Police auctions in Nassau county source their vehicles from a variety of different places. Fundamentally, they all come from the police department is some way but the actual source will have a big impact on what types of cars are available and what their final price will be. Nassau County has one of the highest auto theft rates in the area. As a result, there are a number of cars included in the police auction which are stolen vehicles which were recovered by the police but were never reclaimed by the owner.
Why Do Cars Go Unclaimed?
There are several reasons a stolen car may go unclaimed once it is recovered. The most common reason it will remain unclaimed is because the police don’t know who the previous owner was which means they cannot contact them or let them know their vehicle has been found. This is most often the case when VIN numbers were removed by the thieves or if the car is stolen before the owner has registered it. The other reason it may be unclaimed is because the insurance has already paid out on the vehicle. Sometimes the insurance company will give a portion of final sale price to police department in exchange for including it in the auction and handling all of the post-sale activities. Insurance companies do this because they would likely end up auctioning off the vehicle anyways.
What to Look For at Nassau County Police Auctions
If you are going to target unclaimed vehicles at a police auction then there are few things to keep in mind. The most important thing to pay attention to is whether or not the vehicle starts and drives. While you will not have the option to test drive it before the auction, you will be able to find out if the car starts and drives. If a car does not start then there was likely a significant amount of mechanical damage which you probably don’t want to repair yourself because there is no telling what the problem actually is. In some cases, the car was not recovered until after it spent some time in a chop shop so all sorts of high value parts could be missing. If it starts but does not drive then some mechanical damage is likely but the repairs may be minimal enough to consider bidding on it.
You should also look for cosmetic damage. The best way to save money on an unclaimed car at Nassau county police auctions is by targeting cars that start and drive but have noticeable cosmetic damage. Cosmetic damage can be expensive to repair but if you are only looking for a drivable car then this shouldn’t be a problem.
Recent Results from Nassau County Police Auctions
2012 Subaru Impreza
A great find at a recent Nassau county police auction was a 2012 Subaru Impreza. It started and drove well. This black station wagon had less than 30,000 miles on it and an estimated market value of nearly $44,000. The winning bidder paid only $7,000.
2004 Mercedes Benz SL500
Another steal reported at a recent auto auction was a black 2004 Mercedes Benz Roadster. It had only 80,000 miles on it and an estimated value of nearly $22,000. The winning bidder paid only $5,000 because there was noticeable cosmetic damage.
