Stolen bike, hidden storage charges.

[car]

Some shits stole my bike. Cops caught them, with the bike, phoned me Saturday. They told me that I'd be able to pick the bike up Wednesday, I'd have to wait while they finger-printed it. I called today to ask where I should pick it up from, and found that the Police don't have the bike. Porirua City Tow have the bike, and before I get it back, they want $50 a day storage. By the time I get the bike back, we're talking $300+.

Is this normal? Shouldn't someone, say, the Police, have told me that I'd be racking up charges, while they got around to finger-printing the bike? What's with finger-printing the bike when you've caught two scrotes with it already?

Not a happy bunny right now.

[DarkLord]

That is absolutely ridiculous. I'm not entirely sure what the legal processes are exactly but if it was me I would fight that every step of the way. It's not your fault the bike is in storage, if those slime bags hadn't stolen it, it wouldn't be there at all.

That really doesn't sound right to me at all, perhaps try and speak to someone else at the police?

[firefighter]

Go down to said plod station who found the bike, and tell them that as they left it there (at the towies) and required it to stay there and you could'nt take it until they were finished that they can pay for the bill........unfuckenbelievable.......

[C_A]

you probably wont get the bike back without paying as you already know, and good luck getting any reparations.
nate got done for 'sustained loss of traction' when the cops saw him go sideways around a corner on a rainy day -not his fault, something (i expect diesel) on the road and it kicked the arse out. he was probably lucky that he had the skill to keep it on the road and power out of it.
car went into impound and he lost his licence for 28 days. court case came up, he explained the deal, case was dropped due to lack of evidence to support he had provoked it, and that the car wasn't exeactly capable of 'burnouts and sideways driving'.
cops refused to pay the almost $1000 tow and storage fees, and he didn't even go into loss of earngins and shit like that. he pretty much had to jsut suck it up and get over it.
lucky yours is only $300 and you got your bike back maybe

[firefighter]

I wonder if you can take the police to the small claims court over this? Is it possible? Imagine it! I'm about the furthest from being anti cops as you can get, but I think in situations like this the police should have to front up......if it was me i'd be walking as I have a mortgage and no way of coming up with that kinda cash.......drink drivers don't have to pay up that much FFS and if it turns out your charges are dropped you end up being more persecuted than pissed idiot behind the wheel when the whole time you were innocent.

[imne1]

depending on you excess ... would insurance cover the storage costs?
... but surely, no, you shouldn't have to pay. if all else fails go to the media (or at least threaten to.) the storage fee should be slapped on the thieves.

[prettybillie]

Some shits stole my bike. Cops caught them, with the bike, phoned me Saturday. They told me that I'd be able to pick the bike up Wednesday, I'd have to wait while they finger-printed it. I called today to ask where I should pick it up from, and found that the Police don't have the bike. Porirua City Tow have the bike, and before I get it back, they want $50 a day storage. By the time I get the bike back, we're talking $300+.

Is this normal? Shouldn't someone, say, the Police, have told me that I'd be racking up charges, while they got around to finger-printing the bike? What's with finger-printing the bike when you've caught two scrotes with it already?

Not a happy bunny right now.

Is this something you can claim on your insurance? I know you can charge your towage fees to your insurance.

[Road Guardian]

I guess you will have to check your insurance police, and talk to your insurance company. But I would hope they would cover for things like this.

You should prob get the bike out if you have not all ready.

Good Luck

[ynot slow]

WTF? Isn't such a thing as COMMON sense in the cop shop/force.

Had a mate years ago get his Falcon stolen from Hawera,he had just put a recon 307Chev(sacrilidge) in it about 3 months earlier,cops found the car in nearby Opunake,they stuck the car "round the back" of cop shop,guess what?It got flogged again,but the first thieves had taken rev counter and his cluster of gauges including oil pressure.The second clowns drove around the province till I suspect it chevved itself,cops tried to pass the buck($1500 or so for parts alone)for repairs,saying the repairer didn't charge labour originally(mates rates)so why should they pay,good lawyer soon had them apologising,as they never secured the car,after first recovery.

[MadDuck]

I wonder if you can take the police to the small claims court over this?


Nope becuase it doesnt exist anymore....it would be the Disputes Trubunal :whistle:

[car]

Thanks, all. Yeah, my insurance would cover it, but I found out (dumbass didn't read the fine print) that my "$400 excess, $500 theft excess" as listed on my insurance policy are not exclusive. In other words, I'm sucking up $400 + $500. Add loss of 15 years' NCB on top of that, and it just ain't bloody worth it.

