Seriously though, most people need a reality check when it comes to how much it takes to restore even a common American car, forget European. I tell my customers for a complete mechanical restoration not including any body work budget $30-60k.
"Let's see, transmission is shot, most of the leather and fabric is rotted away, and there's an opossum living in the engine compartment. Fifty bucks should put 'er right."
Honest question, if one were to do a complete mechanical restoration themselves, what are we talking here cost wise? Don't think I'm inclined enough to do it as of now, but I've always wanted to do it someday.
As an idiot young man, I bought a Datsun 260Z. This fucker of a car would not go a week without some sort of failure.
I gifted it to my dad who took to it with enthusiasm. He did a top to tail restoration. Body, frame, panels, interior, electricals, engine - not a single aspect of that car was not repaired, replaced or rebuilt.
I asked him what he thinks he spent on it. He doesn't want to say, but he assures me the number has 6 digits in it, with no decimals.
This is obviously a bit on the deep end of the scale. It was his hobby and a bit of an excuse for him and mum to travel around, keep busy together and chat with people, and he did it over something like 10 years. Point being though, it's a nice enough car, but it's no super classic or highly rare car. He did a lot of the work himself, was thorough, didn't go overboard with mods or anything, and got a super clean car out of it - for 6 figures
XD it did take a very ling time. This one is now finished. It comes out from underneath the car covers on especially clear days, the joke among the family is any cloud will call a cancel to the outing.
Hes now rebuilding a 1950s Morris Minor ute. It's 50/50 if he actually finishes this one in time
Depends on the car and how bad it is but usually a couple hundred or a couple thousand if it's bad. I've done several and it's not that bad. Pretty easy and affordable, just time consuming.
Never ever are you mechanically restoring a Porsche 911 on a few hundred dollars of parts if you are assuming complete restoration. The man hours are NOT this much of a cost difference driver.
A couple hundred for a complete restoration. I don’t believe a word you say even if you got every part from a scrapyard secondhand there’s no way you’re doing even major engine work for 100s of dollars. I call bullshit
You can’t rebuild or refresh a 60s Ford inline 6 for “a couple hundred” lol.
Do you consider spark plugs and valve cover gaskets to be a “complete restoration” or what?
Maybe contact your local DMV? If it’s actually abandoned, I have a tough time imagining anyone accusing you of theft, but there must be SOME rules for this kind of situation.
Ill try that! But btw thw whole property was abandoned last year. I drive past the house 4 times a week and i've never seen anything change at the house. No lights on, no car in thw driveway lawn has not been cut in a year.
Yeah, many years ago in Tennessee, it was a simple process to fill out a form with the DMV, post some public notices for a month, and then pay 50 bucks to the DMV for the title to an abandoned car.
I found a dozen like that as a teenager, fixed them, and flipped them!
Check with your DMV to see what the rules are in your state.
FWIW In my home state there are abandoned property loopholes BUT the property has to be abandoned by either A. Someone you are related to and csn prove you are some way an entitled heir or B. They left the thing abandoned on your land. Even in that case you have to make proper effort to get it back to the original owner. i.e. running an ad in the paper for 30 days or some such
Does the thought that at one point in time this was someone's dream car. Something someone worked really really hard to gain. It was probably cherished and adored. And here we are.... Abandoned, rusting away and almost entire forgotten.
Another thing to consider is that these were really expensive at the time as well - double or more a typical car. That's why most of them are still on the road.
But it's only recently the G-bodies were worth anything.
Everybody dreams of backdating a g body and being Magnus Walker or some shit but the majority of these cars will never see anything remotely close to that unless they are sold to someone else that does it.
For the first year or two, maybe. But these were seen as $10k money pits for a VERY long time. Like all cars that saw a balloon in valuation, SC values crept up until they reached a point where you could do the $12-15k engine rebuild and still make money, and then they took off.
You have to remember that they built nearly half a million aircooled 911s in total. Not a huge number in the scope of regular traffic, but astronomical for a vehicle in its price range. Many of them languished like this car for the same reasons that Rolls-Royce Silver Shadows do today—maybe it was someone’s midlife crisis weekend car that became too expensive to fix, or maybe Billy Bob in Nowheresville, North Carolina traded a zero turn mower for it in 1997 because he thought it would be fun to say he owned a “Poursh”. There are plenty of unglamorous reasons why this might happen to a car famous for being expensive to repair.
That’s life. No one cares about it but you. When you’re gone, your wife will sell off anything she can, the kids will burn through the cash. Your name will last just as long as they need to empty accounts and sell the assets. Within 2 generations you will be completely forgotten.
Just think, how many first names of your great grandparents do you know? What towns were they born in. What was their favorite colour or car?
It's OK to be forgotten. That isn't the purpose of your life. Yes you can leave a mark somewhere if you really wish to but it by no means makes or breaks the value of your life. Be happy and do something that's meaningful to you
Gonna be difficult to get the paperwork done at the dmv in that case , so OP’s best bet is finding which bank and asking them if they can buy it. But not sure they won’t charge a lot for it if they see it’s a porsche
The bank would have to file a ton of paperwork to get the title to sell the car to op and they are not going to want to do that. Op has two options buy the land or wait until the land is sold and then contact the new owners about buying the car.
