What happens when a stolen vehicle is found years later?

Thoie · 28-11-2019 11:38AM #1

Just curiosity - spotted a news article earlier where a caravan that had been stolen a few years ago in another country was recovered a few days ago in Ireland. Someone had made the comment that the original owner probably wouldn't want it back.

Presumably at this stage the insurance company would have paid the owner for the loss, so does the insurance company own it now? Would it be their responsibility to get it brought back to the original country? Would they just pay the gardaí here to get it scrapped?

One man has been charged with the theft - if found guilty, would the original owner be able to pursue him for the additional insurance premiums they'd have been paying in the interim?

UrbanFox · 28-11-2019 07:09PM

Thoie wrote: »

Just curiosity - spotted a news article earlier where a caravan that had been stolen a few years ago in another country was recovered a few days ago in Ireland. Someone had made the comment that the original owner probably wouldn't want it back.

Presumably at this stage the insurance company would have paid the owner for the loss, so does the insurance company own it now? Would it be their responsibility to get it brought back to the original country? Would they just pay the gardaí here to get it scrapped?

One man has been charged with the theft - if found guilty, would the original owner be able to pursue him for the additional insurance premiums they'd have been paying in the interim?

If the owner from whom the caravan was stolen was given a full indemnity for the loss of the vehicle the insurers probably own it under the principle of subrogation.

In relation to the second question I suspect that it might be a stretch to expect to recover the additional premiums via a criminal prosecution. I would have thought that the thing to do would be to draw this to the attention of the prosecutor in the context of seeking restitution in the event of conviction.

That said if any order for restitution was made the insurers would have an entitlement to get some or all of it under subrogation. You can't win :rolleyes:

What happens when a stolen vehicle is found years later?

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