Check farm kit, finance firms urged
9 October 2000
Check farm kit, finance firms urged
By FWi staff
FINANCE companies should thoroughly check the background of farm equipment before agreeing to a deal, advise organisers of an anti-theft initiative.
The National Plant & Equipment Register (TER) issued this warning as it announced the recovery of eight pieces of stolen kit in the past month.
TER, which runs a joint online scheme with FWi, says these items have a total value of 80,700.
Among them were a number of tractors stolen in the UK and recovered in the Republic of Ireland.
Some had their identities changed so that they show French or US serial numbers, and were then sold for their full market value in Ireland.
These were then financed by Irish finance companies – one of which lost IR23,000 (UK17,500) by financing a tractor stolen in the UK which belongs to a UK insurer.
To avoid this, Tim Purbrick of TER urges finance firms to check out the background of the piece of kit first.
“Companies can get in touch with us and we can run a check on our database to see if the equipment is stolen, he said.
However, as some foreign numbers may not be reported in the UK, for complete piece of mind Mr Purbrick recommends a personal visit.
“They could have someone from TER check the serial numbers and touch the metal to see if theyve been tampered with,” he said.
- Help cut rural crime
Register equipment and report stolen machinery through FWi Theftline -
- Stolen kit back with its owners, FWi, 04 April 2000
- Cut rural crime with FWi-Theftline, FWi, 16 March 2000