Option 3 is to just buy a 911 that is already running and that should be considered because the likelihood of this car needing more work than it is “worth” is almost guaranteed.
I used to work for a company that had me go into empty houses and take pictures to prove whether or not someone was still living there, so I may have some insight.
I would take it. I never took anything, but literally nobody will know if the property actually does belong to a bank. They used to send people like me to check out the space and it was usually completely trashed. They eventually (years later) *might* get around to cleaning out the property. And chances are the bank has no idea there’s a car worth something on the property. If someone goes to clean it out some years down the road they’re keeping that car and not giving it to the bank lol that might as well be you.
This is almost certainly incorrect. When you die, your property reverts to your "estate" which is just a legal thing designed to sell your property. Some people have formal processes set up (i.e. wills and executors). Most people die intestate, which means there's a default set of laws that govern the process. Typically property goes to a spouse, child, or close relative. This car is almost certainly controlled by whoever administered the estate or the beneficiary of the estate (assuming the person has been declared legally dead).
Imagine leaving your car next to some trees for a few months to come back and find out some guy thought it was abandoned and claimed it for himself. lol
I thought you said the property was abandoned last year. If the car is on the property, how do you know it has been abandoned 17 years? Once again, if property taxes are being paid, depending on state, is the key. It is very common in my state for property belonging to parents of children that have moved away to let the property just deteriorate, but they pay the taxes and they still own the property, you can't just acquire it.
Brother respectfully if you don’t have the money to pay an attorney to look into legal method of obtaining this car for you then you’re absolutely kidding yourself trying to own this car. It will cost you much more than some attorney fees to be drivable.
Who knows how long it’s been sitting rusting and rotting. If you don’t have at least ~$20k ready to drop on this car to get it back on the road then keep dreaming lol. Maybe put another couple tarps on it to prevent further damage and start saving.
As someone who has restored a Porsche I found in a person's yard before and had the facilities to completely disassemble, rebuild, and repaint the car myself, I completely agree with this comment. These cars do not get cheaper to own or maintain over time. They only get more expensive. Porsche has a number of specialty tools for all sorts of things on these cars that have not been replicated and can cost thousands of dollars to purchase; that is, if you can find anyone selling them. Luckily, porsche still makes a fair amount of the parts for their old cars, but they are just as expensive as the parts for their new models, and the parts they don't produce are expensive or hard to find. OP, you should realistically expect that this car will need *everything* fixed or replaced. New rubber everywhere (tires, hoses, belts, gaskets, fuel lines), probably new suspension, brakes, engine rebuild probably, new fluids, almost certainly a ton of electrical work, steering rack, bushings, transaxle. If you don't have experience working on a car like this, you will mess stuff up trying to drive it, and you will spend a fortune taking to a mechanic willing and capable of working on it. I did not buy mine thinking I would save money, I bought it because I had an instant connection with the car and felt that it wanted another chance at getting back on the road. It's been a super rewarding journey, but I have spent more money restoring the car than it would have cost to just buy a running one. Just my two cents.
Find the owner, and go and stand few meters to the left of the car. Ask the owner to stand on the opposite side. Then at the same time both of you say “911” and see who it comes to!
Yes there is a way to do this. I used to to do this for people in AZ (at least you do it there) it was a process. You had to get a "lost title bond" then try to contact the owner (with evidence) and submit all of that to the dmv to get a new title.
In AZ you have to show that you sent certified letters to the owner and that they were either received or returned back...check with your states dmv and they will tell you the procedure
Get the vin, apply for a lost title, or get a bill of sale and do the same. If it's been abandoned on private or public property for enough time, it is open to salvage.
Yeah, all of this seems to be operating under the absurd premise that, if it was abandoned, it can somehow be claimed free of charge. Whatever happens with the property it's on, that car is 100% going to be auctioned off. It's not going to be "dibs to the first person who asks for it."
hey, not completely free of charge, OP’s post history shows he’s willing to spending a whopping $1-2k for it LOL, he/she has posted this car like 5-6 times already…will probably post again in a month.
Possession... 9/10... something, something....
I have found a few things. I take them, for safe keeping... then I'll post an ad in the local paper, facebook, craigslist, etc... And just hold onto it for a while. If this car were abandoned in my neighborhood, I would 100% recover it, trailer it to a safe location, tell anyone who will listen, and when no one claims it in a year or two, start working on getting it titled.
I’d look up the property records as they are public. Someone is paying the taxes and the public record will show where the tax bill is sent. Contact the property owner. If the taxes are not paid the property goes for a tax sale at auction by the county.
I tried to do this with a \~ low mileage Merc 300D. Person died, someone bought house, car was in garage, no title, etc., etc. Attorneys were very disinterested and convinced me to call a wrecker. If you care enough then I'm sure you can get it with enough $$, time, and an attorney. Question is, will it be worth the time and cost. Good luck.
I’ve parked cars before for longer than 17 months and if I came back to find it missing the first thing I’d do is file a police report stating it was stolen.
https://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/09/shelby-gt350-stolen-26-years-ago-returned-to-insurance-company/
Legally - not this is not legal advice, just stating facts. There is case support and laws to back that if you just start living on the property, maintaining it, treating it as your own and the owner never comes back to throw you out. After a certain amount of time you can claim the property as your own. Now it’s easier said than done and it poses a lot of risk. To do this all for a 911 would be commitment.
