# Car stolen and returned. Keep or sell. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 19, 2011, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-stolen-and-returned-keep-or-sell/603427 "2011-11-19T06:30:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zulema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zulema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulema)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-stolen-and-returned-keep-or-sell/603427/1 "2011-11-19T06:30:54Z")
Your car is stolen and recovered by the police. One of the thieves is a known gang member. Is it safe to keep the car or would you sell it? It’s a car model popular with his gang and he knows where he can find it. Do gang members hold their arrest against the car owner or do they consider it part of doing business? ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-stolen-and-returned-keep-or-sell/603427/2 "2011-11-19T06:45:21Z")
Is this a hypothetical? Is there a horrible, foul smell of decay coming from the trunk that no cleaner can get rid of? ---
**Author:** ![Zulema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zulema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulema)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-stolen-and-returned-keep-or-sell/603427/3 "2011-11-19T07:00:54Z")
This is not hypothetical and the interior smells fine 🙂 We possibly live on the same street as other gang members and the car is only occasionally here. We would let it park in the garage when this happens. I’m worried that they might make it a mission to get the car back just to be even bigger assholes. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-stolen-and-returned-keep-or-sell/603427/4 "2011-11-19T08:26:22Z")
If they were out to get you, they’d just steal your next car. Or shank you for change. It’s not like these kids just CANT RESIST THE CAR. They are thieves, not junkies. How was it recovered? Better idea: Move. ---
**Author:** ![Zulema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zulema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulema)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-stolen-and-returned-keep-or-sell/603427/5 "2011-11-19T11:12:25Z")
They got stopped by the police in a nearby larger city, I’m not sure why, possibly because it had stolen plates. They left a bunch of halfeaten fast food in the car and the car is partially repainted. I actually think this car was targeted for the type of car it is. Less than 10 cars a year are usually stolen in our city and we don’t live on a street that everyone drives by. I definitely think there’s a neighborhood connection from some other stuff related to the theft. I really think it would be hard for them to resist this car and maybe next time they’ll get it out of town sooner. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-stolen-and-returned-keep-or-sell/603427/6 "2011-11-19T12:15:22Z")
The car is fine. Clean it up and enjoy. Get an anti theft device too. The real problem is that you are living with known thieves and not protecting yourself (apparently) or your property. This is not a great atmosphere to exist in unless you are in the gang. Well, maybe that’s the next option. Join up. Free cars. Maybe free room and board! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-stolen-and-returned-keep-or-sell/603427/7 "2011-11-19T13:16:20Z")
Sell, & avoid any possible grief. ---
**Author:** ![Zulema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zulema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulema)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-stolen-and-returned-keep-or-sell/603427/8 "2011-11-19T15:55:17Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > The car is fine. Clean it up and enjoy. Get an anti theft device too. The real problem is that you are living with known thieves and not protecting yourself (apparently) or your property. This is not a great atmosphere to exist in unless you are in the gang. Well, maybe that’s the next option. Join up. Free cars. Maybe free room and board! Seriously? Not protecting ourselves? As I stated above there are less than 10 cars a year stolen in our whole city. It is hardly “not protecting” myself to have a locked car outside. Now, since I know it’s a problem in this neighborhood, this car will be in the garage when it’s here but that will leave a different car outside. The problem also is that I don’t live in a bad neighborhood at all, it’s just that these days in a small town the bad element is sprinkled among everyone. Most of them are teens or young adults with law abiding parents that live in regular places. One of the actual thieves of this car does not live in this town but is local He possibly had big city help. The gangs in this area are definitely “starter gangs”, they’re just starting to learn the big crimes. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-stolen-and-returned-keep-or-sell/603427/9 "2011-11-19T16:50:03Z")
Kids who are stealing cars in a small town and it’s less than 10 a year? Baby gangs. Hooligans. Ever try talking to them personally about it?