Mark J. Ginsberg

I have recovered bikes for myself and for others over the years.

Growing up in the mean streets of Brooklyn NY, we'd just pay the guy who had our bike to get it back.
We sort of hoped the person with it, didn't know it was stolen.

Here in Oregon I had my garage broken into and a bunch of nice stuff taken. I got the insurance $$, but then as the bikes surfaces I bought them each back. One of from a guy who bought an abandoned storage unit, it was clear he knew he was buying stolen, then abandoned stuff, but how can I prove that versus just getting my custom track bike back for $130?
Another bike in that whole deal surfaced at an OBRA members friends former drug dealer. I gave the friend $500 and the next day he gave me my bike.

Being an above board, regulated industry employed guy, I told the insurance about it and they didn't quite have a square hole for my round peg, so they let me keep the bikes.

If it was me, I'd buy the bike from the guy who has it, then worry about looking up hill once you have the bike back.

robert fox

I had a bike stolen from my car while at work. My business insurance
covered replacement cost. Then is turned up in a shop, was recognized by
the shop owner who knew it had been stolen. He gave me the address of who
brought it in. I called the cops who went and picked it up. Of course the
person who had it said they bought it from some kid,,,, I wanted it
back, but the insurance company owed it. I bought it back from them, but
had trouble getting it back from the cops. They wanted to keep it for their
auction, they knew it was valuable. These cops (Merced, Cal.) were total
A-holes. I finally had to call the mayor to intervene on my behalf.
Finally got it back.

Bottom line__ give the guy some reward and move on. Cops have much
bigger fish to fry, and consider yourself lucky to get it back.

Don't be surprised it the "men in blue" are not very interested.

From: obra-bounces@list.obra.org [mailto:obra-bounces@list.obra.org] On
Behalf Of Alex Accetta
Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 10:39 PM
To: obra@list.obra.org
Subject: [OBRA Chat] Someone found my stolen bike, now what?

A guy calls me out of the blue and says he things he bought my bike that was
stolen from my garage 18 months ago. Hot damn if he was not right. He
bought it from some kid who claims to have bought it from some woman. He
found my bike through bikeportland.org and tracked me down.

The guy is going to give me my bike back. He is not sure if he will get the
kid to give him his money back.

Regardless of the outcome of this I will be calling our men in blue and
letting them know situation.

The question is, does anybody know the laws about who is responsible for a
stolen good once it is found out to be stolen?

Any advice would be helpful, mostly to get the guy his money back as I've
been touched by his honesty and willingness to do the right thing.

Thanks - you can contact me off-line if you want or discuss here -
alexaccetta@hotmail.com.

Alex Accetta

Alex Accetta

A guy calls me out of the blue and says he things he bought my bike that was stolen from my garage 18 months ago. Hot damn if he was not right. He bought it from some kid who claims to have bought it from some woman. He found my bike through bikeportland.org and tracked me down.
The guy is going to give me my bike back. He is not sure if he will get the kid to give him his money back.
Regardless of the outcome of this I will be calling our men in blue and letting them know situation.
The question is, does anybody know the laws about who is responsible for a stolen good once it is found out to be stolen?
Any advice would be helpful, mostly to get the guy his money back as I've been touched by his honesty and willingness to do the right thing.
Thanks - you can contact me off-line if you want or discuss here - alexaccetta@hotmail.com.

Alex Accetta