A regular customer who comes into my store daily told me about a 150cc motorcycle (technically a scooter) that’s been sitting at the old folks’ home for a while. The owner has been in prison for a few years after stabbing someone, and he still has 15 more years to serve. The customer said he and some friends have been holding onto it for the guy but can’t keep it any longer, and he offered to give it to me for free—no keys, no title.
I’m wondering if this is legal. How can I know if the person giving it to me has the right to do so? Could I get in trouble for taking it? Could this technically be considered stealing?
This might not be considered receiving stolen property, but are you ready to take that risk? It could turn into a bigger legal problem than it’s worth.
You have no reason to believe the person offering it has the authority to give it away. Wouldn’t they have some duty to sell it and send the money to the guy in prison?
What are you going to do with a scooter you can’t register or use without the title?
If you still want the bike, you can try filing for an abandoned title through your local motor vehicle department. I’ve done this with a couple of vehicles before. But if there are no keys, I’d probably pass.
You could look into abandoned property laws in your area. Some places allow you to claim property if it’s abandoned for a certain amount of time. But be careful—rules are different depending on where you live.
Technically, this would be stealing since you don’t have any proof that the owner gave permission to give away the bike. Your best bet might be to contact the owner in prison and ask if you can buy it from him. Then, you could work something out to get the title transferred legally.