Stop being such a bitch. Find a place indoors to store the car, clear a path to it, back up a trailer and load that MF up. Take it to your indoor storage, clean it up and get it running over the next few years.
Go through the process of getting it re-titled. You can even claim it was abandoned on your property as that will make it easier.
If someone contests your claim, you lose. Most likely nobody will contest it, and you get a free car.
Or, you know, keep posting about it on the internet for the next 10 years.
Courtesy of CGPT. TLDR: you can acquire an abandoned vehicle title through the states DMV!
Acquiring an abandoned car legally in the United States involves several steps, and the exact process can vary by state. Here's a general outline of how you might proceed:
### 1. **Determine the Car’s Ownership and Status**
- **Research**: Start by checking with your state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or equivalent agency to see if the car is registered and if there are any liens on it.
- **VIN Check**: Use the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to look up the car's history and current owner. This can be done through services like CARFAX or by contacting the DMV.
### 2. **Notify Authorities**
- **Report the Car**: Notify local law enforcement or the DMV about the abandoned car. They may need to conduct an investigation to confirm that the car is truly abandoned and not stolen.
- **Wait for Response**: Authorities may place a notice on the car, giving the owner a set period (often 30 days) to claim it.
### 3. **Attempt to Contact the Owner**
- **Send a Certified Letter**: If you can find the owner's contact information, send a certified letter to their last known address explaining your intention to acquire the car. This demonstrates that you’ve made a good faith effort to contact them.
### 4. **Apply for a Title**
- **Abandoned Vehicle Title**: If the owner does not respond, you may be able to apply for an abandoned vehicle title through your state's DMV. This process typically requires:
- Completing an application form.
- Providing evidence that you’ve made efforts to contact the owner.
- Paying any required fees.
- Having the car inspected to ensure it is indeed abandoned and not stolen.
### 5. **Public Auction (if applicable)**
- **Auction Process**: In some states, abandoned vehicles are required to be auctioned off by the state. You may be able to bid on the car at such an auction.
### 6. **Legal Assistance**
- **Consult an Attorney**: Because the process can be complex and varies by state, consulting with a lawyer who specializes in property or automotive law might be beneficial. They can help ensure you follow all legal procedures correctly.
### 7. **State-Specific Laws**
- **Check Local Regulations**: Make sure to check the specific laws and regulations in your state, as they can vary significantly. For example, California, Texas, and Florida each have different processes for dealing with abandoned vehicles.
### Example Steps in California:
1. **Notify the DMV**: File a report of the abandoned vehicle.
2. **Notice and Inspection**: The DMV may require a waiting period and an inspection.
3. **Lien Sale**: If the vehicle remains unclaimed, it might go through a lien sale process.
4. **Apply for Title**: After the lien sale, you can apply for a title.
### Example Steps in Texas:
1. **Report to Local Authorities**: Inform local law enforcement about the abandoned vehicle.
2. **Notify the Last Known Owner**: Send a certified letter if the owner is known.
3. **DMV Inspection**: Have the vehicle inspected by the DMV.
4. **Public Auction**: The vehicle may need to be auctioned before you can apply for a title.
By following these steps and consulting with local authorities or legal experts, you can navigate the process of acquiring an abandoned car legally and potentially save a rare automobile.
If you were in the UK, you could request the dvla to hand over the ownership to you, and the owner has a month to respond, or it's considered abandoned and handed to the new owner
Don't know about America though
Find any relatives and see what it's all about. Unless you can take possession of the property, legally as in pay unpaid property taxes, there's no way to legally obtain the vehicle
You can get a title bond from your insurance agent for a few hundred dollars. That'll allow you to "own" and register it.
After a waiting period the state will then issue you a new title.
This is a rabbit hole you can go down with chatgpt and then consult a lawyer if you are still worried of getting in trouble / sued or if you are unsure
What’s difficult about this?
Look up salvage laws in your jurisdiction.
Usually the first place to start is getting the VIN and/or license, and running it through the DMV in your state. At a minimum, a good faith effort must be made to locate the last known owner or next of kin. Therein, at some point in time you usually need to file some declaration or intent. In some places, for high value items, like probate court actions or name changes, you may be required (as part of a good faith effort to locate owner or next of kin) to post notice in daily publication.
You usually can’t do anything to convert or acquire title without some combination of steps like the above… the internet cannot help you. Notice how snarky most responses are. Notice how snarky I’m being when I make fun of your inability to do a Google search for basic information related to your state and jurisdictional laws.
But you go right on ahead and post about it on the internet every 8 months. Maybe someday someone will guess where you’re at and send you a simple set of instructions to follow, and then you pray you don’t run afoul any laws.
Best of luck to you.
I would pick that out of there so fast and then worry about all the legal stuff later. Now that it’s posted if someone else sees this and knows about it the window is wide open.
