Detectives Want Stricter Laws To Curb Auto Theft Of Older Cars

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Last year, more than 1,800 vehicles were stolen in Metro Nashville, and detectives said that number could be significantly lower if it weren't for what they call a loophole in the law.

Right now Metro Detectives are doing what they can to catch car thieves with bait cars that help police catch auto thieves in action.

"It's like fishing you just have to sit there and wait," said Detective Tony Constant.

Detectives use GPS device hidden in those cars to track the crooks all in an effort to make an arrest before they trade the car for cash at the nearest scrap yard.

For 28-year-old William Webb and his 1992 Oldsmobile, it was too late.

"There is nothing wrong with the car anyway and they sold it to a salvage place for metal. It is worth way more than they got for it," said Webb.

Webb is one of 800 people this year who have had their vehicle stolen in Nashville. Like Webb, many of those missing cars are older models made before 2001 because in Tennessee they are easier to sell and harder for detectives to track.

"I could go on this lot and pick any car I want that's more than 10 years old or older and hook it up to a wrecker and take it over there and sell it today, and all I need is an ID," said Constant.

The problem is that the current law protects the salvage yards, not the car's owner. All you have to have to sell a car that is more than 10 years old is an ID. It could be a friend's ID or even a stranger's ID, making it hard to trace the sale to who actually stole the car. Detective Constant believes proof of ownership should be required to sell any car to scrap yards, no matter the year. But so far, it's been a losing battle with the lawmakers.

"We have tried to get the law changed but lobbyists for these salvage companies are powerful. They have spent a lot of money lobbying the legislature to get these laws just like they want," said Constant.

It leaves Webb wondering if a stricter law could have prevented his car from ending up in one of the scrap yard's massive metal heap.

"If that was in place I think I would still have my vehicle," said Webb.

Just last week, two men, Marlow Ezekiel and Anthony Franklin, were caught stealing a Metro bait car.

They were arrested at the Pull-A-Part shop where police say they were trying to sell the car.

Detectives said there is almost always a bait car somewhere in Nashville.

NEWS SOURCE

Action 9: Woman Says Junk Car Buyer Didn’t Pay Her

A woman who sold her truck to a junk car buyer claims she never got paid.Mae Reed was driving when she spotted a sign saying, “We buy junk cars.” She said it got her attention because she had just wrecked her 2005 Dodge truck.“It was totaled in a car accident,” Reed said.She called the number on the sign and said a man from Tom and Jerry Salvage came to her house. Reed said the man gave her a handwritten note saying he'd pay her $1,800 for the truck after he sold the parts.Then, Reed said, he talked her into signing over the title, saying he needed it to be able to legally tow her truck from Monroe.“So if he were stopped by the police, he would need to have the title to my truck, so I gave it to him,” Reed said.Action 9’s Don Griffin said that was her big mistake because after giving up her truck, she was left with a worthless piece of paper.“He didn't give me anything,” Reed said.Reed said when she called the number again, no one answered.Action 9 went looking for the owner of Tom and Jerry Salvage at the Eastway Drive address he listed. The house was up for rent, but the landlord showed up and said in the year she's owned it, no one buying junk cars has lived there.Later, Griffin reached the owner of Tom and Jerry Salvage on the phone. A man who identified himself as Joey Miller said he was away in Florida for a month. He claimed he paid Reed $1,000 for her truck, but wouldn't give any proof.It's led the Better Business Bureau to issue the following warning about junk car buyers.“You have to make sure though that you don't turn that title over until you have certified funds,” said BBB President Tom Bartholomy.

NEWS SOURCE

Semi involved in rollover crash on city's west side

An accident involving a semi carrying junk cars was reported on the city's west side a little before the evening commute Tuesday.

By Ann Keil Fox59

3:14 p.m. EDT, July 5, 2011
Indianapolis—
An accident involving a semi carrying junk cars was reported on the city's west side a little before the evening commute Tuesday.

The semi, that had been traveling eastbound, hit a curb then rolled over at Sam Jones Expressway and Holt Road around 3:00 p.m.

Topics
Transportation
Road Transportation
Injuries and Wounds

The Expressway was closed from I-70 east to Bradbury.

"It was sent out as an entrapment response. When our personnel arrived on scene they saw the multiple cars involved," said Wayne Township Fire Department Division Chief Michael Pruitt.

Pruitt said they were relieved to see the wrecked cars were cargo. Eleven vehicles were dumped onto the Expressway from the trailer.

The driver of the tractor trailer, Alvin Pilotte, told Pruitt he tried to avoid a car trying to make a u-turn at a railroad crossing, but he could not stop soon enough.

The truck was en-route to Omni Source when the accident happened.

The driver of the truck sustained minor injuries. No other injuries were reported.

"It was really scary. I thought something major happened. Thank God nobody was hurt," said Kim Holtsclaw, who lives nearby.

She continued."Illegal u-turns, speeding, people throwing stuff out of their windows are causing wrecks. They need to have cops sitting down there all the time because they would catch them all the time."

Zore's, Inc. was called in to clean up the debris.

"The cars are already crushed, and Billy, he knows how to do anything," said Denny Littleton with Zore's inc.

