You might also call the local police impound lot to find out if your car is there. If you don’t see any signs, ask a lot attendant, building manager, or a shop employee or resident nearby if they saw your car being towed. If your car is being financed, check your payment history and contact your finance company to make sure your car hasn’t been repossessed.
Include a specific description of your car in the letter, listing its make, model, year, color, license plate, and VIN number. Write “Park the vehicle legally and notify me of its location so I can recover it. " Don’t tell them to return it to you, because that implies continued permission to drive the car. Add that if you don’t recover your car by a specific date (such as 24 hours from receipt of the letter), you will report the car stolen. Some police departments have forms you can use to make sure you’ve used the right language and included all the necessary information. Mail your letter using certified or registered mail with return receipt requested, so you’ll know when the person has received the letter. Only after that can you report the car stolen. In some areas, you may have to wait up to 10 days after you get the mail receipt to report your car stolen before law enforcement will take a report or investigate. You also must be willing to press charges against the person for auto theft.
If you don’t know your vehicle’s VIN, your insurance company can provide it to you. It may also be listed on your insurance statement or in your account information online. Only the registered owner of a car can report it stolen. If you routinely drive a car owned by someone else, contact them to file the report.
Include any personal items in your glove box, as well as anything in your trunk. If you had a roadside emergency kit, list that as well. It had tools in it which could be valuable to a thief.
Tell the officer that your car has been stolen, and provide the location where the car was last seen. Let the officer know of any efforts you’ve made to ensure the car was not towed or repossessed. Give the officer as much information as you have about your car. Tell them if there are any distinguishing characteristics about your car, such as bumper stickers, tinted windows, or after-market rims. If you have a GPS tracking system or other anti-theft device in your car, let the officer know.
Take your case number and photo ID with you when you go to pick up your police report. You may have to go to a local precinct, or to a central records office.
For example, if a friend tells you they spotted your car on the side of the road, find out the exact location where the car was spotted and call the police. Don’t attempt to go to the location and recover your car on your own – it may be a trap.
Don’t go overboard and call the detective every day. Remember that it’s likely they’re working on a lot of cases. Do call them once or twice a week to check in. Be polite and have patience. Don’t vent your frustrations on the detective, it won’t do you any good.
With comprehensive coverage, your insurance covers the total market value of your car, if it isn’t recovered, minus your deductible. Some insurers offer the replacement value. However, in most cases you’ll get the fair market value of your car on the date of the claim, which will be less than what you paid for the car and may be less than you currently owe (if your car is financed. If your car is found, your auto insurance will cover any damages to your car during the theft, minus your deductible.
If the car is involved in an accident, you may be held liable for the damages if you don’t report your car stolen to the insurance company. If you let someone borrow your car and they have failed to return it, call your insurance company even if you can’t file a police report yet. Let them know that the person has retained your car without your permission and the car is no longer in your control. Explain why you can’t file a police report yet, and the steps you’ve taken to get your car returned to you.
If your insurance company has a mobile app, you may be able to file a claim through the app as well. The adjuster will need a full description of your car, as well as the names and contact information for anyone who had access to your car. They’ll also want to know the location of all keys to the car. Have the account and contact information available for your finance company as well. Some auto insurance companies will contact your finance company for you.
Keep records of every conversation you have with an insurance adjustor while your car is still missing. Write down the date and time of the call, as well as the name of the person you spoke with and what was said. If an adjustor requests documents or information from you, provide it as soon as possible. Make a copy of every document you send to your insurance company and keep it with your records.
Wait to file a claim until you know for sure that these items are gone. You also want to check your policy. If the value of the stolen items is less than your deductible, you’re better off just replacing them yourself.
When you first talk to your insurance company, ask them if you are responsible for notifying your finance company of the theft or if they will do it for you. Don’t assume your insurance company is taking care of it, even if they take down information from you about your finance company. You may be on the hook for the balance of the payments if your car is not recovered and your insurance doesn’t cover it.
Notify the local police department as soon as your car is recovered. They may have an officer come and meet you at the border to process the recovery of the car. At the border, let the border agents know that your car was reported stolen and has been recovered. Provide identification as well as proof of ownership to ensure you aren’t detained any longer than necessary, or that your car is not impounded.
The detective who found your car will give you a phone number for the impound lot to which your car was towed. Call them ahead of time and find out how much you owe in towing and impound fees, and what methods of payment are accepted. Ask if the car is in drivable condition. Otherwise, you may need to make arrangements to have a tow truck meet you at the impound lot so you can get your car to a mechanic.
Typically the insurance company will tell you to take your car to a mechanic to get it inspected, even if there doesn’t appear to be anything wrong with the car. Take them up on this, otherwise you may end up paying out of pocket if a problem occurs later, even if it happened as a result of damage from the theft.
If you find anything that doesn’t belong to you, notify police immediately. Don’t touch it or move it, and don’t move your car until police come and process the evidence.
Mechanics will inspect your car thoroughly and provide a written estimate of repairs to be completed. If you’re paying for repairs yourself, you can choose which you want to do now and which you want to save for later. The mechanic will tell you which repairs must be done immediately. When repairs are coming out of your own pocket, you may want to get more than one estimate so you can make sure you’re getting the best deal. If repairs are being covered by your insurance, go through the estimate and be honest about any problems that your car had before the wreck. For example, if the mechanic has included repairing scratches to the paint on a door, but you know the scratches have been there for months, let them know that doesn’t fall under the insurance claim. It may seem like a minor thing, but letting insurance pay to repair something that wasn’t part of your claim is insurance fraud.
