My Boat is Stolen!

[Lonnie Clemens]

Last Friday after work I went to check on my boat.  Drove up to the storage facility and it was gone.  I knew immediately what had happened.  I called the Springfield Police non-emergency phone number and left a message.  Then I contacted the owner of the storage unit.  He told me that he was sorry that my boat was stolen and there was nothing he could do.  The facility has a fake security camera and no insurance to cover customer losses.  It was a place to store my boat in the city.  It was a 14 foot jon boat with a 9.9 Mercury outboard on it.  I have been upset all weekend, but State Farm is working on the issue with me.  I don't know how much I will be compensated, if anything.  Thank you for listening.  

 

Lonnie

[gim]

That is unfortunate Lonnie. Hopefully your insurance can compensate you.

 

I recall another thread recently about someone losing all their stuff from a boat in storage.

[slonezp]

Hopefully your insurer will sue the yard for the loss...and then some

[FishinBuck07]

Sorry to hear this!  Very sad that people feel the need to take from others.  Hope they figure something out for you!

[Finessegenics]

I hope all goes well. The amount of boat thefts I've been hearing about is absurd. 

[islandbass]

Sorry to hear that. A fake camera? Might as well put a sign up for thieves saying no security. The thieves probably realized it was fake. 

[A-Jay]

Well that's a major gut punch ~

Sorry to hear this.

If you have some, perhaps plaster some boat, motor & trailer pics 

all over social medial.

Maybe someone will see it and get the word back to you.

Good Luck with your insurance company as well.

Makes folks hate people.

A-Jay

[GaryH]

Sorry to hear.. thief’s suck…

[Junger]

Good luck with the insurance company, make sure you monitor your local craigslist boat section and if you see it up for resale, alert the police and maybe they can put in a sting operation.

[TnRiver46]

I had a boat stolen once, farm bureau insurance covered it. Then I moved out of that apartment complex months later and some Guy came up to me and started some small talk. He asked why I was moving, i said because someone stole my boat. Turns out he watched some folks in a red pickup truck steal my boat, but he just thought it was some of my friends borrowing the boat 

[ironbjorn]

More and more stories of thievery lately. This new world is madness. Hope you get compensated.

[Skunkmaster-k]

I hope whoever stole it gets busted. 

[Trox]

Worst nightmare... Hope it all works out for you somehow in the end

[Way2slow]

The first thing I would do is check the lease agreement.  I would also see if they advertise secure storage.  Then I would check on local rules for the small claims court.  If he advertises or claims SECURE STORAGE, I would be inviting him to join me in small claims court.

[islandbass]

2 hours ago, Junger said:

Good luck with the insurance company, make sure you monitor your local craigslist boat section and if you see it up for resale, alert the police and maybe they can put in a sting operation.

Indeed, and don’t forget offer up.

 

Someone broke into my daughters car and stole her backpack and the stupid drug addict tweaker posted it on offer up. I almost got it back, but he sold it. And if you’re asking, no, I was not going to pay to get it back. I was going to kick his you know what. And don’t be fooled by my small stature. I would have judo-ed his butt to the ground and made him beg for mercy. I cannot stand thieves. Period. Once again, sorry to @Lonnie Clemens. It didn’t even happen to me and yet it riled me up and ticked me off. ??

[jbsoonerfan]

As bad as it may sound. I would hope it is never found or found totaled. When my truck was stolen the guy put almost 800 miles on it in a day and it was all scratched and dented up. My front suspension was shot. I had to replace upper A arms, CV joints, etc. Broke head lights, cig burns in the seats, cracked mirrors, broke dash, and many other things. Since it was recovered, my insurance gave me a check for $500 after my deductable.

[Hammer 4]

I HATE thieves. Can't be said enough. Hope you get the boat back, or at least some $$$$ from your insurance. Some very good advice above.

[Elkins45]

With all the supply chain issues the best thing might be a recovery as long as they don't damage it much. I understand boat stuff is in high demand but short supply right now.

[Sam]

Yes, we all hate thieves. 

 

But if you take the law into your own hands you become the perk and the thief gets the benefit of the doubt.

 

It would be nice to set up a perimeter around your boat and vehicle, protecting it from anyone entering the protected zone.  But you can't. You will be prosecuted if you attack the thief or fire a warning shot and good luck if you hit someone.

 

I know this does not sound fair. We had a Chesterfield County police officer speak to my American Legion Post last summer on gun laws and the use of force to protect your family and possessions and he started off with these words that grabbed everyone's attention: "Don't move the body. We can tell if the body has been moved and if so, we are coming after you or whoever moved the body."

 

He said if we see anyone stealing your gold three wheeler with the diamonds and rubies all over it, let it go.  You try to stop the perk and you are the one in trouble.

 

Makes sense?  No, but it will keep you out of trouble. Call local law enforcement, file a report, and clean that weapon!!! (Just kidding about the weapon)  Let the police handle the situation.

 

Sorry to read about your boat. It will probably turn up after the Illinois registration sticker expires and someone will notice it or the Illinois wildlife and fisheries notices the expired decal while the boat is on the water, or on the ramp/parking lot, or if the perk is pulled over for a moving violation.

 

 

 

 

[Bankbeater]

Sorry about your boat. That sucks.  I hope the insurance  company comes through for you.

[Lonnie Clemens]

4 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

Sorry about your boat. That sucks.  I hope the insurance  company comes through for you.

 

State Farm is working with me on the situation.  Thank you very much.  

Would like to thank everyone for their support and replies.  It is good to know that there are people who understand.  State Farm is working with me on the issue.  It is good to have insurance, but it doesn't replace everything.  I put a lot of work into that boat.  

 

Sincerely, 

 

Lonnie

[GRiver]

I hope everything works out for you. 

[Bird]

Thieves are the lowest form of life. 

I've had nothing but positive experiences with State farm, hope you do as well. 

[gim]

What I might suggest from now on is a lock on the boat trailer.  I've never had something like this stolen, but I've heard horror stories about people having their boat trailer stolen in the parking lot while they were fishing.  I invested in a pair of locks that are keyed alike for my truck hitch and my trailer pin.  They aren't going to stop someone who is determined and has a serious set of tools, but it makes me feel a lot better knowing that 99% of the time my trailer is going to be there when I return from fishing.

[MN Fisher]

16 minutes ago, gimruis said:

What I might suggest from now on is a lock on the boat trailer.  I've never had something like this stolen, but I've heard horror stories about people having their boat trailer stolen in the parking lot while they were fishing.  I invested in a pair of locks that are keyed alike for my truck hitch and my trailer pin.  They aren't going to stop someone who is determined and has a serious set of tools, but it makes me feel a lot better knowing that 99% of the time my trailer is going to be there when I return from fishing.

Good investment - locks the hitch and the coupler...same key works with both. Yes, I have this pair.

https://www.amazon.com/Master-Lock-2848DAT-Receiver-Coupler/dp/B0009V1WSE/ref=sr_1_12?crid=2XO14W72C04YV&keywords=master+lock+trailer+lock+set+keyed+alike&qid=1643897120&sprefix=master+lock+trai%2Caps%2C162&sr=8-12