Borrowed Cars vs Stolen Cars

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25 September 2019
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So I was thinking about a TV show I once saw years ago, where someone was arrested in an area with a lot car jackings because the police though he stole a car when in reality he had legitimately borrowed and it got me thinking- if I loaned my car to someone, and the police were unable to contact me, how would they know whether the car is borrowed or stolen? Further, the LegalAid NSW website says that if someone borrowed my car and used to commit a crime, I would be required to provide info about the driver and passanger. Well, what if my car was stolen? How do the police know that I know who used my car? What if someone was hooning in a car that they stole from me and the police confescate the number plates from my stolen car? It's all well and good to say that I should have reported it as stolen, but what if I wasn't home to notice it was gone? Are there safe guards in place?​
 

Adam1user

Well-Known Member
5 January 2018
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So I was thinking about a TV show I once saw years ago, where someone was arrested in an area with a lot car jackings because the police though he stole a car when in reality he had legitimately borrowed and it got me thinking- if I loaned my car to someone, and the police were unable to contact me, how would they know whether the car is borrowed or stolen? Further, the LegalAid NSW website says that if someone borrowed my car and used to commit a crime, I would be required to provide info about the driver and passanger. Well, what if my car was stolen? How do the police know that I know who used my car? What if someone was hooning in a car that they stole from me and the police confescate the number plates from my stolen car? It's all well and good to say that I should have reported it as stolen, but what if I wasn't home to notice it was gone? Are there safe guards in place?​

Too many questions, but here goes, if police could not contact you, they will not proceed as if the vehicle is stolen until they confirm it, the police are not stupid, they have a lot of experience in this, one method is checking on the person who borrowed your vehicle, if that person has a clean record, do you think they will treat that person as a criminal. Also, from the way they question and talk to that person, it will show, the police are there to help and protect. If you lent your vehicle to any person, you are still responsible to provide all the information for that person who borrowed your car, although you may not be associated with the illegal events of the other person who did while using your vehicle but you have the responsibility of providing that info, if not, then you will be treated as an accessory. If your vehicle was stolen you report stolen then you will have no responsibility on what the thief does using your vehicle, but there are certain things you need to prove to walk away without any issues, is proving you responsible in safekeeping your vehicle, example: keeping it locked and parked in authorised place, you don't give it to anyone who asks, you check the details and ensure the person who borrows your vehicle has a licence etc... . Other point, if you report the vehicle stolen after sometime, you will be to prove that were not driving, it is not that difficult, example someone used your vehicle to hoon around and you were in a dinner party, you will have few wittiness.

This is from my understanding and I am not a lawyer, and don't forget the police are not stupid, they know their job and do it good.
 
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