….you wake up to your phone ringing. \u00a0It’s your alarm company, notifying you of\u00a0a break in occurring in your barn. \u00a0You run out to the barn, but the thieves have already made it out off your property with some of your items. \u00a0You’re disappointed but at peace\u00a0because you’ve done all you can reasonably do, right? \u00a0Up until now: yes. \u00a0But now? \u00a0No. \u00a0You can do more. \u00a0It’s called an Owner Applied Number, or OAN for short.<\/p>\n
Most of your valuable\u00a0items have an ID number that is registered with a governmental department. \u00a0Your car has a VIN that is registered with the DMV<\/a>. \u00a0Your livestock are branded and registered with the Bureau of Livestock Identification<\/a>. \u00a0If someone is apprehended with your car or livestock in their possession, your items will be easily linked back to you. \u00a0But what about your tractors, implements, hand tools, and other machinery, supplies, and \u00a0equipment that are equally important to you and your business?<\/p>\n I’m writing to tell you that now there is a way to link your property back to you through an OAN.<\/p>\n You might be asking:<\/p>\n Let me help.<\/p>\n What is an OAN?<\/strong><\/p>\n It is a unique 10-digit number provided by the state of California that you imprint (stamp, engrave, or paint) on any of your valuable items.<\/p>\n How does it work?<\/strong><\/p>\n Pretend you’re the farmer in the story above: when the thief that took your stuff gets pulled over and the cop asks why he’s carrying a bunch of farming items in the passenger seat, the cop notices an OAN, looks it up in the data base, and becomes aware that these are YOUR belongings. \u00a0This is a win for you, even if you have insurance. \u00a0Why? \u00a0Because it speeds up the time it takes to recover your items which settles the claim quicker. \u00a0If you’ve ever had your\u00a0car stolen, you might know that before your insurance company pays for a replacement\u00a0car, they want to make sure they can’t recover your stolen car first. \u00a0Thanks to the VIN being registered with the DMV and accessible by law enforcement, finding – or not finding – your car is fairly quick and efficient. \u00a0Now, the same concept applies here to items marked by your OAN.<\/p>\n How do I get one?<\/strong><\/p>\n The simplest way is to download the application here:\u00a0www.da-tulareco.org\/PDF\/Brochures\/OAN-2014.pdf<\/a>. \u00a0Note that although the program is headquartered in Tulare County, it is open to anyone in the state of California.<\/p>\n Also, here’s the country’s website with information about the OAN program: www.da-tulareco.org\/agricultural_crime.htm#OAN<\/a><\/p>\n If you’re still not sure how to get one, I’ve also been known to help people, especially those that are clients of mine. \u00a0: )<\/p>\n\n