A New York farmer has gone viral after claiming police told him he would have to pay to remove a suspected stolen ATV abandoned on his property. The unusual dispute began after he discovered a four-wheeler hidden in one of his fields and contacted authorities.
According to the farmer’s account in a video shared by Wall Street Apes on X, someone had apparently attempted to conceal the ATV by covering it with corn stalks taken from the field. He said the four-wheeler did not belong to him, leaving him with no idea who had brought it onto his land or why.
The farmer contacted police to report the discovery, expecting authorities to take care of the vehicle. Instead, he claims he was told that getting the ATV removed and taken to an impound yard would be his responsibility.
The situation becomes even stranger because the farmer said identifying numbers on the four-wheeler had been removed. The story has since generated plenty of online debate, although important details surrounding the incident and the police response have not been independently verified.
Farmer Says The ATV’s Identifying Numbers Were Removed
Farmer lives in New York
Someone stole this 4 wheeler, they filed off the serial numbers and dumped it on his property
He called the police to report it and have it removed. NYPD said he would have to pay for the tow and impound to remove it
This is what it’s like living in a… pic.twitter.com/G6t6DqI9B4
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) July 20, 2026
In the video, the farmer explained that he called police after finding the four-wheeler sitting in his field. He said it was clearly not one of his vehicles and that he had no knowledge of where it came from.
According to his account, both the serial number and vehicle identification number had been filed off. The farmer said officers confirmed that the identifying information had been removed, raising obvious questions about the ATV’s history and ownership.
Despite that, he claims police told him he would need to arrange and pay for the vehicle to be towed to an impound yard. His response was understandably incredulous, questioning why he should have to spend his own money to remove and impound a vehicle that did not belong to him in the first place.
Who Is Responsible For Removing An Abandoned Vehicle?
A follow-up posted by the X account that shared the video claimed New York authorities may decline to take custody of certain abandoned vehicles if they have no license plates, little resale value, and are not connected to an active investigation. In those circumstances, the responsibility for arranging removal could potentially fall to the property owner.
New York Department of Motor Vehicles guidance generally advises property owners who discover an abandoned vehicle to contact local police first to determine whether it has been reported stolen. What happens afterward can depend on several factors, including where the vehicle was found, whether an owner can be identified, its value, and how local authorities classify the situation.
The apparent removal of the ATV’s identifying numbers is what has made the farmer’s story particularly controversial online. Commenters questioned why a vehicle with its serial and VIN information allegedly filed away would not automatically warrant further investigation.
Important Details Remain Unverified
The viral video presents only the farmer’s version of events, and there are significant gaps in the story. The farmer’s identity, his precise location in New York, and the police department involved have not been independently confirmed.
There also does not appear to be a publicly available statement from the relevant law enforcement agency explaining what officers found or why they allegedly declined to take custody of the ATV. Without that information, it is difficult to determine exactly which abandoned-vehicle or evidence procedures applied in this particular case.
Still, the farmer’s predicament has struck a nerve online. Finding an unidentified ATV hidden in your crops is strange enough, but being told you might have to pay to make someone else’s suspiciously abandoned four-wheeler disappear from your property makes for an especially frustrating twist.