Sold a car to a NO SHOW. Now What???

So I sold this 57 Packard to a guy on ebay the middle of July. He paid for it, in full two days after the auction ended. I still have the title. (but it's in the last seller's name still)

Well it's October and it's still here... and I dont have room for it anymore.

He's in Idaho, I'm in Wisconsin.

I have a hell of a time getting a hold of the guy... and he was dealing with all the transit stuff..... I've had two shippers get a hold of me since july. Once, (with an hour notice) while I was out of town(and I let him know that ahead of time.) Second time we had it all worked out, and then he called the shippers and canceled it the day they were to pick it up... and I hadn't heard from him for weeks before, or since that day. (around three weeks ago)

SO any idea of what I can do with this damn car?

 

Here's the car... just so that there's at least something cool to look at in this post.

I dont want to send him his money back, and I dont want the pain in the ass of selling it again. I just want it to leave.

 

I'm not sure how the laws work in your state. In your shoes, I would send him a registered letter ( if you have his address ) and notify that you are charging storage as of about three days after you send the letter. Something in the range of $10.00/day. Once the storage has covered the cost of the car.........resell it.

Anyone else have a better idea for this one?

Randaddy

 

If you have any space to park it outside I would put a cover/tarp on it and start charging the buyer $35/month for storage. Once it gets to the point where what he paid for it covers the storage it becomes yours again. Give him a deadline and then start charging storage from that point forward.

If you do not have any room then rent out a storage unit or yard space for it and he will have to cover those costs when he picks it up before you sign over the title.

 

maybe get a hold of him and find out why he cancelled the shipping the day of and see if he plans to get it moved.
He may be going through financial problems (lots are right now).

i really do not know what your options are...i mean i have ideas but no clue if they are legal. maybe tell him as of such and such date you will be charging him storage.
if there is a date that it has to be gone by tell him it will be hauled off on that date.
maybe put it in a impound place and tell him that is where he can pick it up.

but really...seems odd a person would pay for a car and then not come and get it. unless he has came under some financial problems.

 

technically its HIS car. he payed for it. unless you guys set out very specific terms, he has a 'reasonable' amount of time to get it. what's reasonable? thats the issue.

the thing to do is to send a letter...notarized and certified and make phone calls and leave messages (keep your phone records to prove an attempt to contact buyer) informing him that he has x amount of days to come get it or you will consider it abandoned and he will forfeit the purchase price. if you don't hear back from him in that time. then you can re-sell it and let it go. but don't spend his money just yet. if he makes no reply, i would say that after a reasonable amount of time you can give the car to a homeless guy and go buy a 6 pot hemi manifold with the cash....but i'm no lawyer

 

Email him & tell him politely that you sold the car for a reason...that being that you no longer wished to own it...and if it is not gone by the end of Oct. (or whatever you feel to be adequate time), you will have to charge storage fees because it is taking up needed space.

 

Ditto with Houston.......Contact the buyer, notify him of placing the car in secure storage (inside or outside, your choice), put it in his name, and have the bills sent to him! Mini storages will auction off any contents to pay for unpaid fees. You could buy it back, or give the HAMB a heads-up of when it goes to auction and a real deal could be had! Dunno if it would work, but that's what I'd try to do!

 

Problem is I dont really have the space for storage... It NEEDS to go somewhere...

It's a bitch because I dont have time for the screwing around with it... you know?

 

nice car, just curious, you stated the title was still in the last sellers name, did he not sign it over to you? I would assume he did or you would not have the title...........................looks like a nice car..

you might check with a lawyer and get an opinion... heck, something may have happen to the guy........sick, deceased, who knows.. you would think he would get back with you by now..

 

Send the guy a letter as suggested and stick the car out on the street on Nov 1st. It'll be out of your sight soon after.

 

ebay... hope he didn't pay with paypal.

 

How does anyone buy a car & then not go get it? I'd be a nervous wreck worried about it until I had it home safely.

I say torch the taillights out of it & scrap the rest.

