title trouble, need advice

luthoro · Post by **luthoro** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 3:50 pm

Okay so over a year ago my brother's fiance bought an old Saturn from our friend Eric on payments. She paid him most of the agreed price over the first few months, while her dad was using the car to get back and forth to work. Then Eric up and disappeared back in July of this year. Someone who knew him told me he went and joined the Army. We have been trying unsuccessfully to contact him and his mother to see if we could track down the title. His mother doesn't live where she used to, and I don't know where she moved to. Eric seems to have evaporated into thin air. The car has been sitting in the storage yard in the mobile home park I live in for two months, and its costing me money to keep it there. It does run and we would like to get the title so she can either drive it or sell it.

Is there anything we can do? Is there some law that allows us to take legal possession of it since its been in our possession for over a year? Even if we could get a salvage title, then I could take it to Highway Patrol and get it turned into Prior Salvage, which would allow us to do something with it.

I'm stumped as far as how to solve this problem. Advice is appreciated guys.

Post by **stolle** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 4:07 pm

do you have a bill of sale or any other paper work, that says anything about the original purchase agreement?

luthoro · Post by **luthoro** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 4:21 pm

We did, but she can't find it. So unfortunately no.

Post by **stolle** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 4:34 pm

luthoro;276151 wrote:We did, but she can't find it. So unfortunately no.

then it sounds like your screwed, you cant prove the cars is yours, is it registered in your name or the people you bought it from, did you ever pay it off?

luthoro · Post by **luthoro** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 4:49 pm

yes we did pay the balance off but Eric vanished and never gave her the title. Afaik the title is still in his name but i don't know if there's even a way to verify that since we can't find him or any of the paperwork.

Post by **stolle** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 4:57 pm

call the DMV, see what they say.

fry · Post by **fry** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 5:04 pm

apply for a lost title in his name but your address

luthoro · Post by **luthoro** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 5:48 pm

fry;276158 wrote:apply for a lost title in his name but your address

I can do that?? File for a lost title in someone else's name?

ymisoqt · Post by **ymisoqt** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 5:51 pm

Look into the abandoned vehicle title deal. Not sure how it works here, but it's a thought.

Edison Carasio · Post by **Edison Carasio** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 6:12 pm

Buy an identical car that doesn't run.

Swap VINs.

Chop up the car you can't title with a sawzall.