Police apologize to couple after refusing to seize stolen caravan because another family live in it - Polidicks

[quote]A couple have received an apology from police after they were told their stolen caravan could not be seized - as another family was living in it. The uninsured caravan, worth about £30,000, was found in September on a travellers' site in Hook, Hampshire. Kath McClelland and partner Mick Curry, who live near Farnham, Surrey, were told officers had no powers to seize it and that it was a civil matter. The Hampshire force has apologised for its handling of the episode. The force said it still stood by its decision not to take the caravan which it made after seeking legal advice[/quote] [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-23612766[/url]

Law enforcement in the UK need to grow a backbone

[QUOTE=Noss;41762904]Law enforcement in the UK need to grow a backbone[/QUOTE] Yeah it's not a policy issue or anything

[QUOTE=Noss;41762904]Law enforcement in the UK need to grow a backbone[/QUOTE] Police can't win. If they were kicked out, you'd say they were taking a heavy handed approach after making a family homeless.

[QUOTE=Memobot;41763377]Police can't win. If they were kicked out, you'd say they were taking a heavy handed approach after making a family homeless.[/QUOTE] didn't they steal it

[quote]The force said it still stood by its decision not to take the caravan which it made after seeking legal advice[/quote] a legal issue then, not anything to do with the ineptitude of the police.

[QUOTE=Noss;41762904]Law enforcement in the UK need to grow a backbone[/QUOTE] The problem is that the caravan is probably counted as a similar thing to habitation so you need to evict them before seizing it first which is much harder at times. Doesn't help the UK has fairly strong squatter rights.

[QUOTE=wraithcat;41763565]The problem is that the caravan is probably counted as a similar thing to habitation so you need to evict them before seizing it first which is much harder at times. Doesn't help the UK has fairly strong squatter rights.[/QUOTE] Squatters rights is completely bullshit and I'm sure that nobody (except squatters) would miss it if it were gone - aside from in outstanding circumstances. I got similarly pissed off during the riots when they were refusing to use water cannons - those people were intent on hurting innocent people and damaging their property, nobody should give a fuck if they got injured due to the water cannons because they would have known what was coming to them.

I wish our police were more like America's sigh oh wait fuck that

Squatters rights are so idiotic and irrelevant at this point, this whole situation is ridiculous, you should be able to seize stolen property regardless of the civil matter. It's not the cops fault or anything though. It's akin (kinda) to not being able to seize a cellphone because the thief is currently on the phone with his mum.

[QUOTE=Aspen;41763413]didn't they steal it[/QUOTE] Nope. [editline]8th August 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Socram;41763751]It's akin (kinda) to not being able to seize a cellphone because the thief is currently on the phone with his mum.[/QUOTE] No its not.

[QUOTE=NoDachi;41763767]Nope.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE]A couple have received an apology from police after they were told their [B]stolen caravan [/B]could not be seized[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=NoDachi;41763767]Nope.[/quote] [editline]8th August 2013[/editline] Doesn't matter if they stole it or not [quote]When police found the caravan last September a 22-year-old man was arrested but later released without charge after he produced evidence he had bought it in good faith from a man in a pub.[/quote] Anybody who buys a caravan from some random guy in the pub either knows its stolen property or is genuinely retarded.

[QUOTE=NoDachi;41763767]Nope. [editline]8th August 2013[/editline] No its not.[/QUOTE] yes and yes it is [editline]8th August 2013[/editline] i know you're very patriotic about your nannystate but no need to defend the police's backbone or lack thereof

Good. As much as I feel for the caravans owners, you can't just make a family homeless

Make the squatters pay rent.