Life throws you a few curve-balls now and then and it's only a few hundred bucks. If this is the worst thing that happens to me this year, it's still been a good year. I haven't been to A&E once!

;)

I was fairly laconic about the whole thing right up until this afternoon when I called to check that I was "allowed" to go and get my bike, and where I should pick it up from. Being dealt the odd low blow by lazy thieving shits is one thing. A kick in the nuts from the plod is just insult to injury. I was steaming.

I paid the tow firm to deliver the bike back to me ($85 to them or $70 to hire a trailer) and to be fair, they've done nothing wrong. I won't be making an insurance claim, but I'm sure as hell making a complaint to plod. I doubt I'll see the money back, but I want to make sure that some moron or other gets his damned wrists slapped if nothing else.

Ah, now for a Macs. The missus stuck some in the fridge while I was one the way home.

[fireliv]

Stupid Police I would have thought that they should pay the bill. When you do the victim impact statemnt make sure you tell them you want the cost. In the end the snot nose shit heads that stole your bike should pay the bill.

All the best

[mdnzz]

had a car torched in dunners, police had it towed for forensic tests, then stored at a tow yard during the court case. the yard tried to bill me I passed it to the officer in charge and said you towed it and stored it you pay.
they paid.

[Okey Dokey]

Geez, it isn't right that you, a victim of crime, should end up out-of-pocket. I hope the expense can be laid at the feet of the thieves when they go to court to face charges.

[firefighter]

Nope becuase it doesnt exist anymore....it would be the Disputes Trubunal :whistle:

Ahhhh, so common sense would dictate that would be the course of action I was intetnding then.....:Pokey:

[Cr1MiNaL]

Another example of stupid cops, wheres Patrick, I'd love to hear what he has to say about this one... hell defend the force no doubt...

[BMWST?]

uts not the cops that charge,it the tow place....they have to earn a living/cover costs too...but you guys are right,it sucks that the victim of theft has to pay.....the fine )or whatever the theives get for the original crime should include repayment of the fee...good luck geting that....so i guess the taxpayers pays...

[Indoo]

Is this normal? Shouldn't someone, say, the Police, have told me that I'd be racking up charges, while they got around to finger-printing the bike? What's with finger-printing the bike when you've caught two scrotes with it already?


Nope its not normal and its not policy. When your car/bike is nicked you get asked by whomever takes the complaint if you want it towed when its found and that if you do you will be liable for the initial cost of towing it. Did you say you wanted it towed, if you didn't and they tow it then its a Police tow and the Police pay.

If you did want it towed, the officer is still obligated to inform you that you have to pay the initial storage and tow fee but that that it will be printed the next day and you need to uplift it, however if you don't uplift it the next day then you will incur the storage fee following on from it.

Its pretty simple, and the Police certainly won't hesitate in paying for the tow if they have screwed up on the above. Just call up the station and ask, I can't imagine any issues. If they say no they won't pay then it becomes something to whine about and seek legal opinion.

[Patrick]

depending on you excess ... would insurance cover the storage costs?
... but surely, no, you shouldn't have to pay. if all else fails go to the media (or at least threaten to.) the storage fee should be slapped on the thieves.

Seek reparation from the thieves in your victim impact statement, since you have paid out already, I assume?


Thanks, all........ I was fairly laconic about the whole thing right up until this afternoon when I called to check that I was "allowed" to go and get my bike, and where I should pick it up from. Being dealt the odd low blow by lazy thieving shits is one thing. A kick in the nuts from the plod is just insult to injury. I was steaming.

I paid the tow firm to deliver the bike back to me ($85 to them or $70 to hire a trailer) and to be fair, they've done nothing wrong. I won't be making an insurance claim, but I'm sure as hell making a complaint to plod. I doubt I'll see the money back, but I want to make sure that some moron or other gets his damned wrists slapped if nothing else.

Ah, now for a Macs. The missus stuck some in the fridge while I was one the way home.

If the Police delayed the return to you, then the Police should pay for the delay. You would be liable for the initial tow and storage for the day perhaps, but as they said you can't have it because it needs to be fingerprinted, the delay is the Polices cost to bear.


