So I was hoping for some advise on this situation. I'm not sure how to handle it. Its not a problem ... yet(?)
So I had this old 2000 Honda Civic parked in my driveway. It was old. But it ran good. I never had a problem with it. Always changed the oil well. And it ran smoothly. Never had any breakdowns that were serious other than swapping out periodic dead batteries. (I had the car long enough the battery live didn't last; batteries typically only last 4 to 7 years.) I had this car since 2005 I think.
Anyways, the car was sitting in the driveway because I didn't make enough money to have 2 cars on the insurance. With my other car on the insurance, the cost was like 65 a month. But when I switched to a Minivan for cargo purposes, work, etc, they wanted an extra 100 a month for both cars...even with low coverages. No idea and it didn't make sense. Anyway, the car ran perfectly. And before selling it, I spent a few days testing the ignition, cleaning it and going over the engine to make sure that I wasn't selling anyone something that would be a lemon. I'm not a mechanic but I can do basic stuff like batteries, oil, and checking other things. But I can't take apart a car.
Also, what should be noted, the car sat but I would periodically go out and check it to make sure it stayed running. It wasn't sitting broken. I just needed a bigger car and couldn't afford both.
Also, I work only a few days a week in my own town. For the last 10 years, I've literally driven about 2500 miles a year, total, no matter which car. So the cars, ... both of them really haven't gotten very much wear and tear.
So I put it up for sale. Partly because my dad wanted us to clean up around the house and get rid of old stuff. He'd been getting upset. So I thought, well I guess I could sell the old Honda. I also thought I would use the funds to buy a small utility trailer and turn it into a camper. Like a teardrop camper or slightly bigger.
The car ran well, it'd had always ran well. So I saw no problems. I listed it. Within 40 minutes 3 people wanted to buy this old Honda. It was only listed at 1000 bucks. The first guy arrives and offers me 900. But then he bargained it down to 850, citing it being old. I didn't mind, thinking it was mostly charity. So I sold it to him. The week before 3 other cars of the same year, make, etc went for 1100 to 1400. But mine the paint on the hood, etc was starting to wear off and it didn't look as pretty as the other 3. So that's what I went with on price...though I thought the engine was in better shape on mine than the other ones that sold.
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Here's where it gets weird...
The guy who bought it was Latino. I didn't see that as a problem but when signing the title he wouldn't put down his last name. Or his address. And when he picked up the car with some friends, they put a DEALER plate on it to get home. (I thought probably they were immigrants, and worried about getting picked up.) But he said he was a mechanic. So I thought it was a good deal since a mechanic if there were issues then I would be of peace of mind, and not have to worry. Although i sincerely didn't think there were any issues with the car. I still don't think I had any issues with it. But the guy was young. He looked like he could be like my son's age if I ever had kids (I don't have kids.)
A few days later, suddenly there's a car in front of our next door neighbor's house. And it looks JUST LIKE this car I sold to some Latin guy! I was really surprised by it. I thought... wow that sure looks like my old car except with new headlights and tires....
A few days passed. Then I came out today and my neighbor is talking to my brother, who is a hobby mechanic, talking to him about how this car that his son bought, which just happened to be my old car was broken! :O I came over stumbling into this conversation and was surprised. The neighbor said that the car was smoking too. And that it broke.
Now the weird part is the smoking part. When I had it only a week or 2 before it NEVER smoked. I had this thing like 15+ years. And even recently, there never was any smoke. And its suddenly broken when it was perfect?
I don't understand this. And I certainly know that I didn't dig a pit for my neighbor. But I don't understand what those 2 kids did. Part of me thinks they are young and maybe didn't know what they were doing? The car was perfect... and then suddenly broken. And the smoking engine part makes me think they did something? It NEVER smoked when I had it.
But I'd hoped for peace of mind on this...
Its also weird to sell a car to someone... then they immediately sell it to someone else...? That sounds strange too. And if that guy was a mechanic, and he was.... he should have looked it over better.
And the strangest part is what are the coincidences that in this county that has over 1 million people in it, that the guy who buys that car just happens to live RIGHT next door to us? That's why this is so strange...
I don't feel guilty of anything. But I feel like that just sucks for the neighbor. But I don't want anyone to go after me. And I don't think they should. But what the heck? I don't have a lot of money right now, economically things suck. So I don't have the means to help the neighbor on this. And even if I did... what would someone do on something like this? What would you do?
