Aug 12 2014, 08:41 PM
Hopefully you can still get a pound or two of flesh. Time for them to give their actions some thought at the grey bar hotel too.
Posted by: HellaFella Aug 12 2014, 09:06 PM
VIN# 4722911717. CA Blue Plate 270 EWZ Rivera Wheels, after market exhaust with a longish Chrome tip. Maroon/Ruby Red Metallic paint last I saw it, that was starting to fade around the rear trunk edges. Moreno Valley area last registered whereabouts.
be on the lookout for a man with a "European accent" and a scary mustache... lol
Posted by: rick 918-S Aug 12 2014, 09:24 PM
Search our vin data base. Maybe the new owner entered the number and some info. Add the car with a note in the description about it being stolen and add a link to this thread.
Posted by: Philip W. Aug 12 2014, 09:58 PM
Just did a search in the vin database and it does not come up.
Posted by: bandjoey Aug 12 2014, 10:08 PM
As a Vet can you get legal assistance from the Navy? Hope you can find your car!
Posted by: HellaFella Aug 13 2014, 12:29 PM
Turns out the original purchaser from the fraudulent neighbors was a police officer, I'm kinda surprised he didn't question their bullshit story any better and still went through with things.. was contacted by deputy again today to ID the perps in a photo lineup. Things still moving in the right direction, "will be contacted throughout the week."
Posted by: mepstein Aug 13 2014, 12:38 PM
Was the car insured?
Posted by: ruby914 Aug 13 2014, 02:01 PM
original purchaser from the fraudulent neighbors was a police officer
Beautiful color. Hope you get it back.
Posted by: HellaFella Aug 13 2014, 02:04 PM
Liability insurance only, I was younger and poorer, and don't crash into things much. 
If it was fully insured I never would have wound up in this situation, of course
Posted by: boogie_man Aug 13 2014, 03:00 PM
Turns out the original purchaser from the fraudulent neighbors was a police officer, I'm kinda surprised he didn't question their bullshit story any better and still went through with things.. was contacted by deputy again today to ID the perps in a photo lineup. Things still moving in the right direction, "will be contacted throughout the week."
Wow, this could be a movie (almost) best of luck and keep us posted.
Posted by: 76-914 Aug 13 2014, 03:35 PM
original purchaser from the fraudulent neighbors was a police officer
Beautiful color. Hope you get it back.
He might have been one of those 100+ LA sheriff's deputies that was hired even though they had a record!That was just a few month's ago. And I agree with the earlier post re:
our servicemen. It ain't right. 
Posted by: scotty b Aug 13 2014, 03:41 PM
was contacted by deputy again today to ID the perps in a photo lineup.
Being a fine upstanding Am citizen, I don't know how these things work. But it seems to me this means these 2 already are " on file "
Posted by: RFoulds Aug 13 2014, 04:03 PM
They can use DL photos for line ups now.
Glad to see you pushing through. it seems like its playing out exactly they way I told you it would on Facebook. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Posted by: RFoulds Aug 13 2014, 04:06 PM
and a tip for you on photo line up. If you can't pick them out, look at the deputy's hand. is he holding a certain number of fingers extended?
I kid you not.
Posted by: rhodyguy Aug 13 2014, 04:13 PM
Were they holding your title? Unsigned? If not, l'll presume they had to fraudulently apply for a lost title and then forge your name on the release of interest. They will cave if the right person explains what they might be looking at.
Posted by: Dave_Darling Aug 13 2014, 06:01 PM
and a tip for you on photo line up. If you can't pick them out, look at the deputy's hand. is he holding a certain number of fingers extended?
That is vile. Probably even worse than the PO buying the car...
--DD
Posted by: DBCooper Aug 14 2014, 07:03 AM
and a tip for you on photo line up. If you can't pick them out, look at the deputy's hand. is he holding a certain number of fingers extended?
That is vile. Probably even worse than the PO buying the car...
--DD
Agree totally. If that happens where you live then I suggest that you move back to the first world.
Posted by: Elliot Cannon Aug 14 2014, 11:52 AM
and a tip for you on photo line up. If you can't pick them out, look at the deputy's hand. is he holding a certain number of fingers extended?
I kid you not.
And if caught, the deputy could not only lose his job but be prosecuted as well. Bad advice.
Posted by: Larmo63 Aug 14 2014, 12:05 PM
Sounds like someone is writing a screenplay loosely based on a missing 914 Porsche.
Posted by: Cuda911 Aug 14 2014, 12:35 PM
^^^ I'd prolly go see that movie. Couldn't be any worse than the other crap out there.
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