Stupid Police I would have thought that they should pay the bill. When you do the victim impact statemnt make sure you tell them you want the cost. In the end the snot nose shit heads that stole your bike should pay the bill.

All the best

A top all, on all counts.


Another example of stupid cops, wheres Patrick, I'd love to hear what he has to say about this one... hell defend the force no doubt...

Oh, yeah....

It's all your fault, leaving the bike where it could be stolen.....

Don't ya love it when you prove someone wrong...?

Me Mrs does!!! I am always wrong, and even when I know I am wrong, she says I am wrong still....

[ynot slow]

Me Mrs does!!! I am always wrong, and even when I know I am wrong, she says I am wrong still....

Shit be good if she was a judge at times.

Rule no1 of the human species-Men are always wrong,if in doubt refer to clause 2.

Clause 2-refer rule no1.

[car]

Folks, thanks for the opinions and feedback. I don't want to go into it too much -- it's bloody Christmas after all.

Ultimately, I'd dearly love the futility of getting the perpetrators to pay me 50c a week for the next 1,800 weeks. That would be amusing, and fairer to everyone involved, including the over-milked tax-payer. We'll see.

Seasons greetings.

[Boob Johnson]

Another example of stupid cops, wheres Patrick, I'd love to hear what he has to say about this one... hell defend the force no doubt...
Yeah cause cops ain't human aye, they are part cyborg & shouldn't EVER make a human mistake <_<

[Cr1MiNaL]

Yeah cause cops ain't human aye, they are part cyborg & shouldn't EVER make a human mistake <_<

They can make mistakes, but when they do they should be punished with demerits and fines... :wacko: E.g If a cop issues a speeding ticket or a lane splitting ticket and if it gets taken to court and the defendant wins, the cop should have the same demerits reflected to his own license and/or pay the fine himself... then well c the no of bs tickets reduce in a hurry!!! neeeaaaahhhahahah foolish pigs...:bash:

[Boob Johnson]

They can make mistakes, but when they do they should be punished with demerits and fines... :wacko: E.g If a cop issues a speeding ticket or a lane splitting ticket and if it gets taken to court and the defendant wins, the cop should have the same demerits reflected to his own license and/or pay the fine himself... then well c the no of bs tickets reduce in a hurry!!! neeeaaaahhhahahah foolish pigs...:bash:
May I ask what you do for a living YR64L?

[pritch]

Sorry to read of your drama Chris. Good that you got the bike back though. Here's hoping things look up for the rest of the Christmas.

Had to laugh at the suggestions that the Police should pay. The Police have a one-way accounting system. Receipts only...

[meteor]

Hmmm, seems the fact that the cops did a great job catching the thieves in the first place was largely forgotten. And if they did store it they were doing the wrong thing and if they didn't store it (and it got re nicked) they did the wrong thing... shit, who'd want to be running around dayly putting their lives on the line if no matter what you did some ungrateful fuck would find fault in it.

[Toaster]

I wonder if you can take the police to the small claims court over this? Is it possible? Imagine it! I'm about the furthest from being anti cops as you can get, but I think in situations like this the police should have to front up......if it was me i'd be walking as I have a mortgage and no way of coming up with that kinda cash.......drink drivers don't have to pay up that much FFS and if it turns out your charges are dropped you end up being more persecuted than pissed idiot behind the wheel when the whole time you were innocent.

It is a matter for the insurance company, not the police.

[The Pastor]

this is the way it should work in a sane country

Thiefs steal bike
Police find bike
Police tow bike back and store it AND PAY FOR IT.
Police then charge the thief with fine+jail+towage fees.

[Tone165]

Go back to the Police and report it stolen again, only this time you know where it is!

If I take your bike...it is stolen....and it remains stolen until you have it back!

Or at least Kidnapped seeing as there is a (sort of) ransom demand!

Even when you get the bike back, there will likely be damage that you will want insurance for.

Everyone needs insurance!

Have a look at E-bike, online, monthly payments..there really is no excuse!

[MDR2]

I'd say it's up to your insurance company to fork out.

When a bike gets stolen people seem to bitch on about how the police should be out there catching crims instead of dishing out tickets, on one of the few occasions when a bike is recovered were still bitching about the cops...for actually doing their job...

we pay taxes so that the cops can do their thing and catch thieves, we pay insurance companies to take care of us in the event of an accident or theft.

Personaly, i'd just be stoked I still had a bike to ride over the xmas break.

/enddevilsadvocate :D Have a good xmas peoples.

