I was LTB a cheap car with automatic trans I could drive due to my foot surgery last week and projected inability to drive a clutch until August. I was favoring an older Honda since I'd owned over a dozen of those and was familiar with them.

So I found a '91 Accord EX sedan (a design I've always liked). Only $1200. Test drive showed it needed some TLC but was driveable. The biggest obstacle was it needed a new windshield.

The seller, a young man, was selling the car for his Aunt, right out of his own front yard in an adjacent county, about 30 mins away. I paid him cash, and he handed me the title, which she had already signed off (and showed her address was near his house so it seemed legit). Just this once I didn’t bother with a Bill of Sale since it was “only” $1200 you know?

Anyway, I drove the car home, then went to DMV, whereupon the useless DMV clerk tells me the title was NOT VALID because another newer replacement title has been issued! So I have this kind of junky car in my driveway I cannot drive and cannot sell, and don’t want to invest the money to repair (needs a $248 windshield for starters, but with this paperwork SNAFU I don't want to put another penny into it). I contacted the seller - the kid has sounded cooperative so far and says he’s working with his aunt and will ‘make it right”, but apparently his Aunt is not motivated to find the newer title or go to DMV (the car was basically junk after all and they have their cash now). I have no idea what my “rights” are, but I needed wheels and now am out the money and have no wheels still!

Don't forget I am one week post-op and am basically immobile. So it's not like I can rustle up a posse and baseball bats and go pay him a visit. Meanwhile my driveway is tiny and I can't have unusable cars in the way.

What to do? This SUCKS.

 

More Bad News: Finally got an HUMAN on the phone at DMV, who told me that I cannot go after an abandoned vehicle title since the car was not "abandoned" on my property. She said it's strictly a civil case between me and the seller. Sounds like a really big hole in the state law to me.

 

That car is not worth the effort involved in registering. If you did not make a bill of sale and gave $1,200 to the seller and took the car either insist you get your money back and give the car back or you will need to sue them. You can ask your local PD. In a similar situation I had the car was in VA and me CT so it would be internet fraud ONLY if I drove to VA to see the Sherrif in person. I ended up junking it and it was $1,200 in 05. get well soon!

 

Thanks for that perspective. Well good news: the seller called me a few minutes ago to say he now has the correct title in hand. So I am going to meet with him later tonight; hopefully all will go well with that excahnge and then tomorrow at the DMV.

This was a weird one that definitely will make me trust people even less.

Anybody want to buy a 1991 Accord EX sedan with new tires?

 

did you get it?

 

Yes - at least it sure looks like the correct title. I'll find out today when I go to DMV. Wasn't easy getting it - had to drive back 35 minutes to the guy's house, but then he wouldn't come out for almost 15 minutes. We were blocking his driveway and a car pulled up behind us for the last 5 of those minutes. But no horn and no one got out. We are thinking it was a friend making sure he was OK, as if my wife & kids & I in our minivan were a threat.

 

I'm happy things look like they are working out for you Eric. I lost my trust in people several years ago .

 

I try not to buy anything from a person who is not the person on the title. They always say they are a relative, but they are almost always people trying to flip a car without registering it in their own name. They very often buy bad cars which they improve slightly by rolling back the odometer or by cleaning and putting armorall on the engine. Not good. Some people will do anything for a buck.

 

Yes, that is a new personal rule for me now too - never buy except directly from the person on the title, and check title against VIN on the car.

My immediate problem is solved: I purchased a 1993 Toyota Corolla today with 237K miles on it, but with many more to go. Came with the key indicator of a well-maintained used car: Haynes and Chilton manuals! It isn't perfect, but has nothing that can't wait to be fixed until August. The key advantages it has over the Accord is that it has working A/C, a CD/radio, and crack-less windshield and a state inspection good till 10/11.

The Accord needs a new windshield (at least) to pass inspection, which expired in 4/09, and has no radio or working A/C. So I am going take the new title to DMV tomorrow and get it in my name (and pay the $85 minmum fees + taxes) and then put the Accord on Craigslist for what I have in it: $1300, but I'll take whatever gets it out of my driveway by the end of the weekend. My girls cleaned it up and it looks darned good, so I have no doubt it'll sell.

The Toyota is already registered (no problem at all at DMV) and is definitely my lower risk vehicle. The working AC is a huge advantage, and we all know it'll be good for 30+ mpg.

I was really down, but now I am PSYCHED! Now I must decide whether to sell/trade my white '11 GT 6MT 'vert for a Sonic Blue '12 GT 6AT coupe...

 

OK, got to DMV this morning with the 2nd title and successfully registered the Accord in my name. Thus endeth this particular chapter of stress and character-building in my life.

 

I dont see them listed in your sig yet

Slacker

 

Like a wheezy Corolla matters! LOL

After the brakes showed NO improvement after bleeding them yesterday (my wife did most of the work), I decided to unload the Accord for $750 on Craigslist (I paid $1200, plus fill up th egas tank!), fully disclosing the bad brakes and everything else wrong with it (Sorry, I have a conscience). Within 5 minutes I had a cash buyer! Fastest sale I've ever had! Of course, I signed over the CORRECT titel to my buyer!

So the Accord is gone from my driveway, and now my wife is happy because he van is once again in the garage. And you know what a happy wife means...