Thieves.......hang em high. - Stolen trailer

[lump]

Sorry about your trailer theft, John. It could have been much worse, if you had had some irreplaceable antique car parts inside, etc. 

 

I've had 3 trailers stolen in my lifetime. I recovered one of them, when a lazy thief didn't remove the small name and phone number of the previous owner on the front frame of the trailer, and then "owner" failed to pay a mechanic who came to his house to fix bad wheel bearings. The mechanic then noticed the serial number ground off, and called the police. The cops then dialed that phone number, and later I got a call asking if I had maybe sold the trailer. About 6 months later I got the trailer back. 

 

All types of locks are easy to cut off and remove, especially with today's cheap cordless hand-held grinders. The best two anti-theft tools I have finally settled on are 1) removing tires & wheels from one side of the trailer, and 2) Putting bold vinyl graphics on the sides of the trailer (vinyl graphics are miserably difficult to remove, and paint soon peels off of them). Cops might easily spot a stolen trailer with very specific graphics on it. None of the trailers stolen from me had graphics on them, nor did any of them have wheels removed. 

 

With so many trailers sitting around in America, thieves tend to look for easy marks. 

 

[8E45E]

3 hours ago, lump said:

Putting bold vinyl graphics on the sides of the trailer (vinyl graphics are miserably difficult to remove, and paint soon peels off of them). Cops might easily spot a stolen trailer with very specific graphics on it.

As I've stated in the past, my bold graphics will be pictures of plugged toilets and backed-up drains with "Joe's Sewer & Draincleaning Service" on the sides.

 

Craig

[TAKerry]

2022-12-05_04-01-40 by Kerry Grubb, on Flickr

Had my trailer out today to pick up some material. Pretty generic, thinking about something wild for the graphics. Since I have a black and gold trans am I think the trailer graphics (in a scaled down version) from Smokey and the Bandit would be cool!

 

 

An ex buddy of mine (refer back to the never lend out tools thread!) had a semi trailer full of high end woodworking equipment from when he closed down his commercial shop. Left it stored at a junk yard business. About 3 months later he got a phone call from the PA state police (we are in MD) that his trailer was involved in an accident. Seems that the junk yard sold the trailer off without his knowledge, without changing the registration which was still in his name. And it had a stolen trailer tag.  It got ugly, but after a long while and many police agency's involvement he was able to recover the tools.

[George Cole]

On 12/5/2022 at 9:23 AM, EmTee said:

Remove one or more of the wheels if the trailer isn't used regularly.

 

In many places, wheels 'permanently' removed from a vehicle...trailer or otherwise...constitutes an inoperable vehicle, subject to the wrath of local code enforcement gestapo.

[EmTee]

1 hour ago, George Cole said:

...constitutes an inoperable vehicle, subject to the wrath of local code enforcement gestapo.

I would argue otherwise so long as it has a valid registration and license plate attached.

[zepher]

47 minutes ago, EmTee said:

I would argue otherwise so long as it has a valid registration and license plate attached.

Current license means nothing in most areas.

Vehicle must not be kept in an inoperable state if it can be seen from the street in most communities. 

[EmTee]

Well, I can't comment on local laws.  In any case, removing a wheel doesn't render the trailer permanently inoperable.  Cutting-off the tongue, on the other hand...

[28 Chrysler]

54 minutes ago, EmTee said:

I would argue otherwise so long as it has a valid registration and license plate attached.

In my home town (1960s), missing a hubcap was a partly dismantled vehicle and against a city ordinance. (population 2,500)

[EmTee]

And I thought NY was bad...

[George Cole]

11 hours ago, zepher said:

Current license means nothing in most areas.

Vehicle must not be kept in an inoperable state if it can be seen from the street in most communities. 

 

 

9 hours ago, Bills Auto Works said:

 

  No Such Thing as a wheel permanently removed from a vehicle! Wheels can be reinstalled in minutes!  A well placed No Trespassing without a warrant sign, a big dog & a big gun will keep those Nosey busy-bodies county gestapo's  off your property!

 

God Bless

Bill

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/nationwide-single-car-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/

Local jurisdictions/zoning Gestapo's create their own definitions of 'inoperable,' including here where a wheel left off a vehicle renders the vehicle 'inoperable,' regardless of how long it takes to reinstall the wheel.  That's why I put 'permanent' in parenthesis.  

 

Zoning laws have held up in court.  Unlike law enforcement, zoning inspectors do not require a warrant and have full and unrestricted access to your property.  One being attacked by an aggressive dog or threatened with a gun would undoubtedly not fare well for the property owner.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

1 hour ago, George Cole said:

 

 

Local jurisdictions/zoning Gestapo's create their own definitions of 'inoperable,' including here where a wheel left off a vehicle renders the vehicle 'inoperable,' regardless of how long it takes to reinstall the wheel.  That's why I put 'permanent' in parenthesis.  

 

Zoning laws have held up in court.  Unlike law enforcement, zoning inspectors do not require a warrant and have full and unrestricted access to your property.  One being attacked by an aggressive dog or threatened with a gun would undoubtedly not fare well for the property owner.

 

 Sure glad I live in TEXAS.  In a SMALLER town.

