Last summer I found a snowmobile while on a hike up in the forest around Lake Kachess Washington. I got the VIN numbers and reported it to the Kittitas police department who got back to me and told me that it was stolen. Then they said that a forest ranger would call me and go take a look at it as I was willing to go on the hike again and show them the location. Now coming on almost a year later I have not gotten the call and I am wondering if I can go salvage the snowmobile myself or what I can do. The sleds just a 1998ish polaris 550 trail if anyone is wondering. Anyway I tried to look up state law regarding the issue but have not had any success, hopefully someone is familiar with the subject. Thanks in advance for any input.
What now?!
- Thread starter McustoM
- Start date
Have you looked into contacting the owner? They might be interested in getting the sled back.
M
mod03rmk800
Well-known member
X2^^^
That way you wouldn't be in possession of stolen property and the owner may just give you the piece of mind to enable you to look at yourself with confidence to go ahead and salvage it for yourself.
That way you wouldn't be in possession of stolen property and the owner may just give you the piece of mind to enable you to look at yourself with confidence to go ahead and salvage it for yourself.
I was considering trying to contact the owner but im pretty sure that the person already got the insurance money from the sled. I would also think that the kittitas police department should have contacted the owner, but who knows. I guess ill just have to contact the police department again to see what they would advise doing. By the looks of it someone just got the sled stuck in a real bad spot and decided to report it stolen rather than trying to get it out. Thanks for the input.
There is kind of a joke for the guys around this area that if you can't get it out just leave it. It's a joke to me but wouldn't be suprised if somebody did it.
most likely thats what happened.. some people have more money than sense and they probably said hell with it and went and got a new one. If it were me i'd go ahead and salvage it and if anyone came around askin for it, then i'd say hey i pulled that thing out of the woods and your recovery fee will be 500 bucks!!! 
but thats just me
but thats just me
A
Arctic Thunder
Well-known member
I would bet the insurance agency will pay a salvage fee. Me and a couple buddies recovered a four wheeler for an insurance company that had rolled about 3000' down into the salmon river canyon. I think we got the machine and all the salvage rights plus $500. Saved them the cost of a chopper and someone else getting it.
So you might want to see what the insurance company will do.
Thunder
So you might want to see what the insurance company will do.
Thunder
If the insurance co. paid out a claim on it, it belongs to them. You need to contact them if you plan on doing anything with the sled.
Alright thanks guys atleast now I have some direction on where to go with it. A salvage fee would deffinently be a plus its not going to be easy to get out. I'll have to track down the insurance agency and figure things out with them.
J
JHG
Well-known member
I'm guessing not many people have insurance on a 98 550.
Agreed! See who you can contact and if no one can help you out, you found yourself a sled for the kids.. We pull out probably 4 abandoned sleds on our side of the uintas a year! We post flyers at the BearRiverService and pretty much just leave em lay in our yard til someone comes and gets the crap, a fee is incrued of course! This year Steve Rosser asked if we could pull a MtnMax out of the river crossing below the old whitney ranger station. Looked like someone was gonna jump the road but didn't see the 6' caulvert under the snow. The wedged it into the caulvert and left it. Had to bust out the snowcat to get it out but the owner gave us a grand for getting it out for him. We just referenced the vin with the registrar and contacted the owner. He came up that week and picked it up. Most likely the 98 was junk to whoever left it and there's most likely no claim on it.
Still no answer on actual "salvage law" I am curious to the outcome of that answer!
same here.. I know that there's some time frame for abandoned equipment. Like when you see a car on the side of the interstate that has been tagged by the highway department, that signals a free for all of anyone who wants to get it the heck outta there... dunno if the same holds for sleds but i'm sure its in the same ballpark
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