massive heist of John Andrews' Ferraris

Have we ruled out the city just towing his cars off? The story went cold. Why?

First the guy shouts out for attention, then silence.

If his Winnebago got towed off for illegal parking in his yard, why not his other cars that he parked in his yard?

I'm just asking. The city towing his cars seems more reasonable than guessing that the guy kept all of his cars off of the books either due to laziness, ineptness, anti-establishment sentiments, or tax fraud.

...but with so much silence for so long, what can we do but guess?

There are just a couple of reasons to first shout out for attention and then shut up completely.

The silence suggests the explanation can't be pretty.

 

there was an on going issue with the neighbors, who moved in around the previously unzoned property, changing the zoning of how the property should be maintained

the city was only interested in the RVs and removed them, they had posted notices on them which were alledgedly removed by the neighbors before John could see them...the other cars remain as stolen... been told there is a full on active recovery effort...a couple of cars have been located and legal action is taking place...

 

Reminds me of client whose wife decorated the entry to his office with the most hideous POS sculpture you have ever seen. It was certainly a conversation piece. My client asked me if I knew anybody who would steal it for a fee because nobody would dare take it of their own free will.

Dale

 

None of that adds up. Zoning doesn't work that way. Tow-offs don't work that way, and unless someone is psychic you wouldn't know if the city is only interested in RV's parked outside but not Ferraris parked outside on the grass next to the RV's.

To know that, someone would have needed to have had a conversation with the city, and that sort of conversation would have given plenty of notice that the RV's (and perhaps Ferraris) were going to be towed, impounded, and then confiscated.

 

Good to hear...it does sound like a trusted friend laid a good plan to rip him off, if the paper files were taken first.

Good story.

 

The way I read it, the paper files were spirited away first, then the removal of the cars, from 'barns' (well on premise) was done from multiple access to the rear.....looks pretty believable from the photos posted earlier in the thread.

If you knew what was valuable you'd go right to it...

 

Seems like they got the Winnebagos, too (those bastaaads!)!

Oh come on.

28 vehicles on 1.5 acres inside city limits. After pulling teeth, everyone finally admits that the RV's got towed off by the city.

Security guy (unnamed) lived in one RV illegally.

Arson of the house is alleged.

Titles stolen.

No insurance on the Ferraris.

No government registration of the Ferraris.

1 of the Ferraris that was initially claimed as stolen turns out to have a full paper trail of a legal purchase by Sheehan (with hoarder pictures).

Claims of "neighbors changed the zoning."
Claims of "neighbors stole the towing notices from the city on the RV's."

Come on...

 

I guess you'd have to "live rural" to buy it!

recluse, tons of debris, it all fits a M.O. that is ripe for exploitation.

reminds me to keep policies on all my cars!!

 

It just looks like an illegal junk yard that got shut down by the city.

What city stops after towing just 2 out of the 28 vehicles stored illegally on the grass in town?

 

there are many posts that show a lack of comprehension, leading to distorted speculation about events rather than deal with actualities, to where this thread is creating fiction over fact... the man has various property ( includes some Ferrari ) that was taken, an appeal was made on this ( and other ) boards for information to help him recover what was taken... he and the authorities are fully engaged in the recovery process, there is both criminal and civil action in progress...

 

You are claiming that one or more of the above-listed VINs is listed on a police stolen car database?!

 

don't need to claiming anything, there is actual civil and criminal action going on to recover missing property on that list

 

Why is everything so vague?

Why not say "Grand Theft Auto charges have been made?" Something specific.

Vague civil charges? Unknown criminal charges?

You type as if you don't know, yet post as if you do.

There is clearly information being left out of John Andrew's story. Deliberately left out.

It's not as if this forum went looking for his dirty laundry; he made the video and had it posted so that others would help.

Then he kept all of the helpers in the dark.

Bad form.

I mean, I look at this picture of his mom's yard inside city limits and it makes me think that the city finally enforced some zoning regulations.

Are California cities really so lax as to not enforce this sort of thing?
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it is bad form to speculate and spin opinion... the original comment was to respond about the status of the theft, that the recovery process is on going and active... which it is... beyond that we need to wait until more information is made available...

 

No. In the absence of information, people involved will speculate. That's human nature. In contrast, bad form is asking people to help and then treating them poorly.

Getting drunk and telling your bar buddies that you are looking for your stolen cars isn't a recovery process.

Are you claiming that Law Enforcement has the cars in an official recovery process, or are you just being vague again?

 

Jeez, just reading through the recent posts prompts me to add another 2 cents.
1. The SWB was sold to Mike S. long ago, and that money has been spent. John never claimed it was stolen.
2. The 166 (despite the fact that I had a buyer for $1M) was traded by John for a specially built Ferrari which has yet to be built and delivered, so John got no money from that deal. Again, he never claimed it was stolen.
3. While it might be argued that John brought on or contributed to his own problems, he is a sweet, trusting soul, and as a space engineer no dummy. He has been devastated by this event, both emotionally and financially.
4. The reason that the GTB is missing parts is that people have been raiding John's property for quite a while; there have been other thefts which aren't even a part of this story.
5. As this is not my field, I have referred John to an attorney with expertise in the collector car world, and I hope it will all end well. We did have the info about the GTB being in the Bay area.
The only reason that I add these remarks is that I think some are a bit too tough on poor John. Give him a little sympathy, for crying out loud. His "retirement plan" has just been taken from him.

 

Ed, which cars are being claimed as stolen?

How, from this thread, can anyone tell that the cars *were* stolen instead of simply impounded by the city police for code violations?

John Andrews is probably a kind man, but from the pictures posted so far his mom's yard looks like an unlicensed salvage yard...the kind of yard that would get RV's and other inoperable vehicles towed.

And to repeat: there is clearly information being left out of this thread (which is bad form, considering that help for John was being asked for...that's why this thread is here).

What is being left out? Would it help us sympathize with John? If so, please post it up.

 

It is too bad that his guy has lost his cars. But on another note, it is stories like this that make the Ferrari world interesting to me. I never hear stories like this about Porsche people.

Dale

 

Ed,

I think you phrased that well "his retirement plans was taken from him". John got raided like so many other people did that had stock market investments. The lesson I get from this is watch over you investments carefully.

BTW there are legal ways to take a car too, if John hadn't registered the car and someone took it, they could file for a bonded title. If john didn't respond the state of CA would then issue title to the person now in possession of the car. If this had been the case and john later contacted DMV the bond would pay John off and he would loose ownership. It's best to register your cars even on a non op, however I can't count how many expensive cars I have seen that sit unregistered.

 

OH thats not true, Rudy Kline in LA was an interesting story.

 

You mean to tell me that somebody left Porsches out in the open and the Porsche police didn't swoop in to rescue them?

Dale

 

Well sort of Rudy collected all sorts of crashed high end cars many which were Porsches, they were piled up all over his yard, some included Abarth Porsche's, early Carrera's, Speedsters, 300 SL's .....

 

Interesting, I'd love to hear more. Dale