Mike Monicatti found the Chevy Venture he was looking for along with other cars without license plates. (Credit: WJBK | myFOXDetroit.com)
DETROIT (WJBK) -
"There's definitely something out of the ordinary going on here. Obviously there's not four abandoned cars in a side of a driveway that are just sitting here for no reason," said Mike Monicatti, owner of Monicatti Recovery Services.
It's a possible insurance scam uncovered by a Roseville repo man of sorts. It's Monicatti's job to track down stolen or missing cars from area dealerships or banks, and boy did he.
"We have one of our clients, RightWay, who is a client that has about nine dealers here in the metro Detroit area, and they called us and let us know one of their vehicles [was] reported stolen last night off their lot."
A GPS unit led Monicatti right to it in a driveway in the 13000 block of Mansfield. Monicatti found the Chevy Venture he had been searching for along with three other cars with no plates and a flatbed tow truck filled with what he believes are hot purses, radio and other belongings.
"In my opinion, this is a big chop shop for insurance theft. These customers or whoever they are make a deal with these people, who are willing to take their vehicles, and then they go ahead and make sure these vehicles are not found and then they're either, again, chopped up or they're disposed of, then the insurance companies are left holding the bill for all these," Monicatti said.
We did try to call both numbers located on the side of the towing truck to see how or if the company is involved with this situation. None of the numbers were working. Detroit Police are now investigating.
"Nobody happens to know anything that's going on. The lady said next door that these cars have been here for a long time, but yet our car that was third in row was just missing last night," Monicatti explained.
Monicatti said a DPD officer ran the VIN numbers on all those cars and discovered that none of them had been reported stolen as of yet, only adding to his theory that something just isn't right and that the rest of us are being wronged.
"It's frustrating as a business owner and as a father to pay the rates that we pay for insurance for quite blatant fraud that's going on," he said.
Sunday, March 17 2013 9:05 PM EDT2013-03-18 01:05:08 GMT
A 16 year-old young man from Romulus is sore, swollen and recovering from a dislocated jaw. An amateur video shows he was brutally beaten outside a local 7-Eleven, and his family needs help tracking down
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A simple fall from a DDOT bus at Livernois and 7 Mile meant an unexpected trip to the hospital and an unexpected friend when a 13-year old boy needed one the most.
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Wednesday, June 19 2013 8:03 PM EDT2013-06-20 00:03:28 GMT
"I don't blame the clerk," Mike Duggan said as he ended his mayoral bid. Two courts ruled he cannot be on the ballot because he had not lived in Detroit for a year when he filed.
"I don't blame the clerk," Mike Duggan said as he ended his mayoral bid. Two courts ruled he cannot be on the ballot because he had not lived in Detroit for a year when he filed.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 8:00 PM EDT2013-06-20 00:00:10 GMT
The Detroit Red Wings and city officials on Wednesday announced a $650 million plan for a new arena development for the NHL team in Detroit's downtown entertainment and sports district.
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Wednesday, June 19 2013 5:41 PM EDT2013-06-19 21:41:47 GMT
FBI agents grabbed shovels and combed through dirt and mud in the search for Jimmy Hoffa's remains or clues to the disappearance of the former Teamsters boss. Once again, the search was futile.
For at least the third time in a decade, FBI agents grabbed shovels and combed through dirt and mud in the search for Jimmy Hoffa's remains or clues to the disappearance of the former Teamsters boss. Once again, the search was futile.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 4:32 PM EDT2013-06-19 20:32:27 GMT
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley has signed a bill giving local governments in Michigan power to restrict the use of fireworks on the day before, during and after a national holiday.
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Wednesday, June 19 2013 4:24 PM EDT2013-06-19 20:24:16 GMT
Kolcraft is recalling more than 96,000 Jeep Liberty strollers after at least 18 people were injured by tire blowouts, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Wednesday.
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Wednesday, June 19 2013 11:40 AM EDT2013-06-19 15:40:48 GMT
Nearly a hundred years ago, two girls from Detroit put a message in a bottle and threw it into the waters of the St. Clair River. Now that message is back on dry land after being found by a diver in 30 feet of water.
Nearly a hundred years ago, two girls from Detroit put a message in a bottle and threw it into the waters of the St. Clair River. Now that message is back on dry land after being found by a diver in 30 feet of water.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 9:45 AM EDT2013-06-19 13:45:33 GMT
Kid Rock has added an eighth date to his "$20 Best Night Ever" tour at DTE Energy Music Theatre. Officials say tickets for the Aug. 20 show will go on sale at 10 a.m. on June 22.
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