ever sold a car across the line and the buyers paid in full ask you to store the car till he can come pic it up,pays rent for a couple months then here nothing back? nothing through email doesnt return phone messages and the rent he was paying us is almost two weeks over due.... what have you done ? papers and ownership are still with me how long do you give the fella? legally let me know of any suggestions thx guys!
Contact your local DMV and your local District or State Attorney's office and find out what the legal procedure is and then follow it. If you do everything by the book and the guy never comes back, you get some free cash. If he does come back in 8 months you'll have done things right and may be able to charge storage and legal fees, etc.
Do everything that OLDCARMIKE says...But I can tell you to start with a Registered Letter with a Return Receipt and do it right now!!!! I assume you have a mailing address. If you don't, get a copy of one of the rent checks he gave you and get it from there. Again I am assuming he has actually paid something. If you don't have any of that crap, at least save and PRINT every email you have sent him, whether he has responded or not. I think the name of the game here is cover your ass. Hope it works out.....Can you say BONUS!!!!!
IF you have a contract for the storage agreement, you should have the same rights as a mini storage company, I would think. Just think, you could auction HIS car from the front of your garage!
Don't be surprised if he finally gets back to you and wants you to continue storing it or arrange to have it picked up by whomever he's selling it to. Bryan
two weeks doesn't seem like the end of the world, maybe he's off running paris to dakar or something. you've been paid in full and you still have the car and the title. it doesn't sound like a scam to me
several times..my generosity always bites me in the ass..Oh man can I leave the car here for awhile? I've got no room at home and besides I don't want the wife to know..two years later they come to get thier car and I suggest they do the right thing (like 50.00?) can't even do that..Oh well St. Peters got it all written down upstairs....
Similar happened to a good friend. Guy paid, took the title, never came back the next day to pick it up. 3 months later, no sign of the guy. Pushes it in the street hoping to get it impounded without plates and it's the only vehicle in the world that couldn't get impounded. 6 months later my buddy goes to the DMV with the registration, outlines the situation. DMV said if he dated the signed title it's invalid after 90 days without transfer, and according to records, it's not been transferred. They issued him a duplicate title, and he resold the truck for more money. Been a year and a half and still haven't heard from the original buyer. Always makes ya wonder if there's stupidity, tragedy, or scamming involved. I would try to get the DMV or police to run the VIN in the buyers state to see what's happened to the title.
I wouldn't get too excited yet. We all have good intentions that are hard to follow thru. Give the guy the benefit of the doubt. He may have a legit reason.
I'd actually check missing persons if your really concerned? : ) that and just wait- I have 5 wrecks that I hipothetically own still sitting in fields and have been for 12 months - well one is also technically eight foot off the ground.
Had a freind that had the same thing happen to him. He kept the car for almost a year when the guys wife showed up for the car after tracking it down. The guy had died the day after the sale was made.
I sold a car to a guy on Ebay.I got one half the price and never heard from him again.I sent numerous emails and even sent him a certified letter.I got nuthin from him.Even tried to find out if he died.He did not get a title so after 11 months I resold it for what he owed me to someone else.I figure it was storage costs.He probably thought it was too far to come to pick up a cheap car.
I've taken to the point of stating: I will hold the car until X date. On the day AFTER X date, the money is mine and the car is mine. I got held up on a car for a guy a few years ago and this has worked for me since but I think I'm going to start making it a contract so I don't get burned. I keep the title until they fetch the car as well JUST to save the agony. I'll sign it off in front of them but I won't GIVE it to them until they take the car. As far as I'm concerned, if it is on my property and I've got the title, it is my car. Just burned too many times.
Sometimes life gets in the way of one's hobbies and passions. Betcha the guy is going through something in his life that makes that car purchase non-relevant. Once he's through the crisis, it'll more than likely become important again. Just give him a break (timewise). You can collect the back-due storage rent when he contacts you (assuming it's not too long, like 6 month or more). If he doesn't contact you within 6 months then he's either dead or lost interest.
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