Stalled repair: Manitoba farmer left waiting for stolen truck to get fixed

Chelsea Kemp · CBC News

· Posted: May 15, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

When Clint Sigurdson's 2010 Dodge Ram was stolen from his MacGregor-area workplace successful aboriginal spring, helium hoped it would beryllium backmost to enactment soon aft being recovered.

Instead, it could beryllium autumn earlier it's backmost connected the roadworthy — and that's the best-case scenario, helium says.

Sigurdson couldn't get an estimation oregon inspection with Manitoba Public Insurance until helium recovered a store that would measure and repair the stolen motortruck — but nary 1 would instrumentality the job.

"I phoned everybody from Winnipeg to Virden," Sigurdson said. "They each gave maine the aforesaid communicative — that they don't bash theft claims."

Eventually, helium recovered assistance astatine Moonlight Autobody in Winkler, Man., just implicit 100 kilometres from MacGregor. 

The store says a driveable conveyance takes astir 8 months to get fixed, and a tow-in takes astatine slightest 2 oregon 3 months to beryllium roadworthy.

His months-long hold highlights a increasing occupation for Manitoba drivers with stolen vehicles — uncovering a store to grip an MPI theft assertion and marque repairs is simply a dilatory and often frustrating process.

Some repair shops garbage to instrumentality the jobs altogether, citing reddish tape, information concerns and mediocre compensation, mechanic Johnny Vernaus said.

"It's not a money-maker, and it's not an casual occupation to do. I don't blasted radical for not taking them," Vernaus said. "There's nary upside to it."

Vernaus has been moving connected MPI claims since 1982. 

MPI requires a batch of paperwork, documenting the harm caused by the theft and an appraisal of the clip that volition beryllium needed for repairs, and the mechanic has to beryllium the middleman betwixt MPI and customers, helium said.

For an archetypal estimate, mechanics are paid for 2 hours of work, but often it takes treble that clip oregon longer, helium said.

Right now, his store is booking repairs of each kinds astir six to 8 months out, Vernaus said.

They person a ample lawsuit base, repairs are held up by the wait for parts, and request for repairs successful wide has risen, helium said.

Stolen vehicles often instrumentality a backmost seat. Each month, they spot 10 to 20 stolen vehicles needing work, and they're usually the astir analyzable and time-consuming jobs.

In Sigurdson's case, the motortruck cab was covered with mud, writer and dents, the tailgate was smashed, the backmost model was breached and the radiator was crushed.

It tin beryllium hard to find mechanics with the skills and acquisition to instrumentality connected the analyzable repairs, Vernaus said.

It's besides risky, helium said. Some vehicles request to beryllium cleaned out, and that tin mean removing drugs, needles oregon stolen goods.

Vernaus wants MPI to pay a surcharge for these repairs to cover storage, administrative enactment and safety-related costs. Without it, much radical volition beryllium near waiting for months, helium said.

"We person to get paid," Vernaus said. "We person amended enactment than that, truthful that's wherefore a batch of guys aren't doing that."

MPI spokesperson Tara Seel said stolen vehicles instrumentality a fiscal toll connected some customers and the insurer.

She says getting a due appraisal for these types of claims is often time-consuming and it's up to shops to support customers informed astir the presumption of repairs.

In 2024, 3,141 stolen vehicles were reported to MPI. That's down from highs of 3,509 successful 2022 and 3,344 successful 2023.

Once a stolen conveyance is recovered by instrumentality enforcement, it's sent to an MPI compound. From there, estimators and adjusters volition look astatine it and person it towed to a repair store chosen by a customer, Seel said.

Then the store volition spell done the conveyance and taxable a study to MPI for support earlier repairs begin.

"It depends connected store availability astatine that point," Seel said. "There's not overmuch we tin bash to assistance relieve the capacity."

MPI is considering allowing impermanent repairs that marque vehicles roadworthy until afloat repairs tin beryllium done.

Meanwhile, Sigurdson said portion the motortruck is not a writeoff, it volition beryllium astatine slightest 5 months until it's repaired and backmost connected the workplace moving cattle.

Sigurdson wants vehicles returned faster.

"It's conscionable benignant of a disruption and a atrocious time," Sigurdson said. "It's conscionable a waiting crippled now."