 

  Ben

[TAKerry]

I have had literally many tens of thousands worth of tools stolen from jobsites over the years. We would use a sea box. They cut the locks. Then we put on the best lock you could buy. They cut the latch. Then we parked the backhoe tight to the door. They cut through the side of the container! AND broke the glass and put sand in the fuel tank of the machine. It got to a point that we put material only and tools went home every night. We have a philosophy, 'If you want your tools in the morning, take them home tonight'. I have no need for thieves at all, however I am not going to end up being the bad guy for protecting my stuff. I just try to make sure my insurance is paid up and stay cautious, and aware.

[Jim Skelly]

6 hours ago, George Cole said:

 

Zoning laws have held up in court.  Unlike law enforcement, zoning inspectors do not require a warrant and have full and unrestricted access to your property.  

Where I live, the ordinance officers have to have the owner's permission to enter the yard to inspect for complaints from neighbors over a messy property.  Adjoining property owners can give permission to have the officer visually inspect the mess from their property.  This is in suburban Detroit.   

[1wonton]

What this country needs is a little Muslim justice.

[George Cole]

5 minutes ago, Jim Skelly said:

Where I live, the ordinance officers have to have the owner's permission to enter the yard to inspect for complaints from neighbors over a messy property.  Adjoining property owners can give permission to have the officer visually inspect the mess from their property.  This is in suburban Detroit.   

No here.  Zoning officers have unrestricted access to anyone's property.  One day when I was at work, my neighbor observed a zoning inspector pull a cover off a car parked in my driveway, record the license plate number, and then walk away leaving the cover laying on the ground...in the rain.  I called the zoning office to file a complaint and was told to go piss up a rope as they have every right to inspect as they please.

[avgwarhawk]

10 minutes ago, George Cole said:

No here.  Zoning officers have unrestricted access to anyone's property.  One day when I was at work, my neighbor observed a zoning inspector pull a cover off a car parked in my driveway, record the license plate number, and then walk away leaving the cover laying on the ground...in the rain.  I called the zoning office to file a complaint and was told to go piss up a rope as they have every right to inspect as they please.

Should have pursued this. On your property illegally.   

[63RedBrier]

So, in order of bad to worst:

 

Pond scum

 

Used car salespersons

 

Time share salespeople

 

Real estate inspectors

 

Zoning officers

 

Anyone care to add to the list?

[1wonton]

28 minutes ago, 63RedBrier said:

So, in order of bad to worst:

 

Pond scum

 

Used car salespersons

 

Time share salespeople

 

Real estate inspectors

 

Zoning officers

 

Anyone care to add to the list?

Lawyers on top, then local planning department.

[George Cole]

2 hours ago, avgwarhawk said:

Should have pursued this. On your property illegally.   

Not illegally.  Courts have upheld zoning inspectors right of access on private property to inspect areas in public view...unlike law enforcement looking for something specific which requires a warrant.  

 

https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/can-a-zoning-inspector-come-on-my-property-without-3372357.html

Edited December 8, 2022 by George Cole (see edit history)

[avgwarhawk]

1 hour ago, George Cole said:

Not illegally.  Courts have upheld zoning inspectors right of access on private property to inspect areas in public view...unlike law enforcement looking for something specific which requires a warrant.  

 

https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/can-a-zoning-inspector-come-on-my-property-without-3372357.html

Personally I think they are overstepping their bounds. It also appears they feel you can be spoken too like that as a result of this law. 

Edited December 8, 2022 by avgwarhawk (see edit history)

[1wonton]

2 hours ago, George Cole said:

Not illegally.  Courts have upheld zoning inspectors right of access on private property to inspect areas in public view...unlike law enforcement looking for something specific which requires a warrant.  

 

https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/can-a-zoning-inspector-come-on-my-property-without-3372357.html

Good thing my Rottweiler can't read the law.

[avgwarhawk]

49 minutes ago, 1wonton said:

Good thing my Rottweiler can't read the law.

 

There are car covers with exposed portion that rests by the back tag to allow a view of the tag and current registration.  I wonder if that would make a difference.  Even so, in George Cole instance, the investigator should have returned the cover and left the area as he found it.   

[Frank DuVal]

6 hours ago, 1wonton said:

What this country needs is a little Muslim justice.

Great.  You want to be killed for walking to the store clean shaven. 5 minute trial with no lawyer. Be careful what you ask for.

 

I do not want to live under that justice. 

[1wonton]

13 hours ago, Frank DuVal said:

Great.  You want to be killed for walking to the store clean shaven. 5 minute trial with no lawyer. Be careful what you ask for.

 

I do not want to live under that justice. 

Wait until your get your possessions stolen, your daughter raped or your life destroyed by some lowlife.  There are more than enough laws in our country to put every criminal behind bars for life, yet our "liberal" justices and court system keeps letting human trash walk our streets without regard for their fellow man.  Steal; cut off the offending hand; Rape; cut it off.  Eye for Eye.+

[Jim Skelly]

Removing a car cover from a covered vehicle would likely not be considered something an ordinance officer is allowed to do since it's not an observation from public property or an adjoining neighbor's property.