Mux, damn interesting story, I had never considered that even during the service of a car, its tags could be taken...and after all, how many owners would have noticed? And with at least one Vin on the car, there is almost never the chance for inspection by a cop once the first title is printed.
The comment that the police were not interested to pursue the theft--this is to be expected, the statute of limitations on the theft ran out decades before. The original thief can make a movie or run for president, whatever, and not worry about being arrested. But the car remains "stolen" property of someone. Yes, there is other law that limits the time for the original owner to retrieve their property, but this timer starts after they know where it is. Law created around Nazi art recovery during the Schwarzenegger-as-governor time was because many of the victims/families were unsettled for decades....
Simon, no, just having a title in hand doesn't protect the purchaser, a stolen (something, fill in the blank) is legally called "void title" so that even a subsequent innocent purchaser becomes the next victim. Surprisingly, a co-worker lost the Mazda RX-7 he bought even when he was given a clear title (somehow the car was used by the seller to get yet another loan, the clear title he was handed that showed the lien was released wasn't the operative title...).
After giving the owner a long time to do the right thing (which he didn't do), is actually not a moral judgment, its the law--- for anyone to knowingly sell stolen property makes them (lets use a capital letter) a Criminal. This has nothing to do with doing a good deed daily, whoever has the car Here should know they have a chance of going to jail.