JH

 

when you enter in to a contractual agreements (he the buyer, you the seller) you BOTH have certain obligations in regards to completing the transaction.

unfortunately it sounds like you are going to wind up being the most inconvenienced. if you wanna just off the car, you have to give him his money back.

there's no quick and easy on this one. a couple viewings of the people's court will back me up on this. these things take time if you dont wanna wind up before judge marilyn.

the other sticky is the title. if you leave it somewhere and something happens to it, someone uses it in a drive by, it gets impounded, etc, then it goes back on the prev. owner and you wind up in court anyway when he comes looking to recover his penalties.

i know what busy means...but it should only take a couple of hours to make some calls and put a letter in the mail.

 

there are certain procedures that would need to be fallowed, and I'm sure some kinda lean sale would need to be involved before you sold it, "again".

 

In your registered letter, tell him the city codes guys have given you 5 days to get rid of the car or they'll haul it off. It's not licensed, right? It's not registered, right? You can't just let it sit in your driveway with no plates, 'cause that's against the city/county ordinances.

 

Dude paid in July. It's October. Paypal ain't gonna do shit for him at this point. He only had 45 days to complain to Paypal.


Storage fees are the answer. Tell him you're not pissed off but you don't have the space or the time to deal with it and it needs to go. Give him a week to respond and then $10 a day afterward.

He paid for it so I'm sure he wants it. Maybe he just doesn't know there's a hurry. Make sure he knows there is a time limit. The guy isn't going to give up his investment in the car over shipping fees.

 

Call a shipper and let them know that the owner of the car will be paying for it upon arrival. Then give him a call to let him know that his new car is on the way.

 

Aw hell just pm me your address and throw the title in the glove box I'll come and get it.

 

if it runs tell him to get his ass on a plane and come get it or start rackin up storage fees......shit what a kool dailey driver

 

Have it towed to an impound lot, let the guy pay their daily fee to get it back, you have the cash, he is using you. Let him figure out how to get it back, you aren't a storage facitlity for his car. Make sure you actually have the cash though. Even cashiers checks can be cancelled or stopped. BEWARE!

 

Leave a message that your son/grandson snuck it out and blew the motor.

He'll probably return that call. And then you'll have a chance to explain your position.

But definitely keep an open mind, he might have a very good reason.

good luck

 

In 1969 I was selling cars at a Chevrolet dealer in Bel Air, MD. They had a 1931 Chevy coach that was the first car the dealership had sold when first opened. It was in the way, and the new owners asked If I could sell it in the antique market. Sold it to a fellow from the DC area who came and put a deposit down, and was to come pick it up the following Saturday with his trailer.
Well, the guy never showed. Two weeks later his wife called and asked if she could get the deposit back...her husband had died the day after he had put the deposit down, and she was trying to clear up all the details of his old car hobby. Guess it can and did happen.
Maybe your Packard buyer has the same problem!!!!

 

I told hin it could sit for two weeks once the auction was over... two weeks after that two weeks, I let him know that it really needed to go somewhere, and he said it was no problem. We got into an arguement again, a month after that... he know's it needs to leave, but is trying to take advantage of the free storage.

 

Idaho Falls.

I KNOW Bob doesn't want any more cars at the shop... Thats why all of my shit is out of there...


Guy paid with paypal. I sold the car because I had to pay off another one, so the money was gone as soon as it got to me. But that was WELL over 45 days ago.


Man... I've never had a post get so many responses, so fast. I appreciate all the help, fellas.

 

want him to return your calls? Leave him a message that says "I'm glad to see you picked the car up today while I was at work, hope you are enjoying it. Should i mail the title to you?"
That should get a response

 

i would do the certified letter with a date as far as must be picked up or it will be parked in the street thing.. seriously.. you dont have any other options that will work.. or you could bill him, but that wont help cause you gotta move soon ;0)

make it happen man, and dont stress, keep the gate locked and ill come play with guns with ya when he comes haha

 

Oooh, that's even better than my idea.

 

It is very simple. If he has paid you for the car. Send him the title cerified mail and move the car out to the street. It is sold and no longer your problem.

 

do you know the local ordinance enforcement officer? have him come out and write you up a violation and send the guy a copy via certified mail. by the way seems like your being pretty cool letting it sit their for free past the generous 2 weeks that was agreed upon. dude is really taking a chance with his purchase.