the_bard Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 Down the block, on a side street, I found a '90 Legacy L AWD sedan w/ manual tranny. with its plates off. Note in the windshield says that it's not an abandoned car ( Great intro... my type of car), and that the owner is simply waiting for the American Cancer Society to pick it up. Signed by Jason. No last name, no contact number, nothin'. There's a garage next door, the owner of which actually asked me if I was the owner of the Legacy, so he has no clue who owns it. Says it moves under its own power, however, since he's seen it on the other side of the street. Fender's rusted out, and the trim's peeling up next to the roof, but everything else looks good. Heck, even if there's something wrong with the engine or tranny, I'd feel better grabbing it than dealing with this Cougar. I slapped a note on the windshield, stating that I was interested in the car, with my contact info. Meanwhile my '93 Cougar got towed out of the college parking lot. $160 fee to get it back and towed back to the parking lot. I gotta drop the fuel tank to get to the pump, which ain't gonna be fun. So what're the chances of me finding the owner, and getting him to sell it to me instead of giving it to ACS? If he's willing, I'd have no problem sending that gawdawfulforsaken Ford product in its place... maybe throwing a few hundred his way to counteract the tax break, if I've got to sell the Cougar instead of donating it in the Legacy's place. I've got the number to the NY dep't of ACS, but I seriously doubt there's anything they're going to be able to do to help me out. I've got the registration number and the VIN number off the car, so I'm wondering if the DMV might be able to help out. Any thoughts? I just don't want to get my hopes up, ya know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 put a note on it to start with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_bard Posted March 25, 2005 Author Share Posted March 25, 2005 Did that... just didn't include it on my first draft. Edited it in, though. I even wrote the the note in large text using a Sharpie, enclosed it in a clear freezer bag upside down, taped it on the top to the windshield, and stuck the bottom (zip side) under the wiper. Hopefully... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 I'd look in the glove box for the title.they probably signed it for the pick up folks.....so.....just fill in your name before they get it and the car is yours.....drive it home. Title says it all.If it was left like that and the title was filled out you're not ripping anybody off,since it looks like the tow company neglected to gather it up. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
75subie Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 i`m with Paul.the keys are probly in there somewhere too.check the glove box, sun visors, and ignition.was there a last name on the note?you could look him up on the white pages if you`d rather talk to him first. jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasteland Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 I'd look in the glove box for the title.they probably signed it for the pick up folks.....so.....just fill in your name before they get it and the car is yours.....drive it home. I agree, go through the car, look for any old mail, registerations, insurance info, KEYS, anything that gives a name and/or address of an owner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_bard Posted March 25, 2005 Author Share Posted March 25, 2005 All four doors are locked. Hood looked secured, didn't test it. Same goes for the trunk. I'm gonna check the miles and interior condition tomorrow, when there's light enough to see, so I'll check the latter then, too. As an interesting side note, the guy who owned the garage stated that he used to have an old Subaru wagon, "a GL [he] thinks." Says he bought it for $50, got hit on the right front, insurance totaled it for $1600, he bought it back, and sold it for $300. 'Course, he's got some domestic boat sitting up on ramps in the garage, so it must not have had that much of an impression on him :-\. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humble Nuto 53 Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 do a title search on the VIN or plate number, will tell address and name of last owner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diluded000 Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 Maybe you could call the ACS and ask them about it? I know the local Habitat for Humanity takes donation cars here, then re-sells them out in front of the store. You maybe could get them to sell it from where it sits and save the tow bill. - James B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinsUBARU Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 If its jsut sitting there, yeah, the title is probably in the car for someone. The key is either in a magnetic box somewhere or you just have to use a brick and smash the window (is it vandalism