The long-standing dispute over the seizure of a 1968 Camaro in Baldwin County has finally been resolved. Circuit Judge Clark Stankoski ruled against the county’s Sheriff’s Office, deeming their actions to be “improper and illegal.” The car in question belongs to Thomas Hadley, a resident of Rabun, but it is currently in the possession of a Kansas man who reported it stolen twenty years ago.
Judge Stankoski, who had previously ruled against the Sheriff’s Office, issued a 43-day ultimatum for the vehicle to be returned to Hadley, giving the county and the state of Alabama a limited timeframe to comply. Baldwin County District Attorney Robert Wilters indicated a potential appeal but refrained from commenting further on the case.
The controversy surrounding the Camaro began when Hadley purchased the vehicle in 2016. An investigation by the Alabama Department of Revenue linked the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to a stolen car, prompting Baldwin County sheriff’s deputies to demand its surrender. After Hadley refused, they obtained a warrant and seized the car. However, just minutes before a temporary restraining order was issued, they handed it over to the Kansas claimant.
Judge Stankoski heavily criticized the approach taken by the Sheriff’s Office, stating that using criminal processes to facilitate a civil remedy was both illegal and improper. He emphasized that the deputies involved did not consider Hadley a criminal suspect and had no intention of arresting him, rendering the warrant procurement unlawful.
Hadley’s defense argued that he lawfully acquired the car from a Baldwin County resident who had owned it for several years. They contended that the VIN matching the stolen vehicle originated from a replaced part and did not accurately reflect the true identity of the Camaro.
While Judge Stankoski’s ruling did not delve into the ownership dispute itself, he suggested that the matter be resolved in the appropriate forum with sworn testimonies from all claimants involved. This case highlights the complexities surrounding car ownership disputes, particularly when it comes to vintage vehicles with ambiguous histories.