[ACECAFE]

G'Day Chris, those shits stole my bike too on Friday night. I caught two of them on the act and identified them to police and thats how they found other bikes. My bike is still missing and I am trying to find out more information. Do you mind if I get your phone # or e-mail address? Wanted to ask you a couple of questions about the fucks. Thanks mate. Merry x-mas

[mstriumph]

it seems really unfair .... it was stored for the convenience of the police, i don't see how that's your fault

have a word with the police you dealt with

hope it didn't ruin your festivities too much ...... sometimes life sucks

[car]

G'Day Chris, those shits stole my bike too on Friday night. I caught two of them on the act and identified them to police and thats how they found other bikes.

Good work. I owe you a beer.


My bike is still missing and I am trying to find out more information. Do you mind if I get your phone # or e-mail address? Wanted to ask you a couple of questions about the fucks. Thanks mate. Merry x-mas

PM'd. That sucks, though, not having yours back. Mine's unrideable, but as has been suggested, better to be grateful that it's back than pissed about anything else. And I'd no clue that this was anything other than an idle opportune theft. Two little DRs as well? Weird. Maybe they're easier to punt on, too common, or commonly ridden but not registered. Two's not much of a statistic, I suppose.

[car]

it seems really unfair .... it was stored for the convenience of the police, i don't see how that's your fault

have a word with the police you dealt with

hope it didn't ruin your festivities too much ...... sometimes life sucks

I was pissed off at the time, but the farther away it gets, the more I think I'm probably mistaking anger at being robbed with anger over some minor snafu over tow charges. Annoying, yes; end of the world, no.

I might have another frosty cold one -- it's my birthday in 19 minutes.

[Anarkist]

you probably wont get the bike back without paying as you already know, and good luck getting any reparations.
nate got done for 'sustained loss of traction' when the cops saw him go sideways around a corner on a rainy day -not his fault, something (i expect diesel) on the road and it kicked the arse out. he was probably lucky that he had the skill to keep it on the road and power out of it.
car went into impound and he lost his licence for 28 days. court case came up, he explained the deal, case was dropped due to lack of evidence to support he had provoked it, and that the car wasn't exeactly capable of 'burnouts and sideways driving'.
cops refused to pay the almost $1000 tow and storage fees, and he didn't even go into loss of earngins and shit like that. he pretty much had to jsut suck it up and get over it.
lucky yours is only $300 and you got your bike back maybe


Dude, that sounds exactly like what happened to me.

I was driving passed a spot where the illegal drags were on in my car (not attending) and the cops were there, but I thought nothing of it. A week or so later I arrived home to a letter from the police saying they'd witnessed my car doing burnouts and were charging me with 'Sustained Loss of Traction'. Two days afterward three cops and a tow truck turned up and took my car out of my driveway and served me with an impoundment notice rendering me no way of getting to work for the next month until it came out of impound. Furthermore they served me with a subpoena to appear in court on the charges.

I went to the extent of proving my car wasn't capable of the claimed 30m wheelspin and clouds of smoke by having a local rally driver try and do what they claimed in their statement while we filmed it and prepared it to be shown in court as my primary form of defence. My car at the time was a FWD Toyota Levin (with not much more than 120hp) which had alloy wheels and fatter tyres than standard. It struggled to spin them in the wet, let alone a decent skid in dry.

After incurring the cost of above mentioned filming, and lawyer costs I showed up in court feeling pretty confident about my defence only to have them drop the charges due to lack of evidence!

What did it cost me? Fees for paying the rally drivers time, lawyer fees and court costs not to mention 30 days in the impound and the tow truck fees and alternative transport to work (30km in each direction). I wondered whether it was worth attempting to get the money off them but he said it was probably cheaper to leave it than risk them trying to change their mind and go ahead with the charges.

Sometimes it's unbelievable the things that happen, and the ridiculous costs an innocent person has to pay just because that's the way it is. I fully sympathise with anyone in this situation who truly doesn't deserve it.

[imne1]

I was pissed off at the time, but the farther away it gets, the more I think I'm probably mistaking anger at being robbed with anger over some minor snafu over tow charges...
dont pay, take it up with the police complaints authority. no way you should be held liable for those fees. you're not the guilty party.