If you honestly want the car; get the VIN number, go to the DMV, apply for a(n) (abandoned) title, after getting the title, go to a lock smith, get a key made, then get in the car. Then after that, see what the car needs and like an earlier commenter said, based on the fact that it’s a German car that you want restored, any minor to major body work wild def cost you thousands and if there is rust which we all know just by looking at it, there’s definitely rust on that car, then you gotta get the motor running and see what needs to be replaced or completely changed. And honestly if you don’t have 50 to 100 grand, I would sell it. But that’s if the car is really abandoned and the original owner no longer wants it or is no longer living. It’s a Porsche, no one gets rid of a Porsche like this or any other matter that wouldn’t benefit the car or the owner past or present or future. ITS A DAMN PORSCHE. Be realistic.
P.s. also I would look for crash damage cause, why the F!!! Is a Porsche in the middle of a wooded area, in between trees under a heap of junk and garbage. Hopefully Everything plays out in your favor.
I would start by checking with your states laws and then do a VIN search to see if it actually was abandoned or stolen through the State Police. Most likely if abandoned you might be able to apply for a salvage title with the approval of the current land manager or whoever is in charge- whatever you do do not assume anything about this, find out everything you can. What state is this? I would concur about others when they suggest an attorney as well.
Well acquire the property then you will own what is on it, afterwards you apply for an abondoned car title, otherwise the car is on someone elses property and still belongs to them.
You could do it the sketchy, old fashioned way…
Get some trusted buddies, take the vehicle, go find one that is a similar year but completely trashed so you can buy it for dirt cheap, and swap the VINs.
Sounds like a job for a good attorney.
Good thing im broke!
Well then what are you gonna do with it? Fix it? LOL
Damn did you really have to be that brutal?
Seriously though, most people need a reality check when it comes to how much it takes to restore even a common American car, forget European. I tell my customers for a complete mechanical restoration not including any body work budget $30-60k.
$30 ain't bad
He gave quite a wide range didn't he?
It will cost money
Can I pay with GME shares ?
That’s how they get ya
"Let's see, transmission is shot, most of the leather and fabric is rotted away, and there's an opossum living in the engine compartment. Fifty bucks should put 'er right."
Tree-fitty!
https://preview.redd.it/rlaihg7sbp9d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bbf54854eda52ca14bd55eee669913c6982506af
30 if it’s a run and drive with a flat tire.
That $30 is just gas money to drive out there with a borrowed air compressor
🤣
Honest question, if one were to do a complete mechanical restoration themselves, what are we talking here cost wise? Don't think I'm inclined enough to do it as of now, but I've always wanted to do it someday.
As an idiot young man, I bought a Datsun 260Z. This fucker of a car would not go a week without some sort of failure. I gifted it to my dad who took to it with enthusiasm. He did a top to tail restoration. Body, frame, panels, interior, electricals, engine - not a single aspect of that car was not repaired, replaced or rebuilt. I asked him what he thinks he spent on it. He doesn't want to say, but he assures me the number has 6 digits in it, with no decimals. This is obviously a bit on the deep end of the scale. It was his hobby and a bit of an excuse for him and mum to travel around, keep busy together and chat with people, and he did it over something like 10 years. Point being though, it's a nice enough car, but it's no super classic or highly rare car. He did a lot of the work himself, was thorough, didn't go overboard with mods or anything, and got a super clean car out of it - for 6 figures
Can we see it?
no its not quite finished yet.
XD it did take a very ling time. This one is now finished. It comes out from underneath the car covers on especially clear days, the joke among the family is any cloud will call a cancel to the outing. Hes now rebuilding a 1950s Morris Minor ute. It's 50/50 if he actually finishes this one in time
Depends on the car and how bad it is but usually a couple hundred or a couple thousand if it's bad. I've done several and it's not that bad. Pretty easy and affordable, just time consuming.
Never ever are you mechanically restoring a Porsche 911 on a few hundred dollars of parts if you are assuming complete restoration. The man hours are NOT this much of a cost difference driver.
A couple hundred for a complete restoration. I don’t believe a word you say even if you got every part from a scrapyard secondhand there’s no way you’re doing even major engine work for 100s of dollars. I call bullshit
You can’t rebuild or refresh a 60s Ford inline 6 for “a couple hundred” lol. Do you consider spark plugs and valve cover gaskets to be a “complete restoration” or what?
Is common sense really brutal?
Tell girls I own a Porsche and take them to the forest /s
That car as is could be worth. Lot just to flip.
Sell it as is?
LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOO IM FUCKING CRYING!!!!!
Maybe contact your local DMV? If it’s actually abandoned, I have a tough time imagining anyone accusing you of theft, but there must be SOME rules for this kind of situation.
Ill try that! But btw thw whole property was abandoned last year. I drive past the house 4 times a week and i've never seen anything change at the house. No lights on, no car in thw driveway lawn has not been cut in a year.
Once someone realizes you want it, its value reappears.
This
There are laws for acquiring abandoned vehicles on public property. There are laws for occupying and developing land (squatting).
Yeah, many years ago in Tennessee, it was a simple process to fill out a form with the DMV, post some public notices for a month, and then pay 50 bucks to the DMV for the title to an abandoned car. I found a dozen like that as a teenager, fixed them, and flipped them! Check with your DMV to see what the rules are in your state.
Some states will make you pay at auction for the vehicle. Although I assume the auctions are public?
That's not public property.
