1962 Bel Air Found...Tx. Stolen. 30 yrs later.

Your not going to believe this shit.....My brother just came across a stolen 1962 Chevy Bel Air, very good condition, no dents and no rust on the exterior. There is problem areas with the floor boards, other than that it's in great shape considering it's been here for so long on a 568 acre tract of land in Buffalo Texas. Found this while Hogg Hunting a few months ago.
David (brother) was hunting one evening on this property with a few friends with the land owners permission and while way out on the far end of the land he spotted this '62 sitting under a few large oak trees. He looked it over and thought it odd that it was there and in such good condition. Well they continued hunting and bagged a few hoggs and headed home. But before leaving, took the plate number and vin. He drove the next morning to the DVM office and had a friend of ours run the numbers and find out as much as we could that day. She couldn't give us much on the car so we filed a title history on her, and in the mean time went back to the land owner and told him of our find. He was suprised and to Davids suprise was shocked he had no idea the car was even there. Hmmm. Anyhow being that he was 87 yrs old and hadn.t been to that part of the land in sometime if ever David had no choice but to wait on the title history to arrive from Austin, Tx. Well this past week David got the title history back and found it to be red flagged and reported stolen in 1969, WOW. Well David in the mean time went to see if the land owner would part with the car and for $100.00...He was the new owner of an '62 Chevy. But.....The owner of the car lives in Live Oak, Texas and is still alive!!!!! SOME SERIOUS DETECTIVE WORK HERE. Well the previous owner was contacted and thought the car was long gone and never in her wildest dreams IMAGINED the car would be still around, let alone just 20 miles from her house. Well still not sure how and why the car reached it's final resting place but we think it was driven there and why? Theres an old ass barn not far from the car but the land owner said he never knew any of this was there. Well David said he found the car without it's lr wheel and tire. And the lugs were broken off. Maybe drove over something and busted the rear tire and just left it there. But it's like 6 miles off the County Road. Anyhow I'll keep you posted and what we need to do to get her titled. The old lady we found to be the previous owner was the original owner and still had the title to the car stashed away. So We are not sure were to go from here as far as how to get the title un-red flagged. Well here are some pics.

 

That car has secrets! Ryan wrote once about real steel having a soul all it's own. This is what he meant.

I don't think a title will be too much trouble with an affidavit from each party. Get 'em to write something down before anyone kicks the bucket!

 

Cool story! Whats with the red paint on the front?

 

OK I'm not a Texan so forgive my ignorance but what's an ass barn?

I'm thinking that what probably has to happen is the lady has to be reunited with her car and a police report filed stateing that the car was found and the original owner now has it. it actually may be the property of the insurance company at this point depends on if the insurance co paid her for the car or not.

Might not hurt to spend a couple of hundred bucks with an attorney or at the very least talk to the local DA. I don't know about texas but opssesion of stolen property can get you 3-5 up here. Hmmmmmn I wonder what the weather is like in Huntsville this time of year?

Well so much for being negative, that's pretty cool for sure. looks solid as a rock in the pics.

 

(Logically thinking, not legally, and we all know those two are many times way different from each other,) it shouldn't be too hard to register it if she "sold" the car (title) to you, unless she got a theft payoff from her insurance company at the time of the "theft", in which case it now belongs to the insurance company!

 

Odd. That looks like a relatively current license plate. I think I see some red on it, which it would not have had in 1969. Is it a '69 plate?

Slonaker

 

Well technically sounds like she is still the owner. But then again i don't know tha laws here. But if it's still red flagged then the stolen status must still be standing.

I bought a 1969 LeMans from a guy back in 1990 in Red Oak, TX. He said it had a lost title. Well when we went to apply for a new one the car came up titled to some one else. The car was not listed a stolen but we still had to contact the original owner to get the title. We tracked him down somewhere in Florida. He said the guy that had the car was supposed to fix it for him but kept it when the original owner did not pay.

So, in order for us to get the title the original owner felt like he should get somehing out of the deal so we offered him $50 to sign the title and send it to us. Luckly, he did.

Don't know if this helps but it's just another angle to look at the situation.

 

I think "Ass Barn" is Texan for "Chicken Ranch" (Nevadan) "Cat House" (also Nevadan) and "Hoe House" (South Central Los Angelesian). Can't wait to find me some Ass barns when I'm a texas way.

 

I love stories like this.I don't think you will have any troube getting the title worked out.as long as the insurance co.doesn't get involved.if they do the ol lady still has the option to buy the car back from them .so you may be able to do that.

