Claiming abandoned airplane in CO

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Dawson Muth

Filing Flight Plan
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dawson.muth
What is the law regarding abandoned airplanes in CO? There is an old Cessna 140 thats been sitting on the ramp at least a decade. Noone is paying the tie-down fee. I’d like to know if there is a way to claim it. The owner is likely dead, so where do I start?
 
There are old airplanes sitting around everywhere for more than a decade and the owners aren’t dead. Ifstorage fees are owed to the airport, they would have first claim.
 
Just take it. Possession is 9 tenths of the law. You get what you pay for, unless you don’t pay for it at all. Best of luck. I’m headed out to an old airplane parking lot in AZ next week to claim some pretty cool old **** if you wanna tag along and see how it’s done. I’ve also recently laid claim to Mercury, Saturn and the dark side of the moon. Touch my airplane and Uranus is mine. ;)
 
Where is the airplane located?
Have you contacted the airport manager?
If the airport is owned by the county, have you contacted the county?
Have you contacted owner of record? Find same in the FAA Number database?
Have you spent $5 for the history CD from the FAA? That will provide more details.
If the owner is dead, have you contacted the family or executor of the estate?
Have you contacted a lawyer in Colorado that deals with what appears to be abandoned property?
 
You only can own it if you have title to it registered with the state.

So who is the current title owner? If that person is dead, then the estate owns it.
 
Dawson Muth said:
so where do I start?
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The route that worked best (cheapest) for me was to start with the airport manager and local FBO/maintenance provider. Once you get that local info it will determine what following routes to pursue. And regardless of the local/states laws, the hardest part is establishing the chain of ownership so that you can register it with the FAA. Without meeting those requirements then theres no point in pursuing it unless you want to part it out. Heres a link to the ownership chain/documents.
https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/aircraft_certification/aircraft_registry/media/8050-94.pdf

WDD said:
You only can own it if you have title to it registered with the state.
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FYI: aircraft do not have titles and are federally registered with the FAA. Not familar with any state registration. Do you have a reference?
 
Sorry. State meaning the Feds. You could start with a simple n number search to see who they think last owned it ?
 
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Even if you can get it for free, would it be worth it? If it hasn't flown in at least a decade it probably needs an overhaul, tires, belts, hoses. What about paint, fabric, interior?

I'd compare that to what buying a flying 140 would cost.
 
You would have to establish a legal chain of ownership. If the original owner is deceased, you would need a bill of sale from the owner's estate/executor). Start with an N-number search for the last registered owner. If the last owner can't be found, the airport can start a legal procedure to take it for nonpayment of rent (according to state law), and once they establish ownership, they can sell (or give) it to you (again, with a bill of sale).
 
And after spending a lot of money on a complete restoration including a new panel you’d probably still end up with a plane with missing log books.
 
If its at a municipal facility and fees are owed they would need to publicly auction it, so as not to appear to play favorites or self enrich. On a private ramp that owner might claim it for themselves for the fees owed.
 
first step....I'd google the tail number to see who owns it....
 
Clip4 said:
There is a 757 abandoned at Orange County New York missing an engine that hasn’t flown since January 21 without paying airport fees.
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Last time I saw it, it was at SWF minus an engine. Guess they moved it.
 
Look up the address, send a letter and ask if they want to give you their airplane for free

https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/Search/NNumberInquiry

Sounds pretty obvious, are you trying to steal others property?

There was a police blotter in a town I used to live in, there were some crimes in the area, property theft, you would see a snippet when the police would catch some hoodlums trying to break into a home, the hoodlums always would say they thought it was “abandoned”
 
ColoPilot said:
Even if you can get it for free, would it be worth it?
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Not the OP, but for me, yeah, it would be worth it if I could get a non-airworthy airframe for free. Been keeping my eyes open for a pole sitter for a few years now.
 
172andyou said:
if I could get a non-airworthy airframe for free.
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Watch for regional severe weather events around airports. Sometimes you can pick up a nice one-off specimen with minimal damage that will cost you only your time and gas money to pick up. In the past salvage companies would also give away any E/AB in the mix as well.
 
WDD said:
And after spending a lot of money on a complete restoration including a new panel you’d probably still end up with a plane with missing log books.
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If it's a compete restoration, you might not care about logbooks.
 
BladeSlap said:
Look up the address, send a letter and ask if they want to give you their airplane for free
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Better yet, include a filled out bill of sale and crisp $10 bill and self-addressed stamped envelope. That's what I get from the mineral rights vultures all the time. (well, not the $10 bill).
 
If you can't find the owner, the airport will probably have to place a lien on it for non payment of ramp fees. At some point they will own it and can sell or auction it off.
 
Lachlan said:
Just take it. Possession is 9 tenths of the law. ;)
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And ten tenths of a felony theft charge. And even if the OWNER is out of the picture, any lienholders may take steps to protect their interest.
 
flyingron said:
And ten tenths of a felony theft charge. And even if the OWNER is out of the picture, any lienholders may take steps to protect their interest.
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No kidding? So you’re saying that stealing is unlawful? Who knew? What else can you educate us on Professor Kantlaff? (Perhaps you should avoid the lecture on ironic humor.) ;)
 
Lachlan said:
No kidding? So you’re saying that stealing is unlawful? Who knew? What else can you educate us on Professor Kantlaff? (Perhaps you should avoid the lecture on ironic humor.) ;)
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Oh, humor is what it was?
 
Palmpilot said:
Wow, it was a ten year project!
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Not quite. Check the timeline. I've been following him since the beginning. Ten years is the amount of time the airplane spent as a ramp queen before he bought it. Joseph bought the airplane April, 2015 and flew it for the first time i November – a 6 month project.
 
midlifeflyer said:
Not quite. Check the timeline. I've been following him since the beginning. Ten years is the amount of time the airplane spent as a ramp queen before he bought it. Joseph bought the airplane April, 2015 and flew it for the first time i November – a 6 month project.
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Thanks for the correction.
 
There's a Beechcraft 24-series of some sort literally chained down on the ramp in Gulfport, apparently with about $10k in ramp fees. Talked to one of the regulars there, they fired it up and ran it a few years ago, definitely needs some paint and tires at this point.
 
There's an abandoned Fouga Magister at my airfield. Was flying up to the time the FAA red-tagged it for some scorch marks on the ruddervators. The owner incurred the wrath of local FSDO for not complying with his Experimental Exhibition operating limitations. Been sitting for several years without paying any tiedown fees. Pity.
 
At least in my state, abandoned property can only be claimed by the owner of the venue where the property is abandoned, and then only after good faith efforts to inform the owner (registered letters, etc.)
Best to try to find the last registered owner, bearing in mind that aircraft registration papers explicitly state that they are not a proof of ownership!
 
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