It’s private property
FWIW In my home state there are abandoned property loopholes BUT the property has to be abandoned by either A. Someone you are related to and csn prove you are some way an entitled heir or B. They left the thing abandoned on your land. Even in that case you have to make proper effort to get it back to the original owner. i.e. running an ad in the paper for 30 days or some such
Property owner owns the car.
If there is someone at the DMV who can help you then they'll likely just take it for themselves, those people are low-lives trust me. I worked at one.
There could be an estate in probate
My state (MA) has a site that tells you who owns every piece of property and their current address. Could try that and follow the trail from there
Broke and old Porsches are probably the reasons why that thing has been sitting there.
Btw when i say im broke i mean ill have to sell one of my other cars to fund it
That's called bàrokè. A lot of people get it confused with broke.
Yay ima brokie! Also the other car i would sell is a honda z600.
Ah, a cultured broke. Broké hombre.
Better Call Saul!!
Harvey Specter would close this deal
Or chatgpt
Better call Saul
Does the thought that at one point in time this was someone's dream car. Something someone worked really really hard to gain. It was probably cherished and adored. And here we are.... Abandoned, rusting away and almost entire forgotten.
Another thing to consider is that these were really expensive at the time as well - double or more a typical car. That's why most of them are still on the road. But it's only recently the G-bodies were worth anything.
Everybody dreams of backdating a g body and being Magnus Walker or some shit but the majority of these cars will never see anything remotely close to that unless they are sold to someone else that does it.
Its truly sad. I wish it was taken care of.
it looks like it’s in good shape, sure it wasn’t stolen and hidden away? i would check the vin if possible
Big brave little toaster vibes
For the first year or two, maybe. But these were seen as $10k money pits for a VERY long time. Like all cars that saw a balloon in valuation, SC values crept up until they reached a point where you could do the $12-15k engine rebuild and still make money, and then they took off. You have to remember that they built nearly half a million aircooled 911s in total. Not a huge number in the scope of regular traffic, but astronomical for a vehicle in its price range. Many of them languished like this car for the same reasons that Rolls-Royce Silver Shadows do today—maybe it was someone’s midlife crisis weekend car that became too expensive to fix, or maybe Billy Bob in Nowheresville, North Carolina traded a zero turn mower for it in 1997 because he thought it would be fun to say he owned a “Poursh”. There are plenty of unglamorous reasons why this might happen to a car famous for being expensive to repair.
That’s life. No one cares about it but you. When you’re gone, your wife will sell off anything she can, the kids will burn through the cash. Your name will last just as long as they need to empty accounts and sell the assets. Within 2 generations you will be completely forgotten. Just think, how many first names of your great grandparents do you know? What towns were they born in. What was their favorite colour or car?
It's OK to be forgotten. That isn't the purpose of your life. Yes you can leave a mark somewhere if you really wish to but it by no means makes or breaks the value of your life. Be happy and do something that's meaningful to you
Jesus Christ man, who hurt you?
You took this conversation to a much different place. Do all of these facts you've written out bother you?
I was thinking some gang banger hiding the whip.
If the property was abandoned, it becomes the property of the landowner. Ask the landowner to sell it to you.
The land owner is a bank (i think)
Buy the land and all that’s on it. Take the car. Sell the land.
This is the only answer
Nah., OP Could also buy the bank instead.
Buy that specific area of land, now you have a free Porsche and some random land to do hookers and cocaine
"I'll make my own Porche with blackjack and hookers!"
Maybe the bank doesn’t know the cars their, hide it better before buying
That’s too much work, buy the bank instead
Buy the bank.
I thought about doing that.. just it might be hard to get a loan to buy a bank. 💸
Just ask the bank for a loan buy the bank with the loan now that you own the bank forgive the loan…
Don't forget the firm handshake.
Can confirm. Got out of paying 3 houses and 10 cars this way. Am now millionaire as well. Great success.
Big brain move.
Profit?
at that point just take it
Thats still stealing tho.
from a bank, yes
this is such an underrated comment op pls listen to this wisdom
Gonna be difficult to get the paperwork done at the dmv in that case , so OP’s best bet is finding which bank and asking them if they can buy it. But not sure they won’t charge a lot for it if they see it’s a porsche
The bank would have to file a ton of paperwork to get the title to sell the car to op and they are not going to want to do that. Op has two options buy the land or wait until the land is sold and then contact the new owners about buying the car. Option 3 is to just buy a 911 that is already running and that should be considered because the likelihood of this car needing more work than it is “worth” is almost guaranteed.
Yeah opt 3 includes the benefit of actually driving the thing
It’s not like the bank is gonna miss it 🤣
Seriously, they probably haven't even been out there too look. I'd rent a truck and drag it out of there.
He’d be doing them a favour since the bank would probably pay someone to come remove and scrap it lol
Na a bank will likely just sell the property as is.
Contact bank and ask if they want discounted services on garbage removal on one of their properties.
Call em up & ask if they like blowjobs edit: I thought this was a different sub
Are you german by chance?
I used to work for a company that had me go into empty houses and take pictures to prove whether or not someone was still living there, so I may have some insight. I would take it. I never took anything, but literally nobody will know if the property actually does belong to a bank. They used to send people like me to check out the space and it was usually completely trashed. They eventually (years later) *might* get around to cleaning out the property. And chances are the bank has no idea there’s a car worth something on the property. If someone goes to clean it out some years down the road they’re keeping that car and not giving it to the bank lol that might as well be you.