 

Okay seriously, if she has the title, she is the owner. K.I.S.S. Have the police recover the car. Once recovered she can sell it to you, if that is what she wants to do. You may have jumped the gun by purchasing it first, after all it was stolen. Hopefully she don't want it and will go to the trouble of doing you this favor. But I'm pretty sure some one has to hang first, this is Texas we are speaking about. The police should not have to impound it. As long as she is present, they can just release it to her.

 

Sorry have to send up a BS Flag on this one, plate has red and blue on it!

68 plates are black with white letters
69 plates are white with black letters
70 plates are white with blue letters

 

I'll bet the car belongs to an insurance company, ask the nice old lady if she got a payout when the car was stolen.

Now that you have moved it and have it in your possession you have received stolen property. What a great campaign story it will be for the DA and a great news story for every TV station to report recovery of a car stolen in 1969 and returned to the insurance company as they lead you off in handcuffs in front of multiple news cameras. Re Read your post...even the old man who owned the property knew nothing about it and it will just be your word against their facts.

It probably would have been a good idea to call the cops when the car was in the field. Now, it might be best to get a lawyer and have him turn it over to the police on your behalf. Maybe you'll just get probation. The only way you will end up with the car is to buy it at auction when the insurance company puts it up....



Boy... that's a pretty gloomy assesment of the situation, isn't it. Guess what... that's how laywers and the police think. I'd be careful from here on out. I hope you end up with the car somehow but the cops take these things very seriously, I don't need the trouble, I would get rid of that as soon as possible...

 

Does the old lady want it back? If she does the car is still hers. She's the rightful owner. Just curious.

 

The car needs to be returned to it's rightful owner, period. You can get your money back by charging her a recover or tow fee, however, that doesn't mean you will get it. You are now a felon with a stolen vehicle in your possession. I would contact the police and turn it over to them. That $100 car is fixin to cost you a fortune in time served in jail, attorneys fees, court cost, and on and on. It's not your responsibility at this point to return it to her so don't feel obilgated to do so. You need to be very careful how you handle this.

Edit: I didn't mean to be such a downer but, if you have a family or business attorney now would be the time to call them. I hope you get the car cuz it looks decent, however, don't get yourself in trouble over a $100 deal. I found my last stolen vehicle myself and called the police to come look at it and take it off the stolen list and they did, since I was the owner, however, you are not and you've left yourself wide open on this. Folks, this is why you do your homework first, before you buy. Good luck on this one my friend.

 

Gotta raise the BS flag higher. The car found in a desolate corner of the property, right next to the barn!!!! There is a barn in front of the car in this picture.http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=215365&d=1156164946

 

Awesome paint job on the car! If you look at it from the front its red and when you look from the rear its green. Too cool.

 

Yeah JR, there's another building in the background too, now that I'm looking. What's up with that?

 

There is no need to worry about an insurance company owning the car. When an ins co pays for an unrecovered stolen car they take title to the car and transfer it into the name of the insurance company. That way if it is ever recovered they are notified. Fact. I have done this many times for several different insurance companies over the last 33 years.

All the BS about being a felon, worry about having the car, etc is hogwash. He didn't steal the car. And even by the wildest stretch of anyones imagination there ain't no one going to file charges against an Iraq war veteran home recuperating from war wounds that found an old car in the woods and bought it in good faith.

Just stay in touch with the lady, don't piss away any money on an attorney, buy the title from her after she notifies the authorities that it has been recovered and it is taken off the hot list. Even if you give her a couple of hundred bucks will still be the cheapest way to get a title.

And if she wants her car back give it to her, she will probably be so happy she will leave it to you in her will.

 

Only thing that could make this better is if its a 409 car..that would rock

 

I'm amazed that anyone would go to all this effort for a 62 4 door Chevy with rusty floors, broken lug nuts, and totally dead mechanically, even if it was only $100! Great story nonetheless!

 

no shit.. awesome story

hope ya find a 409 in it.

 

If she was paid out by the insurance company, she wouldn't have possesion of the title. The insurance company would have taken posession of it. I'm not sure on the logistics of insurance companies back in the 60's. Probably didn't have theft coverage. Cool story none the less.

