He got his stolen vehicle back, but even after repairs, it won't sell
It's another headache for drivers who have a vehicle stolen, what to do if they want to sell after their stolen vehicle was damaged and then recovered.
For one Ottawa man, that was the dilemma after his 2022 RAV4 hybrid was stolen right out of his driveway in October.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
"It was three in the morning, we were all asleep," said Joe Karam, who lives in the Ottawa suburb of Barrhaven. "We woke up the next morning, came down, opened the door and sure enough, the car was gone instantly."
Karam was in the process of making an insurance claim and getting a replacement vehicle.
"We got the phone call that the Quebec police had actually recovered the vehicle in Quebec, about half an hour outside of Montreal," he said.
That's where things got complicated. Karam says the vehicle was badly damaged and needed thousands of dollars in repairs. He decided to sell it after the work was done and replace it with a new car.
"I actually went out and bought a new car because we didn't know what to do. And so I figured once we got the car back, I would put it up for sale because it's a hot item saleswise and will go instantly, and that's where we had the problems with it," he said.
Karam says the vehicle wouldn't sell to dealerships because of the damage history. He was hoping to get nearly $40,000 for it.
"They put on auction at street values between $40,000 and $43,000 because it's a hybrid. Top line, top of the line auction came back $18,800," he said.
So the stolen, repaired vehicle sits in his driveway unsold. He doesn't want it, but also doesn't want to take a huge hit on the value of the car, another cost of the stolen vehicle epidemic.
"Don't buy anything that's on the top ten list of stolen vehicles because if you plan on keeping it, if it's recovered, perfect, but if you want to sell it, good luck. Just keep that in mind," he said.
Karam says it's a consumer warning for anyone looking to get rid of a vehicle that was severely damaged after being stolen.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW 'She was waiting for you': The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother in England
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Macklem tries to stay out of the fray as MPs do their best to use him to score points
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem navigates a political minefield every time he testifies before the House of Commons finance committee.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza's southern city of Rafah to start evacuating from the area, signalling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.