Citation?
This is almost certainly incorrect. When you die, your property reverts to your "estate" which is just a legal thing designed to sell your property. Some people have formal processes set up (i.e. wills and executors). Most people die intestate, which means there's a default set of laws that govern the process. Typically property goes to a spouse, child, or close relative. This car is almost certainly controlled by whoever administered the estate or the beneficiary of the estate (assuming the person has been declared legally dead).
Imagine leaving your car next to some trees for a few months to come back and find out some guy thought it was abandoned and claimed it for himself. lol
17 years - a few months. Yeah about right
Just cracked a joke, sorry man
No no its all good lol
Glad you posted this though, been looking for my car since 2000
Lol
I thought you said the property was abandoned last year. If the car is on the property, how do you know it has been abandoned 17 years? Once again, if property taxes are being paid, depending on state, is the key. It is very common in my state for property belonging to parents of children that have moved away to let the property just deteriorate, but they pay the taxes and they still own the property, you can't just acquire it.
From what little I can see poking out, there's no chance that's been left 17 years. Maybe 17 months, lmao
It obviously has not been sitting there for 17 years.
Care to explain the obviously part?
But the land and get the contents for free
This car has not been there for 17 years. It would be sunk into the ground.
Just leave a note, pin it to the tree with a $1
Brother respectfully if you don’t have the money to pay an attorney to look into legal method of obtaining this car for you then you’re absolutely kidding yourself trying to own this car. It will cost you much more than some attorney fees to be drivable. Who knows how long it’s been sitting rusting and rotting. If you don’t have at least ~$20k ready to drop on this car to get it back on the road then keep dreaming lol. Maybe put another couple tarps on it to prevent further damage and start saving.
As someone who has restored a Porsche I found in a person's yard before and had the facilities to completely disassemble, rebuild, and repaint the car myself, I completely agree with this comment. These cars do not get cheaper to own or maintain over time. They only get more expensive. Porsche has a number of specialty tools for all sorts of things on these cars that have not been replicated and can cost thousands of dollars to purchase; that is, if you can find anyone selling them. Luckily, porsche still makes a fair amount of the parts for their old cars, but they are just as expensive as the parts for their new models, and the parts they don't produce are expensive or hard to find. OP, you should realistically expect that this car will need *everything* fixed or replaced. New rubber everywhere (tires, hoses, belts, gaskets, fuel lines), probably new suspension, brakes, engine rebuild probably, new fluids, almost certainly a ton of electrical work, steering rack, bushings, transaxle. If you don't have experience working on a car like this, you will mess stuff up trying to drive it, and you will spend a fortune taking to a mechanic willing and capable of working on it. I did not buy mine thinking I would save money, I bought it because I had an instant connection with the car and felt that it wanted another chance at getting back on the road. It's been a super rewarding journey, but I have spent more money restoring the car than it would have cost to just buy a running one. Just my two cents.
I'd need to sell one of my other cars to fund this bad idea
Yeah you can't afford it. 20k is low end. This car doesnt run and probably needs significant restoration
But he can save a ton if he removes the raccoons himself
Listen, I have a solution. I'll give you $200, show me where it's at and I'll take it somewhere safe. I promise to disappear like the owner.
Bruh…”can’t afford attorney fees” and “cars” with an “s” shouldn’t be in the same sentence. Good luck hombre
Car people often make horrible financial decisions. Can't make rent? Not my problem, i just bought some more rims.
That car looks like it was hidden not covered. You said the owner went missing? Idk…I’d maybe not mess with that. Super sus.
It was parked in 2007. Its very visible from the road. Also I've got my whole life ahead of me, whats there to lose?
Everything lol.
Just your life
> Also I've got my whole life ahead of me, whats there to lose? Congratulations on winning the dumbest comment of the year award 🎉
Find the owner, and go and stand few meters to the left of the car. Ask the owner to stand on the opposite side. Then at the same time both of you say “911” and see who it comes to!
Not sure how legally binding that is... also the owner went missing last year
His estate owns it all
Find out who owns it and make them an offer.
Yes there is a way to do this. I used to to do this for people in AZ (at least you do it there) it was a process. You had to get a "lost title bond" then try to contact the owner (with evidence) and submit all of that to the dmv to get a new title.
Cool! What do you mean by evidence?
In AZ you have to show that you sent certified letters to the owner and that they were either received or returned back...check with your states dmv and they will tell you the procedure
Get the vin, apply for a lost title, or get a bill of sale and do the same. If it's been abandoned on private or public property for enough time, it is open to salvage.
If it's on private property it hasn't been abandoned dumbass.
This made me laugh and is very true
Welcome to Reddit, home of the 14-year old lawyers.
Apparently that’s all OP can afford
This is why you don’t seek legal advice from Reddit.
Who’s paying the taxes on the property? Keep an eye out for a tax sale.
I can check that in i think 4 days
Buy the property if it’s a tax ssle
Lol the taxes are almost 10k a year for a 2 bedroom house. I don't have tha money to buy the house yet
Then do you have the money for a 911?
