What Happens When Your Car Is Stolen Then Found UK

Report your vehicle as stolen.

Immediately contact the police and your insurance company if you think you know that your vehicle has been stolen.

Contact your local police station.

Dial 101 to contact your local police. They will need to know the following information: Your license plate number, vehicle make and model, and the color of your car.

The police will give you a crime reference number. This will be needed for your insurance company. You’ll need this when you call your insurance company.

The police will notify DVLA of the theft and if the vehicle is found, it will be returned to you either to be repaired or written off.

Call Your Insurance Company.

Insurance companies often have detailed instructions on how to make a claim. Find out if your policy covers the cost of a replacement vehicle. Although premiums can usually be paid in monthly or quarterly installments, it’s possible that you have to keep paying until your policy is due for renewal.

What you need to do when your insurance company pays out.

If your insurance company pays out on your claim, you will have to inform the DVLA that the car is no longer registered to you. This will avoid any complications down the road.

What happens if your car is stolen and never found?

If you’ve had your car stolen and the insurance company has been given a crime number, they are legally obliged to pay you out unless you have breached your policy. The payout will be determined by how much your vehicle is worth at the time.  You should expect then you purchased your car for because of the age and usage.

What happens when the police find my car?

If the police or, they are supposed to contact you and let you know. You’ll then have the opportunity to retrieve your car or the office will seize it for further investigation.

Recovering your vehicle if it has been stolen.

When you report your car stolen to your local police they should ask you if you want to have your vehicle recovered.

If your car is found, recovery will be arranged and you will be told where the police have found your vehicle. They will then proceed to examine the vehicle for any evidence left by offenders to help with subsequent investigations.

Once you learn that your vehicle has been recovered and have the details of where it is being held contact the garage and they’ll help coordinate its release with the police.

Always worth noting charges start 24 hours after the car is released.

I decline to have my vehicle recovered if it is found.

When your vehicle is found by the police there are few things that will happen.

If the police have found your car they will carry out a risk assessment to see if your vehicle is in a secure location. If the officer deems your car to be in a safe location and no risk to anyone or anything they will usually leave your vehicle where it is until you can collect it.

Arranging recovery of your vehicle yourself, the police officer won’t wait around for you to get to the location and they won’t arrange someone else to recover your vehicle for you, worth thinking about.

In some cases, an officer will carry out a risk assessment and deem it necessary for the Police Duty Garage to collect and tow the vehicle. This is done in accordance with powers under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. For example, if a car became involved in a collision and was blocking the road. You may be charged for this.

What are the authorities’ rights to remove stolen cars from where they find them?

The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 authorises the police to remove any vehicles they see illegally, dangerously, or in a broken-down condition.

Can anyone else remove vehicles?

Anyone can report abandoned vehicles. Traffic wardens and PCSOs (Police Community Support Officers) have the same power as police officers to give notices to remove vehicles under certain circumstances. The local authority has a duty to remove abandoned or damaged vehicles, including those that are no longer of interest to the police.

Will I have to pay if the police recover my stolen vehicle?

There are certain fees you are legally required to pay, which depend on the Home Office. The storage period starts from 12 PM on the day following your vehicle’s removal It is done this way to give the operator enough time to notify you.

What Number To Call To Report A Stolen Car?

Emergency  –  Dial: 999

If you have been assaulted, broken into, or are witnessing a theft take place, call 999.

What happens if my lease car is stolen?

After you have contacted the police and your insurance company get in touch with the leasing company and explain what has happened.  They may have policies to help you out in the situation and will have more detail on how they handle such events.

If your insurance company pays out it will only cover the cost of the vehicle at the time. It will not cover what you owe on the leasing contract.

What happens if your car gets stolen on finance?

You will have to continue paying the finance installments on your car while the claims are being settled. Once your car is found and returned to you, you will need to tell the insurance company or they may contact you.

Final Thoughts.

If you’re reading this you more than likely have had your car stolen and found, its a horrible time I can only hope you sort it quickly and smoothly and close the chapter as quickly as you can.

If you have found this blog helpful in any way please check out our blogs on steering wheel locks and Best Faraday Box UK  its worth fitting on and who knows it could have prevented your car from being stolen in the first place.