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Police auctionMost people do not realize that police agencies, including local police departments, county sheriff departments, as well as state and federal law enforcement agencies end up with a lot of confiscated, lost, or abandoned property. This property ends up in the agency's possession as the result of arrests, forfeitures, and just plain carelessness on the part of the property owner who sets a camera down in some public place and walks away.
Police auction are practical places to look for a good-condition car for a fraction of its value. Lots are usually a mix of some middle-aged cars and some newer models, most of which were impounded due to some violations committed by their drivers. A lot of people who go to Police auction prefer impounded cars because they are somewhat assured that these vehicles were running right before they were seized by the police. Cars are usually taken off the road by police due to driver infractions.
What happens to goods handed over to the police:
The usual practice is that the finder can have the goods back and keep them if they are not claimed within
two months. However, the police may want more time, if they suspect the goods are stolen or think that the owner can be traced. The owner of the goods can claim them back up to one year after they have been handed in. If the police return the goods to the finder, the finder must retain them until a year after they were first found. If the items are found by the Police auction they can be sold, or disposed of, which is at the discretion of the Chief Constable
. How to participate in the auction:
First, go to local police department and find out when the auction will be held. Some of these impounded car auctions are advertised in newspapers or posted on the internet and most police auctions are done every month. If any one needs he/she has to register to get a bidder number. Only bids coming from registered bidders are recognized. While some auctions offer free registration, most require a nominal fee.
Give some time to check the impounded vehicles, so better arrive early. Bring a mechanic or a friend, in which you are confident to inspect the vehicles. Bidding usually starts at around 10 a.m., he/she must go earlier than the said time to inspect and make choice.
Bring driver's license and insurance proof; just in case intend to drive the car home after winning a bid. He needs a temporary permit. Check with the locality since regulations regarding temporary permits vary.
Bring a price guide for used-cars. This can guide you in figuring out your bidding numbers through trade-in value information. If there is a wireless laptop run the car's vehicle identification number (VIN) through Car fax to check its history Remember this is a police impound car auction.
Information regarding public auction:
Public auctions are held by the Police Department on a periodic basis throughout the year. Merchandise sold is either unclaimed or items for which the Police Department has been unable to locate an owner. The Police Department does not sell land, cars or boats at these auctions.
All merchandise is sold to the highest bidder and must be paid for on the premises immediately after the item is sold. Sales tax is added to the purchase price. All merchandise is sold "as is". There is no warranty on anything sold at a police auction. Merchandise cannot be returned and money will not be refunded. Personal checks on local banks will be accepted with proper identification. Credit cards will not be accepted for payment. A 7.75% sales tax will be added to the purchase price.
Forfeited property & police impound acution:
Forfeited property is generally the result of drug arrests where it was determined that the seized property was either used in the commission of drug-related crimes, or was purchased with money that was received as the result of a drug-related crime. When a person bid on this type of property at a police impound auction that he is agreeing to accept the item "as is". Be aware that the term "as is" does not simple refer to blemishes or minor damage. If, for example, the property purchased by auction, and that property has tax liens placed against it, you will be expected to clear those liens before taking rightful ownership. The same holds true for mortgages or car loans.
Unclaimed property:
If no one claims the property and the owner cannot be otherwise be located it ends up at a police auction where it is sold to the highest bidder.
Auction process
Most jurisdictions have specific laws, or ordinances, that deal with how the auction will be conducted. In almost every instance, the agency that is conducting the police impound auction is required to publish a full description of the items that will be auctioned as well as the date, time, and location of the auction. They will also publish payment terms which may be cash, money order, certified check, or any other payment method that they choose to accept. They will usually also publish additional terms such as how long he/she to remove the property form the auction site once they win the bid, plus any legal disclaimers that the lawyers think need to be mentioned. This publication is normally placed in at least one major newspaper that serves the area with in the law enforcement agency's jurisdiction.
The purpose of this publication is firstly to notify the owner of the property that they have one last chance to redeem it before it is sold at auction, and secondly to generate publicity for the police auction so that it will be well attended.
Depending upon the size of the agency, and the agency's experience conducting Police auction , a police auction will either be run by the police department itself, another government agency that is responsible for fiscal matters or an outside auction company.
The police auction might be held on the steps of the County Courthouse, a room inside of some government office, or a public arena. The location of the police auction depends a lot upon the size of the agency and how much property is being auctioned off.
Once the auction starts, simply bid on the items. Have a budget in mind and don't bid more than that. It's easy to get caught up in the bidding frenzy and end up paying far more than you intended to.
Police auto auctions:
Police auctions can be fun and profitable, especially police auto auctions. Watch local papers for announcements, or contact the law enforcement agencies in particular area and find out when they are running the next police auctions.
While police auto auctions are frequently used to dispose of police surplus vehicles, the biggest block of cars are likely to be police seizures.
Police auto auctions moved into the big time when state and federal laws were passed that authorized law enforcement agencies to seize vehicles that were either used in crimes, or were purchased with money that came from a crime.
Drug dealers cars at police auto auctions:
This means that some drug dealer, or racketeer, who uses his car to deliver drugs, or dispose of murdered bodies, can have that car snatched away from him by the police if it can be proven that the car is part of the criminal's crime spree. When that happens, the car frequently ends up at a police auto auction. The police department sells the car to the highest bidder and the proceeds of the sale go to the government.
Police auto auctions are either held on a regular basis, in the case of big city departments who have a lot of seized vehicles to dispose of or once in a blue moon in the case of smaller agencies. Sometimes a group of small departments will pool their autos together and have one big police auto auction.
Why they have police seized property auctions:
The reason that police seized property auctions exist is because states and the federal government have given law enforcement agencies the power to seize property that was either used in a crime or was bought with money that came from criminal activity.
Drug dealers often drive fancy cars and wear expensive jewelry. Embezzlers often live in big homes and have yachts and airplanes. Once the police prove that this property is part of an illegal enterprise, they can confiscate it and sell it at a police seized property auctions.
Even though the government typically pays too much when they are buying things, they are not as easy to touch when it comes to selling things. Most police seized property auctions are well organized and some are even conducted by professional auction companies who try to squeeze every penny that they can.
Police seized property auctions are advertised:
Police seized property auctions are always advertised in advance. It is listed in the Public Notices section of the local newspaper that serves the community where the police seized property auctions will be held. The notice will list the date, time, and place that the police seized property auctions will be held at as well as a listing of the seized property that will be auctioned off.
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