Tale of woe and a warning for you all !

AdriaTwin

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Yesterday afternoon I was working in our van - adria twin - in our drive outside our home. Fitting new 12v connection and satellite connectors - just bought a new lcd TV with built in sat box. As I was switching ignition on and off , the keys were in the ignition, I went into the house to find the new connectors I needed to finish the job - less than 2 minutes - and the Van is driven off the drive , down the road with back doors and side sliding door open AND the mains cable ( which was plugged in the garage ) dangling behind.
Immediatly called 999 and an hour later finally get a call back from police. They had apprehended the culprit by chasing the van along Leeds Huddersfield road at up to 80mph ( in a built up area) and front police car was rammed by the Van whilst he jumped out and tried to escape. The van then continued to smash into a wall. It was recovered into a Police authorised compound and as its un drivable will remain there until the insurance company decides what theyre doing tommorrow.Our second home destroyed - a week back from 1 month tour of Spain + Portugal. and some of the contents scattered along the roads of west Yorkshire. We cant find out whats fallen out of back doors until tommorrow - being a fixed bed van the large storage area under the bed was full of chairs, table , cables, BBQ etc + all cupboards stocked with the bits and pieces we all need on our travels.

Lessons to be learnt ? Comments please and try to make me feel better ( I realise the insurance company may not pay out because of the keys)
Steve and Kim
 
feel better

not to long ago an oap was killed trying to stop someone driving his 4x4 off his drive,at least your ok :dog:
 
I used to own a rare car; RS2000 4x4, in fact it was one of only eight made in its colour.

One night I was putting it in the garage and as always I left the engine running while I got out to open the garage door. As I opening the door I was smacked on the head and locked in the garage as the thieves took off with my pride and joy.

The insurance tried not to pay as the keys were left in, but I stood my ground and eventually they did pay (started off with some stupid offers though). Unless your policy actually states that they will not pay if the keys are left in, they should pay.

So I do feel your pain, I know that helpless feeling.

Phil
 
Similar thing happened to me about 12 years ago. I`d packed our Renault Scenic ready to go away for the weekend, all I had to do was go around the back and hitch the caravan. I didn't realise, someone was watching and as soon as I was occupied, he ran across the road, jumped in and drove away.

The insurance told me because the keys were in the ignition (and the engine was running and the drivers door was wide open) they wouldn`t pay out. Ten weeks later after some wrangling, they agreed to pay out in full because I was "in attendance of the vehicle". Remember that phrase AdriaTwin, you may need it. Good luck!
 
Bet the insurance company say you aided the theft by leaving the vehicle unattended with the keys in it :mad1: happened to us many years ago so be warned. Hope the bar steward gets:idea-007: .............................but he won't :hangman icon needed::electric chair icon:

Sorry for your loss it is so frustrating.
 
So very sorry to hear of this ..how awful for you both. I hope the insurance company see fit to pay out after all it was still on your property so surely doesnt that count for something ? .......not too clued up on insurance issues, all I do know is they never seem to be worth the paper they are written on and they will squirm thier way out of anything. (my opinion only):idea:

I cant imagine how you must be feeling right now but I do hope it turns out ok for you both :)
 
very sorry for you and hope it will turn out ok for you.

I always feel a bit stupid when I take the keys out when working on my vehicles even when I just walk into the garage but guess it's not soo bad in the end to be a bit paranoid.

I am still gobsmacked about the scum walking around the streets. Just shows that you have to make sure not the ooportunist a chance to strike.
 
What a dreadful thing to happen. Of course the insurance company will try not to pay out on any pretext, but stick to your guns. There is an appeal mechanism, and they don't want to be recorded on it, so you should be OK.

But even the money won't replace your pride and joy.

There really are some evil people out there. We should all be aware of that at all times, anywhere.

Even wild camping can leave us vulnerable if we're not careful. I had someone snooping round my van in a Stoney Stratford car park at 0245, trying to peer in the windows. I'm glad I have a dog who woke me up.


Tone
 
Whats the betting the little git has a history of this sort of crime and fully intends to carry on. Cut his fingers off and you would get ten years and he would get a life of luxury on the state as he would be traumatised and incapable of working.:mad2::mad1:

Lets just hope they lock him up and he drops the soap in the showers. It will not help with your insurance but might make you feel you have a little justice.

Richard
 
Small consultation but you will get the vehicle back. I hope all works out and you don't have too much hassle with the insurance.
It only goes to show we have to be vigilant at all times, because some little scrote may be watching for that moment that we turn our back for a second or two.
I fitted the outsmart the thief DEFENDER unit to mine, it not only has a tracker and an imobiliser, but the vehicle can be shut down by remote from the monitoring station, avoiding a long chase and possible damage.
I know it is a little like bolting the stable door when the horse has bolted, but may be worth considering when you finally get the vehicle back.

Caravan Trackers | Caravan Tracking Devices | Motorhome Alarm Systems |
 
At times like this I feel the thief should be made to pay the damages in full. The system seems content to stick people in jail for 3 months and then the slate is wiped clean. In the meantime, the victim of crime is usually left well out of pocket. It's somewhat impractical I know because it may take a lifetime to pay off £30,000 or £40,000 but the insurance company should pay out and the debt should be owed to them.
 
Thanks for all your good wishes.
Any more insurance experts still out there ?
I`ll keep you all informed as to what happens next.
Steve
 
Steve,

You have my respect for your calm and good humoured attitude to it all. Personally I would be with Runnach setting up a De-Nading party.

Richard
 
I know it's a slim chance but if the thief owns anything like a vehicle or house don't hesitate to sue the ar$e off him to reclaim your losses. Don't rely on the insurance Co. to do this, small claims are straightforward and you can do them yourself. If there is any valuable asset try and get a court order freezing it before you start proceedings.
Best of luck.
Andy
 
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so sorry to hear this, its horrible, nothing i could say will make you feel better, lets just hope the ins comp are kind to you
 
I'm so sorry about your van. I hope you do get the insurance to cover the damage. thankfully you are not hurt.
 
Absolute and utter bummer. I really, really feel for you.

I'm right behind the de-nading gang and also hope the insurance company cough up - make sure you fight them hard if they are awkward bughas.
 
cant say more thans already been said but we really feel for you mate hope you get sorted real soon
id cut they re thumbs off........... what total sh1theads
 
What an absolute nightmare for you both. I can only echo what others have said and hope you don't get too much grief from the insurance people and can put this nasty episode behind you. Thanks for sharing your story. I'm sure I'll be a bit more vigilant in future but thankfully these sort of incidents are relatively rare.
 
As we will soon be approaching the first frosts, it is worth remembering that on a frosty morning, people often start their vehicles and leave them running to defrost on their drives whilst they have a coffee or whatever. The scumbags have got wise to this and will look out for vehicles ticking over on a frosty morning.
 
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