So I had this old 2000 Honda Civic parked in my driveway. It was old. But it ran good. I never had a problem with it. Always changed the oil well. And it ran smoothly. Never had any breakdowns that were serious other than swapping out periodic dead batteries. (I had the car long enough the battery live didn't last; batteries typically only last 4 to 7 years.) I had this car since 2005 I think.
Anyways, the car was sitting in the driveway because I didn't make enough money to have 2 cars on the insurance. With my other car on the insurance, the cost was like 65 a month. But when I switched to a Minivan for cargo purposes, work, etc, they wanted an extra 100 a month for both cars...even with low coverages. No idea and it didn't make sense. Anyway, the car ran perfectly. And before selling it, I spent a few days testing the ignition, cleaning it and going over the engine to make sure that I wasn't selling anyone something that would be a lemon. I'm not a mechanic but I can do basic stuff like batteries, oil, and checking other things. But I can't take apart a car.
Also, what should be noted, the car sat but I would periodically go out and check it to make sure it stayed running. It wasn't sitting broken. I just needed a bigger car and couldn't afford both.
Also, I work only a few days a week in my own town. For the last 10 years, I've literally driven about 2500 miles a year, total, no matter which car. So the cars, ... both of them really haven't gotten very much wear and tear.
So I put it up for sale. Partly because my dad wanted us to clean up around the house and get rid of old stuff. He'd been getting upset. So I thought, well I guess I could sell the old Honda. I also thought I would use the funds to buy a small utility trailer and turn it into a camper. Like a teardrop camper or slightly bigger.
The car ran well, it'd had always ran well. So I saw no problems. I listed it. Within 40 minutes 3 people wanted to buy this old Honda. It was only listed at 1000 bucks. The first guy arrives and offers me 900. But then he bargained it down to 850, citing it being old. I didn't mind, thinking it was mostly charity. So I sold it to him. The week before 3 other cars of the same year, make, etc went for 1100 to 1400. But mine the paint on the hood, etc was starting to wear off and it didn't look as pretty as the other 3. So that's what I went with on price...though I thought the engine was in better shape on mine than the other ones that sold.
///
Here's where it gets weird...
The guy who bought it was Latino. I didn't see that as a problem but when signing the title he wouldn't put down his last name. Or his address. And when he picked up the car with some friends, they put a DEALER plate on it to get home. (I thought probably they were immigrants, and worried about getting picked up.) But he said he was a mechanic. So I thought it was a good deal since a mechanic if there were issues then I would be of peace of mind, and not have to worry. Although i sincerely didn't think there were any issues with the car. I still don't think I had any issues with it. But the guy was young. He looked like he could be like my son's age if I ever had kids (I don't have kids.)
A few days later, suddenly there's a car in front of our next door neighbor's house. And it looks JUST LIKE this car I sold to some Latin guy! I was really surprised by it. I thought... wow that sure looks like my old car except with new headlights and tires....
A few days passed. Then I came out today and my neighbor is talking to my brother, who is a hobby mechanic, talking to him about how this car that his son bought, which just happened to be my old car was broken! :O I came over stumbling into this conversation and was surprised. The neighbor said that the car was smoking too. And that it broke.
Now the weird part is the smoking part. When I had it only a week or 2 before it NEVER smoked. I had this thing like 15+ years. And even recently, there never was any smoke. And its suddenly broken when it was perfect?
I don't understand this. And I certainly know that I didn't dig a pit for my neighbor. But I don't understand what those 2 kids did. Part of me thinks they are young and maybe didn't know what they were doing? The car was perfect... and then suddenly broken. And the smoking engine part makes me think they did something? It NEVER smoked when I had it.
But I'd hoped for peace of mind on this...
Its also weird to sell a car to someone... then they immediately sell it to someone else...? That sounds strange too. And if that guy was a mechanic, and he was.... he should have looked it over better.
And the strangest part is what are the coincidences that in this county that has over 1 million people in it, that the guy who buys that car just happens to live RIGHT next door to us? That's why this is so strange...
I don't feel guilty of anything. But I feel like that just sucks for the neighbor. But I don't want anyone to go after me. And I don't think they should. But what the heck? I don't have a lot of money right now, economically things suck. So I don't have the means to help the neighbor on this. And even if I did... what would someone do on something like this? What would you do?