since it appears to be literally abandoned?) My guess is that it got lost in the system when the IRS made it harder to donate cars as of midnight on New Years Eve. Oh yeah, and if you do take it, at least donate a little $$ to the ACS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_bard Posted March 26, 2005 Author Share Posted March 26, 2005 Actually, the wife made a big fuss about donating to ACS... she did her thesis on some sort of cancer, and the ACS helped her out a lot, apparently *helpless shrug*. I'd have no problem whatsoever sending the Cougar off to ACS, if they'd take it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sregor13 Posted March 26, 2005 Share Posted March 26, 2005 If you do take the Car, I would donate a least some amount of money to the ACS. The work they do is important. The other thing is to bad you live in NY, the DMV laws are the strictest I have ever seen. Not sure of all the details but keep this in mind. The note may be a rouse to thwart the Police- It may be full of contraband or lord knows what. I wouldn't mess with it, knowing how the police are in new York. They seem to have little forgiveness for people who appear to be jacking a car. I only speak from my recent experience with buying a legacy in New York. Not to mention all the hassle of getting this car registered in Ney York and getting keys made for it ( Probably $100 maybe more jut for the keys) There are some great Legacies out there in New York for cheap. I would find one on Ebay or Craigslist and forget about this one until the owner actually calls you. maybe I am just paranoid, but I woudnt go messing aroun inside the car unless you got someone watching for the fuzz. Not worth a night in any New York Jail. BTW- Maybe some folks over in the Newer Generation of Subaru's Message board could give you some insight as to how to get into this car should you decide to lay it on the line. This was a Legacy right? Not a Loyale? Either way good luck getting rid of the cougar and getting a Sube... Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_bard Posted March 26, 2005 Author Share Posted March 26, 2005 Oh, I have no plans of messin' with the car. Breaking a window isn't a good idea, simply 'cause I'd have to fix it later. I seriously doubt anybody would go to the effort of hiding drugs in it, simply 'cause it's the joke of the town that the cops are in on the drug trafficking (and from what I've seen & heard, I believe it). Besides, this is Troy... you'd have to visit, and you'd know what I mean. Besides, getting into the car to find a signed title and a set of keys ain't what I like. I want clean & legal here. The last thing I need is the owner or the ACS tracking it down via the DMV, and a set of cops knocking on my door for auto theft. "Honest, your honor, I thought it was abandoned, even though it had a sign on it saying it wasn't!" Yeah. Sure. My plan of action is to get in touch with ACS Monday, and let them know I'd like to get in touch with the owner, so I can see if he'd be interested in trading the Cougar for the Legacy, and sending the Cougar in to the ACS. Depending on the running condition of the Leg, it might be feasible to do a straight swap, or I might throw some extra $ his way. And if the ACS does cooperate, I'll be owing them a bit extra, too... they'll be going out of their way to help. If I can't get it clean, I ain't gettin' it at all... something else will come along. I just don't want to change that fuel pump come Easter Sunday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted March 26, 2005 Share Posted March 26, 2005 .....of course you want it legal. At first it seemed like it was truely abandoned and just waiting for action,or death.Seems like there's a glimmer of hope for it if the doors were locked,etc. New Advice: You should have already bought one of my cars. So stop down and check out the '84,87,or 89 wagons. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_bard Posted March 26, 2005 Author Share Posted March 26, 2005 Paul, I need to convince this wife of mine that she needs to let me get one of yours. I swear, building a Sube from the ground up would be easier than changing her mind once she's got it set. And she calls me stubborn. Her:"It's gotta be '90 or later... 150k miles or less..." *grumble* Me: "Woman, it's MY car, not yours." Her: "We're married now. My car is your car. Your car is my car. Besides, I don't want you getting anything we need to work on. We don't have the time or money." Me: *grumble* Yet we've got enough money to throw into a new set of furniture for the apartment. Women. (Nothing 'gainst the fine female specimens we have that frequent the board, mind you... ) I want that '89 of yours... if I could convince her. Maybe I ought to see if I can't get her to at least drive down to take a look at it, once we've got the apartment move squared away and all. Your sister(-in-law, wasn't it?) still driving it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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