Dude, that sounds exactly like what happened to me..... After incurring the cost of above mentioned filming, and lawyer costs I showed up in court feeling pretty confident about my defence only to have them drop the charges due to lack of evidence! ... What did it cost me? Fees for paying the rally drivers time, lawyer fees and court costs not to mention 30 days in the impound and the tow truck fees and alternative transport to work (30km in each direction).


you should also lodge a complaint with the PCA, failing that go at the attorney general (go talk to your lawyer about it). they should have to pay all of your costs as well as bus fare or whatever for the month you were without your ride and any loss of earnings from time off you needed to deal with the mess they created.

[Patrick]

They can make mistakes, but when they do they should be punished with demerits and fines... :wacko: E.g If a cop issues a speeding ticket or a lane splitting ticket and if it gets taken to court and the defendant wins, the cop should have the same demerits reflected to his own license and/or pay the fine himself... then well c the no of bs tickets reduce in a hurry!!! neeeaaaahhhahahah foolish pigs...:bash:

Don't worry. They don't win. Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha


this is the way it should work in a sane country

Thiefs steal bike
Police find bike
Police tow bike back and store it AND PAY FOR IT.
Police then charge the thief with fine+jail+towage fees.

Absolutely. And while you're at it, any reparation ordered by the court gets paid out by the Justice Dept. They then set loose the bloodhounds (fines enforcement) to recover any and all monies... plus interest!!!!


...After incurring the cost of above mentioned filming, and lawyer costs I showed up in court feeling pretty confident about my defence only to have them drop the charges due to lack of evidence!

What did it cost me? Fees for paying the rally drivers time, lawyer fees and court costs not to mention 30 days in the impound and the tow truck fees and alternative transport to work (30km in each direction). I wondered whether it was worth attempting to get the money off them but he said it was probably cheaper to leave it than risk them trying to change their mind and go ahead with the charges.

Sometimes it's unbelievable the things that happen, and the ridiculous costs an innocent person has to pay just because that's the way it is. I fully sympathise with anyone in this situation who truly doesn't deserve it.

I suggest you use a telephone and try "talking." To the officer in charge of the case or the prosecutor even. It is free.

An interesting concept, but "talking" can produce outstanding results, and mounts up no costs whatsover.


dont pay, take it up with the police complaints authority. no way you should be held liable for those fees. you're not the guilty party.

you should also lodge a complaint with the PCA, failing that go at the attorney general (go talk to your lawyer about it). they should have to pay all of your costs as well as bus fare or whatever for the month you were without your ride and any loss of earnings from time off you needed to deal with the mess they created.

Just contact the Sergeant or Senior Sergeant in Charge and discuss your concerns over the costs that the "Police" racked up for the storage. No need to spend more on "lawyer fees" or generating unnecessary paperwork when a short visit in person (coz its better than a phone call) can resolve it.

Or put it through the complicator if ya like... just takes months longer to sort.

[Ixion]

Whilst feeling for the OP, who has the annoyance of the fees added to the stress of the theft, one cannot but feel that the police are betwixt a rock and a hard place.

They turn over Loser Larry's flop.There's a bike there. This your mudaboike? Nah, bro, I done stoled it. Oh, well then you're arresticated.

Now, once Larry is hauled off to the cells , what are they to do with the bike? Leave it where it is ? In which case Larry's bros will be off with it right smart. Moreover they need to get it fingerprinted, cos in court Larry will swear he's never seen it before and someone else left it there.

So, they take it back to the station, or wherever. Now, Tom the Towie is going to expect to get paid for the job. So, someone must pay him. The police could well argue , Why should we pay ? We are doing you a favour as it is , we could have left your bike at Larry's and you could kiss good bye to it. We've already done you good by recovering it. And we need to fingerprint it (which inevitably will take some time) cos otherwise Larry will walk free. Which is bad for everybody.

If the cops hung on to it for weeks, well, that's another matter. But the cost of the tow, and , say, one day's storeage? Seems to me that's just something that the poor victim has to suck up. Unfair? Yes, it is. But havig the bike stolen in the first place was unfair. The unfair just continues a bit. The real problem is not the police it's the limp wristed judges who won't order reparations for such expenses that the crooks put us to.

[Patrick]

For the OP...

Just re-read this thread... You are covered by insurance, so you supply the wrongdoers details to them and they recover ALL costs. This includes your excess. You lose nothing in cash and your no claims remains intact. Speak to the insuerer.

[roy.nz]

Fight it plus make them pay you some interest for the stuffing you aroung part. :rockon: