A Portland mechanic’s mission to bring stolen vehicles back to their rightful owners has culminated in a Portland motorcycle auction to raise money for a 10-year-old girl named Ellie, who underwent a heart transplant at the end of 2022.
Nick Haas: Motorcycle Retriever
Nick Haas first earned media attention in February 2022 for helping locate and recover dozens of stolen motorcycles and cars in the Portland area. His passion for finding stolen vehicles began when he helped a Marine Corps veteran find a stolen bike.
His 50th vehicle recovery was a Harley-Davidson owned by Jeremy Storment. The bike held a special place in Storment’s heart as the former bike of his best friend, who had passed away some years before. The valiant efforts brought Storment and his motorcycle back together and Haas continued to reunite riders with their bikes throughout 2022. He’s helped recover at least 300 vehicles to date.
Haas has inspired others to join him, such as Portland rider Drat Diestler, whose bike was also stolen. The duo made the news again in August 2022 for locating various stolen vehicles at an encampment in North Portland, including a stolen Miata and a motorcycle.
Haas is a founding member of a group of Portland individuals called Guardians Theft Recovery. You can see their efforts for yourself on his YouTube page or visit them on Facebook. This group is a great example of what private citizens can accomplish with a genuine desire to help.
Motorcycle Auction Raises $16,000+ for Ellie
Although many of the recoveries end in happy reunions between riders and their beloved bikes, some owners fail to claim their vehicles or simply don’t want them back. When Haas heard through the motorcycle community that a 10-year-old named Ellie needed a new heart, he wanted to help, so he assisted in organizing a Portland motorcycle auction to raise money by auctioning off almost 50 of the orphan recovered bikes and other donated vehicles.
Securing the legal rights to auction off the recovered motorcycles required a lot of paperwork. Haas and others took the time to contact owners and worked with a towing company to get it done.
The auction took place on Dec. 18, 2022. Haas and the Guardians partnered with 503 Bike Night, Pro-Tek Automotive, PDX Dyna Crew, R-F-P, See See Motor Coffee, Elite Towing, and Legion Motorcycle Co. to put on a successful event, where they raised more than $16,000 for Ellie and her family.
According to Ellie’s GoFundMe page, she and her family were able to move home after six months of hotel living, and everything looks promising with her new heart. The family continues to navigate post-transplant blood draws, biopsies, and medications as they look to the future. If you want to donate to help Ellie’s family afford the many costs of her heart transplant, the page is still active and accepting donations.
Portland Riders Trust Law Tigers
This Portland motorcycle auction illustrates the amazing hearts within the motorcycle community. Haas and the other guardians saw fellow Portland citizens heartbroken over the loss of their vehicles. They decided enough was enough, a path that led to a charity auction for a young girl in need.
At Law Tigers, we support the motorcycle community across Oregon and the United States. If you’re in a motorcycle accident, Law Tigers experienced attorneys can help you deal with insurance companies while you recover. Motorcycle crash personal injury attorneys help you pursue fair compensation. Call 1-888-863-7216 today for a free case evaluation.