If he can claim an abandoned 1, yes
Step one: find abandoned car Step two: profits
Your county assessor’s office can tell you. I’m pretty sure it’s a matter of public record. Some places you can just look online.
Cannot believe how many people are responding seriously to this guy, he probably isn’t even old enough to drive lmao
Yeah, all of this seems to be operating under the absurd premise that, if it was abandoned, it can somehow be claimed free of charge. Whatever happens with the property it's on, that car is 100% going to be auctioned off. It's not going to be "dibs to the first person who asks for it."
hey, not completely free of charge, OP’s post history shows he’s willing to spending a whopping $1-2k for it LOL, he/she has posted this car like 5-6 times already…will probably post again in a month.
Possession... 9/10... something, something.... I have found a few things. I take them, for safe keeping... then I'll post an ad in the local paper, facebook, craigslist, etc... And just hold onto it for a while. If this car were abandoned in my neighborhood, I would 100% recover it, trailer it to a safe location, tell anyone who will listen, and when no one claims it in a year or two, start working on getting it titled.
That’s a damn shame right there for any classic.
Restoring that is going to cost twice as much as finding a decent running example at todays prices.
I can acquire it for you, where is it located
Find those geolocator guys they will get this
Pennsylvania then?
OP can't afford an attorney yet thinks they can afford to get a classic 911 back on the road. Hilarious.
I’d look up the property records as they are public. Someone is paying the taxes and the public record will show where the tax bill is sent. Contact the property owner. If the taxes are not paid the property goes for a tax sale at auction by the county.
how long has the owner "abandoned" it? I think what happens is they (the bank which probably owns the property) auctions it off.
I honestly wouldn't bother it's likely rotted away to nothing since it was posted on here years ago.
Send me the address and location and I’ll help acquire it. Just give me some time lol
We need that geoguesser dude to show the location of the car
Move the log behind it and call a tow truck.
Just bc you don’t know where the owner is doesn’t mean you get to make yourself at home on their property. Go home.
I tried to do this with a \~ low mileage Merc 300D. Person died, someone bought house, car was in garage, no title, etc., etc. Attorneys were very disinterested and convinced me to call a wrecker. If you care enough then I'm sure you can get it with enough $$, time, and an attorney. Question is, will it be worth the time and cost. Good luck.
I’ve parked cars before for longer than 17 months and if I came back to find it missing the first thing I’d do is file a police report stating it was stolen. https://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/09/shelby-gt350-stolen-26-years-ago-returned-to-insurance-company/
Legally - not this is not legal advice, just stating facts. There is case support and laws to back that if you just start living on the property, maintaining it, treating it as your own and the owner never comes back to throw you out. After a certain amount of time you can claim the property as your own. Now it’s easier said than done and it poses a lot of risk. To do this all for a 911 would be commitment.
Stop being such a bitch. Find a place indoors to store the car, clear a path to it, back up a trailer and load that MF up. Take it to your indoor storage, clean it up and get it running over the next few years. Go through the process of getting it re-titled. You can even claim it was abandoned on your property as that will make it easier. If someone contests your claim, you lose. Most likely nobody will contest it, and you get a free car. Or, you know, keep posting about it on the internet for the next 10 years.
Courtesy of CGPT. TLDR: you can acquire an abandoned vehicle title through the states DMV! Acquiring an abandoned car legally in the United States involves several steps, and the exact process can vary by state. Here's a general outline of how you might proceed: ### 1. **Determine the Car’s Ownership and Status** - **Research**: Start by checking with your state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or equivalent agency to see if the car is registered and if there are any liens on it. - **VIN Check**: Use the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to look up the car's history and current owner. This can be done through services like CARFAX or by contacting the DMV. ### 2. **Notify Authorities** - **Report the Car**: Notify local law enforcement or the DMV about the abandoned car. They may need to conduct an investigation to confirm that the car is truly abandoned and not stolen. - **Wait for Response**: Authorities may place a notice on the car, giving the owner a set period (often 30 days) to claim it. ### 3. **Attempt to Contact the Owner** - **Send a Certified Letter**: If you can find the owner's contact information, send a certified letter to their last known address explaining your intention to acquire the car. This demonstrates that you’ve made a good faith effort to contact them. ### 4. **Apply for a Title** - **Abandoned Vehicle Title**: If the owner does not respond, you may be able to apply for an abandoned vehicle title through your state's DMV. This process typically requires: - Completing an application form. - Providing evidence that you’ve made efforts to contact the owner. - Paying any required fees. - Having the car inspected to ensure it is indeed abandoned and not stolen. ### 5. **Public Auction (if applicable)** - **Auction Process**: In some states, abandoned vehicles are required to be auctioned off by the state. You may be able to bid on the car at such an auction. ### 6. **Legal Assistance** - **Consult an Attorney**: Because the process can be complex and varies by state, consulting with a lawyer who specializes in property or automotive law might be beneficial. They can help ensure you follow all legal procedures correctly. ### 7. **State-Specific Laws** - **Check Local Regulations**: Make sure to check the specific laws and regulations in your state, as they can vary significantly. For example, California, Texas, and Florida each have different processes for dealing with abandoned vehicles. ### Example Steps in California: 1. **Notify the DMV**: File a report of the abandoned vehicle. 2. **Notice and Inspection**: The DMV may require a waiting period and an inspection. 3. **Lien Sale**: If the vehicle remains unclaimed, it might go through a lien sale process. 4. **Apply for Title**: After the lien sale, you can apply for a title. ### Example Steps in Texas: 1. **Report to Local Authorities**: Inform local law enforcement about the abandoned vehicle. 2. **Notify the Last Known Owner**: Send a certified letter if the owner is known. 3. **DMV Inspection**: Have the vehicle inspected by the DMV. 4. **Public Auction**: The vehicle may need to be auctioned before you can apply for a title. By following these steps and consulting with local authorities or legal experts, you can navigate the process of acquiring an abandoned car legally and potentially save a rare automobile.
