Stolen Car - Imponded

[ajosborne]

My brother stole my car whilst I was in bed and emptied my apartment too. After a week of the Police searching for him, they found my car abandoned parked on a road.
The Police automatically had my car recovered by a local recovery firm and has sat there for a further week awaiting SOCO tests.
I have just been informed by the Police that I am liable for the release fee of �150, but WMP wil pick up the bill for storage as it's not my fault it's taken them this period of time to complete SOCO tests.
If this is the case it's not my fault the car was impounded initially. They could have called me to collect the vehicle, thus saving me �150.
Why does the onus lie with the victim to pay the fee's just for the Police to carry out THEIR testing?! I would rather of had the option to collect it or have it impounded.

Any advice would be great!!

Thanks,

[Barmaid]

The police have a duty to investigate crime. THEIR tests would potentially lead to the arresting of the suspect - even though you knew who it was. Certainly those tests may lead to eliminating anyone else. (At that stage of the investigation, the police will not know whether he is going guilty or not guilty and so must preserve the evidence at the earliest opportunity).

Your insurance policy may well cover it in any event. I suggest you pay up and reclaim the costs from them.

I don't see that you have any cause for complaint against the police who were simply doing their job.

[Ethel]

This has been the case for some time:

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/insurance/car-ins urance/article.html?in_article_id=420126&in_pa ge_id=35

Make your brother pay - it's his fault

[ajosborne]

Thanks for the replies!

Barmaid - I really can see where you are coming from with this. But the Police already had sufficient evidence for conviction so they didn't need to retain the vehicle.
Secondly, the car was un-insured as it was not road whorthy and parked legally off-road whilst the work was completed.

I can't see why the Police couldn't have called me to get it collected myself, rather than shunt me with an excessive bill to get back MY car, that through no fault of mine has been impounded.

It appears yet another example of the justice system failing those law abiding citizens. =[

[Ethel]

How did you get it back, ajosborne?

The police need more evidence to prosecute than your say so, and formalities and procedures have to be folllowed.

I suggest you blame your brother, and not the police

[ajosborne]

I don't have the car back yet. SOCO are still to complete their tests (just over two weeks now!).

They have other whitness statements and the keys (as he dropped them at my aunts and asked her to return them to me).

I don't blame the Police, I blame my idiot of a brother.

From doing a little research, I am lead to beleive that the Police are to give you an option:

Quote:
... The alternative was that he would be given the car�s location if it was found and he could �retrieve it himself�.
�That�s free, sir,� the operator told him.

This doesn't appear the case.

Bad times!

[zbearspirit]

Sorry A but the other commenters are right about Police procedure, and their emphasis on preserving vehicles for evidence. Your only chance of recompense is when your brother hopefully attends court, the CPS lawyer can apply for compensation which could also include any damage to the vehicle.