23.04.2025 11:52
Retired teacher Tuncer Dedeoğlu stated that his vehicle, which he retrieved under 'custody' conditions after being stolen in 2008, has been left to rust in the same place for 17 years due to legal obstacles. Despite this, Dedeoğlu continues to pay his tax debts regularly.
Retired teacher Tuncer Dedeoğlu, who lives in Ordu, has not been able to use the vehicle he bought as new in 1994, despite it being returned to him under 'custody' conditions shortly after it was stolen in 2008. Dedeoğlu states that his car has been sitting in the same place and rusting since that day, and he has regularly paid his tax debts even though problems have arisen during this time.
Retired mathematics teacher Tuncer Dedeoğlu, who lives in the Perşembe district, bought the car of his dreams, a Tofaş Kartal, for a total of 196,000 lira by giving 6,250 lira of his 7,125 lira salary to a loan in 1994. Dedeoğlu's car was stolen from in front of his house in Ordu in October 2008. After investigations, the car was found two months later in Bursa with its license plate, chassis, and engine number changed. After a criminal examination, it was determined that the car belonged to Dedeoğlu and was returned to him under 'custody' conditions.
THE CAR STOLEN 17 YEARS AGO HAS BEEN IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE FOR 16 YEARS
After receiving the car, Dedeoğlu brought it back to Ordu, returning with a new license plate of 16 BOC 22 instead of the original 52 AC 299. Despite the issues arising from having dual plates, Dedeoğlu has regularly paid his tax debts and states that he wants the custody condition lifted from his car, which has been rusting in front of his house since that day, with its chassis and engine number changed.
"THERE ARE A LOT OF VICTIMS OF THE GANG"
Dedeoğlu notes that the auto theft gang of the time was large and had many victims, saying, "They called me and said, 'come and get your car.' In January 2009, I went and retrieved my car from Bursa. However, when I took the car, they returned it to me under custody conditions. The gang that committed the auto theft has victims from all over Turkey. In 2010, all the files were collected in Bursa, and I went to the Ordu Courthouse to submit a petition and express my requests. My requests are very simple; 'I want the custody condition lifted from my car and a provisional decision for the definitive delivery of the car to me,' and I requested the continuation of the criminal case," he said.
THE LAWYERS' PREDICTION DID NOT COME TRUE
Dedeoğlu expressed that despite the lawyers handling the case saying, "You have no legal issue, it's a waste of the power of attorney fee you will give, they will return the car to you in the first hearing," he has not been able to achieve results for 17 years. "Two years later, I went to another lawyer and received the same response. A full 17 years have passed, and I have not been able to possess my car since that day. My car is rusting in front of the door; I bought this car for 196,000 lira with a bank loan of 6,250 lira while earning a salary of 7,125 lira," he stated.
"I PAID THE TAX DEBT"
Dedeoğlu stated that he wanted to pay the car's tax debt in 2009 but could not because of the dual license plate, and as a result, he even received a foreclosure notice. "No one showed me a way. Later, I received a foreclosure notice. I took the foreclosure notice and went again, but I still couldn't pay. A few days later, without telling anyone, I went directly to the cashier, declared the license plate, and paid the tax debt; this continued until 2013. After 2013, I couldn't pay the tax debt again, and there was a restructuring in 2015, where problems arose, but we solved them. Since that day, I have been paying the car's tax, but the car is not mine," he said.
"I FEEL PAIN WHEN PASSING BY THE STREET WHERE THE CAR IS"
"I can't pass by the street where the car is; it hurts me inside. There is sweat and effort, but the condition of the car is bad," Dedeoğlu said, adding, "I can't get the traffic insurance done, and without insurance, I can't get the vehicle inspection done. However, I continuously pay the tax."