The expressway was reopened around 5:45 p.m.

NEWS SOURCE

Car towing company suspended from city program after turning Maspeth streets into junkyard

Irving Dejohn
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Thursday, July 7th 2011, 4:00 AM

A company that chronically parked junk cars on Maspeth streets has been suspended from a city program that authorized it to tow cars from accident scenes - much to the delight of frustrated residents.

The city Department of Consumer Affairs has removed American Auto Body & Recovery from the program, pending a hearing Thursday.

"DCA inspectors have issued violations to American Auto Body & Recovery, and as of last Thursday they will be suspended from the DARP program," said agency spokeswoman Abigail Lootens.

The company was part of the Directed Accident Response Program (DARP) and Rotation Tow Program (ROTOW), which allow towing from accidents and removing abandoned or stolen vehicles, respectively. The DCA regulates both programs.

DCA officials said that during two separate inspections, the company failed to present its DARP service call records.

Many locals and civic leaders questioned American Auto's inclusion in the program after the NYPD issued 86 summonses to the company in the first three months of this year.

The Daily News first reported in May about the company littering the area near its Flushing Ave. location with mangled and unmarked vehicles. Locals said their residential neighborhood had become a junkyard. DCA officials vowed to investigate.

American Auto owner Polina Loumakos declined comment on the upcoming hearing but defended the way her company operates.

"They just caught us on a bad day. Everything is done correctly at my shop," she said, adding that the cars on the street during the day were waiting to be transported. "I feel like all the media is trying to attack me. When you guys come here it's always during business hours," she said.

Residents who live near the shop were elated the city was taking action.

"If they take the program away from these guys they won't have any junked cars and everyone is going be happy," said Edison Bonifaz, 43, who lives on the same block as the body shop.

"We need people who can follow the law. We want to live in a nice neighborhood," he added.

Civic leaders said they were pleased with the agency's move.

"They were obviously in violation of the program and the guidelines, and I'm glad to see Consumer Affairs taking action," said Robert Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association. "It's about time."

NEWS SOURCE

TX junkyard only accepts classic cars

Written by NBC Universal

DENTON, Texas - What started as a hobby has turned into a career for David Williamson and his brother Allen. The Williamsons make their living while restoring bits of history.

They own CTC Auto Ranch, which isn't an average junk yard. The salvage yard in Denton, Texas has gained world-wide attention for the types of cars it collects.

"If these cars could talk, I bet some of them could really tell a tale," Allen Williamson, who remembers his father buying and selling old cars growing up, said.

The rusted cars and their parts are all classics, and according to Williamson were made in the 30s, 40s and 70s.

"It's kind of like walking into an antique store. To some people, it's going to be junk. To us, it's something to put something back on the road with. Make someone's dream come true with," David's brother Allen said.

The vintage salvage yard attracts classic car fans from all over the world like Nick Vandanhemel and his father who are from the Netherlands.

"It is quite a different world," Vandanhemel said. "I was looking for some parts for my Mustang that is 69."

"The most common phrase I hear here is, 'I've died and gone to Heaven,'" David said about his salvage yard.

Crash Dumps Junk Cars, Confuses First Responders

Semi Tips, Spills 10 Crushed Cars

INDIANAPOLIS -- Nearly a dozen junk cars were dumped onto Sam Jones Expressway on southwest Indianapolis side Tuesday in a crash between a tractor-trailer and a car, officials said.The driver of the truck said he was eastbound just after 2 p.m. when the car tried to make a U-turn in front of him. The semi driver said he tried to swerve, but struck the car and his tractor-trailer overturned. At least 10 junk cars were strewn across the roadway, causing confusion for first responders."(The) first report was multiple cars crushed," said Mike Pruitt with Wayne Township fire. "(We) haven't seen a mess like this in a while."The truck driver suffered minor injuries.The junk cars and the truck leaked a small amount of fuel onto the roadway, Pruitt said.Sam Jones Expressway was closed from Interstate 70 to Bradbury Road and is expected to remain shut down for some time for clean-up.The truck, from Wampler Services out of Frankfort, was headed to OmniSource in Indianapolis.

by TheIndyChannel.com

NEWS SOURCE

Your Scrap Car Still Has V alue, and Someone Wants to Buy It!

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It's a lemon that you don't want to pass off on to someone else, anyway.
You’ve had an accident and the cost to fix the car is too expensive.
The car is totaled and has been written off.
There’s little to no trade in value.
You want to clear your yard of rubbish!
The cost to have it re-registered is more than the cost of the car.
It costs more to fix than it's worth.
You haven’t started the car in months.
It's been sitting so long that it doesn't work anymore.

That sounds pretty bad! Not to worry, with one simple call to718 709 7293, you will receive your cash for junk cars quote immediately, based on the scrap metal value of your vehicle. If you like what you hear, you could have your car removed and cash in your pocket the same day you call! Better yet in three hours or less, we’ll be there with your cash on hand, ready to tow your vehicle to the scrap yard for free! It doesn’t stop there, benefit from knowing that we recycle each and every junk vehicle and dispose of all chemicals and waste properly and legally.

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