 

Ok...Didn't think I'd get this much attention but here we go with an update. Ex husband of the lady is still alive in Centerville, Tx.. We told her that we needed an affidavit from her so that we can proceed with a title change over, this being prior to us reading all the responses here.. So she told us were to find her ex who was the rightful owner at the time of the theft....According to Mr. Williams, he filed a report with the local sheriff when it was stolen in 1971 and the car was eventually found 1 or 2 months after the theft and were My brother found it a few months ago. The insurance never got involved with the family since the car was recovered but not picked up by anyone due to the tire being broken off and the nearly no money to repair it. The car only had basic liabilty, he couldn't afford it any other way. The ex knew the previous land owner were the car ended up and felt that it wasn't worth the trouble "at that time" to get her from her resting place and he told my brother that over time just plain forgot about the car and time took over from there. He was amazed as one could be that the car was still on Mr. Anderson's property and now belongs to the Williams Family since 1973. He came by today and looked the car over and looked to be amazed with her condition and standing next to a car he hasn't seen in 36 yrs. He looked like he was reunited with a long lost family member according to my brother. Now with this information he is the owner of the car and we received a bill of sale from him today and now in the clear as for the ownership. Also talked with someone with the Department of Motor Vehicals in Austin about the red flag situation and will have to wait on an investigation on this issue.
Now as for the red paint on the car....He tried to paint it red with a brush but didn't come out as he had planned. The red on the plate seems to have come from red paint also, he tried to piant the underside of some of the front and rear underneath to help with rust protection. The sandy roads in the area play havoc on car bodies and suspension. So he's not a very good painter.
The barn(s) in the back ground are former chicken houses that was used back in the early century, They are old as dirt and believe me they look like they would blow over if pushed, and Mr. Anderson never knew they were even there until this find took place. This place contains nearly 500 acres of woods and grasslands. Most wasn't even transfersed by the Anderson Family or the Williams Family. Both were suprised to learn of the find. I'm sorry if some of you have red flags up but this story in a bonafide true story my friends... The old man wants us to keep him notified about the restoration progress and would like to take her for a spin if at all possible. So hopefully we can get her running soon enough and give him that ride before he passes on. He's 91 yrs old. WOW. Also the car has THE FIRST YR 327....I beleive it was the first yr it was introduced. Correct me if I;m not correct please.

Well Ihope you guys and gals enjoyed this as much as we have and will keep everyone updated. Thx.

 

That's a cool story, I enjoyed following along. Keep us posted should you get it running!

Mercma1951

 

Ranger-- VERY AWESOME STORY!!!

I live in die for stories like this including the happy endings!!! As we've all heard before there is nothing like the soul of old steel......

just goes to prove -->Barn cars (and field cars) do still exist....you just gotta find em first!!! What a story they will tell!!! Please keep us updated, love to see more pics and hope ya can get it done for the old man!!!

 

If the old lady still has the title then she wasn't paid off by any insurance company. I was an adjuster too many years and no adjuster ever paid off a car without getting the title in his hand at the same time. It was a 7 year old cheapy 4 door that had been wrecked at some time hense the red front sheet metal. It was worth very little and the old lady just had basic liability insurance on it, if any insurance at all. Not comprehensive coverage to cover theft. All he has to do is get the old lady to sign over the title and make things straight with the DMV that she got the car back and is selling it.

Tom

 

So far everything has gone our way....Fingers Crossed.

 

It sounds like the the local Sheriff's department kinda forgot to close the case when the car was recovered?? Or the Texas DMV fell down on the job??

That is good news.... Now you just have to pay 36 years of back taxes on it if you want to transfer the title. Just kidding... I have no idea how that works in Texas... In Missouri you would... plus penalties. God I'm negative today... what's up with that? I hope you get it with no hassles

 

Everyone has bad days and sounds like you are no exception today....The DMV has to communicate with the SO in Leon County and figure out what to do next is my guess. The SO told my brother yesterday that they will have to research the files and find out went wrong. There is a retired SO in the area I'm told but finding him will take sometime seeing the SO wouldn't give us any address or contact number for him....(Didn't really expect to get that info anyway)....He was apperantly the Sheriff there at one time, during this issue but sure as hell am certian he doesn't know or remember anything about this car or it's story. But will check all avenues we can transferse. The car is in remarkable good shape so really worth the trouble we think to get her titled and back on the road. Really so since the old owner has expressed his desire to take her for a drive once more.

 

Update on story,

The Sheriff Dept told my brother that the car is his to buy or whatever he feels like doing. The DMV Office in Austin will need to remove the Red Flag before he can title it or resell the car. The owner still had the title to the car so therefore the Insurance never had taken posession of the car and so my brother now owns it. Great finf bro, .....well hope everyone liked this story and looks to be coming to a great end for everyone. Any ideas on what we should do with her? Like to restore her and man would be great on fuel economy.