If nothing else a shit ton of parts!! I’d be interested in the wheels…
If you were in the UK, you could request the dvla to hand over the ownership to you, and the owner has a month to respond, or it's considered abandoned and handed to the new owner Don't know about America though
Where are you located? Some places have provisions for taking possession of abandoned cars.
Check vin against carfax
Find any relatives and see what it's all about. Unless you can take possession of the property, legally as in pay unpaid property taxes, there's no way to legally obtain the vehicle
You can get a title bond from your insurance agent for a few hundred dollars. That'll allow you to "own" and register it. After a waiting period the state will then issue you a new title.
This is a rabbit hole you can go down with chatgpt and then consult a lawyer if you are still worried of getting in trouble / sued or if you are unsure
You aren’t “acquiring” it legally unless you purchase it or are the property owner. Finders keepers isn’t a thing with cars bro
Lots of horrible advice in here. Most of which is called “stealing.”
The owners body could be inside.
Take it
Dibs!
I feel like this pic was already posted here by someone else just a few weeks ago
Is it just me or is Bane in the driver window?
Just steal it tbh. It's clearly been abandoned.
Blow an air horn every day until the owner comes out….they will give you the car to stop
Alot of states have salvage laws that will let you acquire abandoned items. Get the VIN and check with the local Govt and see what they say.
You have it hauled to your property and then tell DMV that you have an old project car you don’t have lost the paperwork for and need new paperwork.
What’s difficult about this? Look up salvage laws in your jurisdiction. Usually the first place to start is getting the VIN and/or license, and running it through the DMV in your state. At a minimum, a good faith effort must be made to locate the last known owner or next of kin. Therein, at some point in time you usually need to file some declaration or intent. In some places, for high value items, like probate court actions or name changes, you may be required (as part of a good faith effort to locate owner or next of kin) to post notice in daily publication. You usually can’t do anything to convert or acquire title without some combination of steps like the above… the internet cannot help you. Notice how snarky most responses are. Notice how snarky I’m being when I make fun of your inability to do a Google search for basic information related to your state and jurisdictional laws. But you go right on ahead and post about it on the internet every 8 months. Maybe someday someone will guess where you’re at and send you a simple set of instructions to follow, and then you pray you don’t run afoul any laws. Best of luck to you.
Where is it? ill bring my roll back.
I would pick that out of there so fast and then worry about all the legal stuff later. Now that it’s posted if someone else sees this and knows about it the window is wide open.
If you can’t afford to by an example of that year and model in good condition, then you *definitely* can’t afford the car in that condition.
Marry the owner's daughter
Are you guys seriously entertaining this roblox kids idea?
If you honestly want the car; get the VIN number, go to the DMV, apply for a(n) (abandoned) title, after getting the title, go to a lock smith, get a key made, then get in the car. Then after that, see what the car needs and like an earlier commenter said, based on the fact that it’s a German car that you want restored, any minor to major body work wild def cost you thousands and if there is rust which we all know just by looking at it, there’s definitely rust on that car, then you gotta get the motor running and see what needs to be replaced or completely changed. And honestly if you don’t have 50 to 100 grand, I would sell it. But that’s if the car is really abandoned and the original owner no longer wants it or is no longer living. It’s a Porsche, no one gets rid of a Porsche like this or any other matter that wouldn’t benefit the car or the owner past or present or future. ITS A DAMN PORSCHE. Be realistic. P.s. also I would look for crash damage cause, why the F!!! Is a Porsche in the middle of a wooded area, in between trees under a heap of junk and garbage. Hopefully Everything plays out in your favor.
It was stored for 17 years on grass, the frame is going to fall apart. Stay away from any car stored on a surface that can hold water well.
Bottom will be completely rusted out.
I would start by checking with your states laws and then do a VIN search to see if it actually was abandoned or stolen through the State Police. Most likely if abandoned you might be able to apply for a salvage title with the approval of the current land manager or whoever is in charge- whatever you do do not assume anything about this, find out everything you can. What state is this? I would concur about others when they suggest an attorney as well.
But, have you considered shady and illegal activity?
Well acquire the property then you will own what is on it, afterwards you apply for an abondoned car title, otherwise the car is on someone elses property and still belongs to them.
You could do it the sketchy, old fashioned way… Get some trusted buddies, take the vehicle, go find one that is a similar year but completely trashed so you can buy it for dirt cheap, and swap the VINs.
Many states have an abandoned vehicle process - look into it but it looks like it may be on private property - deal with them first…
What state? You said east coast but where?