[QUOTE=Aspen;41764818]yes and yes it is [editline]8th August 2013[/editline] i know you're very patriotic about your nannystate but no need to defend the police's backbone or lack thereof[/QUOTE] it's already been shown that they didnt steal it, and inhabiting a mobile home like a caravan is totally different to holding a cellphone and it's been shown it's a legal thing, and nothing to do with the police's backbones

[QUOTE=Doozle;41764851]Good. As much as I feel for the caravans owners, you can't just make a family homeless[/QUOTE] Are you shitting me? These people lost £30,000 because some shitbag decided to steal their caravan, and then selling it to a guy who 'unknowingly' (read: he actually did know) illegally bought it. The fact that there are kids involved is fucked but you can't buy and live in stolen property and expect to keep it - what kind of message is that giving out? How would you feel if your family left your house to go on a holiday for a few months, and when you came back a family were living there and the government were like "lol its theirs now"? You'd be fucking pissed and rightly so.

automerge

[QUOTE=Hellduck;41764954]it's already been shown that they didnt steal it, and inhabiting a mobile home like a caravan is totally different to holding a cellphone[/QUOTE] Please, if you buy ANYTHING from a person in a pub you know it is most likely stolen. This should have also been apparent when the guy who sold it him didn't have any documents proving ownership. Also, I'd like to point out: [quote]The caravan was found on a traveller's site in Hampshire[/quote] The guy was a 'traveller'. I know the more politically correct members of Facepunch will accuse me of being xenophobic or whatever the term is for this, but anybody who has actually dealt with 'travellers' and gypsies know that the culture is absolutely abysmal and encourages stealing and other illegal acts. If by any extremely almost-impossible chance that the person who bought the caravan had no idea it was stolen, it still isn't right that another family is out of £30,000 because of it.

Compensation should be payed, or that caravan should be returned.

[QUOTE=Hellduck;41764954]it's already been shown that they didnt steal it, and inhabiting a mobile home like a caravan is totally different to holding a cellphone and it's been shown it's a legal thing, and nothing to do with the police's backbones[/QUOTE] so buying a stolen rv is legal

[QUOTE=Noss;41764956]Are you shitting me? These people lost £30,000 because some shitbag decided to steal their caravan, and then selling it to a guy who 'unknowingly' (read: he actually did know) illegally bought it. The fact that there are kids involved is fucked but you can't buy and live in stolen property and expect to keep it - what kind of message is that giving out? How would you feel if your family left your house to go on a holiday for a few months, and when you came back a family were living there and the government were like "lol its theirs now"? You'd be fucking pissed and rightly so.[/QUOTE] They're not keeping it you hysterical dolt. Go find some other moral outrage to get unreasonably angry about on the internet - here you can start here: [url]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html[/url]

I maybe should not bother paying for a hotel. I'll just break into somebody's apartment and sleep in their bed.

[QUOTE=Aspen;41765016]so buying a stolen rv is legal[/QUOTE] Well it certainly isn't crime lol

snip

[QUOTE=NoDachi;41765070]Well it certainly isn't crime lol[/QUOTE] yes it is [quote]This offence is created by section 22(1) of the Theft Act 1968 which provides: A person handles stolen goods if (otherwise than in the course of stealing), knowing or believing them to be stolen goods he dishonestly receives the goods, or dishonestly undertakes or assists in their retention, removal, disposal or realisation by or for the benefit of another person, or if he arranges to do so.[1][/quote]

[QUOTE=Noss;41765115]yes it is[/QUOTE] And if you actually read the article, it was proven by the police that the family did no such thing.

[QUOTE=NoDachi;41765135]And if you actually read the article, it was proven by the police that the family did no such thing.[/QUOTE] You could dispute that he bought it unknowingly, but it is extremely likely that he very well knew what was going on. Even disregarding that aspect of the story, it is still wrong that they lose out on £30,000 when the police know who is in ownership of it, yet refuse to return it. At the very least the family should be reimbursed by the government if they continue to refuse to act.

[QUOTE=Noss;41765182]You could dispute that he bought it unknowingly, but it is extremely likely that he very well knew what was going on. Even disregarding that aspect of the story, it is still wrong that they lose out on £30,000 when the police know who is in ownership of it, yet refuse to return it. At the very least the family should be reimbursed by the government if they continue to refuse to act.[/QUOTE] What are you even going on about. This article is all about that the police are not going to forcefully evict a family on the spot because they themselves have done no wrong, as . Its still going through the claims court. They're not keeping the caravan. Christ.