What would you do???

[chickaddict]

My son needed a car to get back and forth to school. SIL knew someone that needed to sell her car as she was moving out of state. The woman broke up with her boyfriend(police officer) and the constant harassment from her ex and his blue brothers was too much to take.

She said she would sell us the car as long as we knew what we were getting into. DH wasn't worried. He figured the first time he was pulled over they would find out she no longer owned the car and that would be the end of the problem.

DH and DS went to the womans" apartment to pay and get title. Woman was VERY drunk. She gave DH the keys and told her money and title could be exchanged the next day. The next day DH paid $65.00 to have car towed to our house.

We haven't been able to contact her since. That was over a month ago. We are pretty sure she is still alive as her phone is operational. Sometimes we are able to leave a message other times voicemail is full. All texts have gone through according to the phone company.

Unregistered but very needed car is taking up valuable and limited space in our driveway.

What would you do???????

 

[welsummerchicks]

I think you have legal recourse, but I'm not sure which state so can't say for sure.

One option is to stick around her place so she has to react to you.

I'd try a registered certified letter from a lawyer and see if she coughs up the title. Did yu get a receipt for the money?

But she may not have the title. She may just be in the business of selling the car over and over again.

 

[Ema]

cancel the payment if you gave her a check, go to her place to tell her to either pass the registration along or come get her car. if she still doesn't act on giving you guys the registration or picking up the car have it towed away. frankly the car isn't doing you any good and I am hoping she didn't get paid already so you guys can take your DS to look for another vehicle!!!

 

[debilorrah]

Do you hav a bill of sale?

 

[chickaddict]

We did not pay her yet.
We do not have a bill of sale or a title.
We do not have an address for her she moved to another state.

 

[debilorrah]

Ok in that case, I would call the DMV and ask them what to do. You aren't the first person this has happened to. Shoot me a PM so I can remember to ask Ken in the morning. He is the IT guy for a towing company and they sell vehicles all the time that have been abandoned.

 

[chickaddict]

I'm almost to the point of cutting it up into little pieces and selling it for scrap.

 

[bakerjw]

My caveat, I am not a lawyer.

Unfortunately you didn't pay a deposit or get anything in writing and since no payment was made then the car is still hers. From there on the most that you can probably get out of her is the cost of storing it for her. Other than that you can get it towed away by as being an abandoned vehicle. There is sure to be some process for dealing with abandoned cars but time will be involved as efforts do need to be made to contact the original owner. Making it easy to resell an abandoned vehicle would certainly open a can of worms for car thieves.

It sucks to need it, be willing to pay for it, and see it every day, but it is still hers. Hope she gets back in touch with you.