I was offered a motorcycle from a man who's in prison for 15 more years, no title or keys

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?

>No keys, no title

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.

This sounds like a bad idea for two reasons:

  1. 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?
  2. What are you going to do with a scooter you can’t register or use without the title?

@Jaden
Thanks, you’re right. I hadn’t thought about not being able to use it without the title. I think I’ll pass on taking it.

Logan said:
@Jaden
Thanks, you’re right. I hadn’t thought about not being able to use it without the title. I think I’ll pass on taking it.

Also, do you really want to mess with something that belongs to a guy who’s in prison for stabbing someone?

@Tory
At least you’d have 15 years before he gets out, right?

I wouldn’t take something from a guy in prison for stabbing someone. That’s asking for trouble.

This is definitely illegal. Stay away from it.

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.

@Harlow
I could easily replace the ignition and get new keys, but I get what you’re saying.

Even if it was legal, I wouldn’t want to own something that belongs to a person who’s in prison for murder. Too risky.

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.

@Chao
That’s an interesting idea. I’ll look into it, but I’m not sure it’s worth the hassle.

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.

If there are no keys and no title, then it’s stealing, plain and simple.

You might be able to use it on private property, but if you can’t ride it on the street, what’s the point?