i'm too smart to let this happen to me.......

[fingpilot]

Couple of months ago, bemoan the fact that we no longer have an RV. We had been getting bigger and bigger ones over the years, and the last one had gotten 'out of hand'. 3 years ago went thru a massive scale-down of toys. Sold 21 motorcycles, a 43' sailboat, several nice cars, and the RV.

Right before the holidays, was 'browsing' evilBay and saw one that was the size and price range that we remembered actually having fun in. Put a snipe bid in that was still going to make it a deal. Two days later, saw we had won, for less than our max bid. Was advertised as 'clean title'. Even included a pic of the front of the signed off California title.

Fast forward a month. We arrive in San Diego, seller picks us up at the airport, and drives us to LaMesa. RV was pretty much as advertised. When paperwork is laid out, title has, in fact been signed off, and buyer info on back has been filled in with someone else's name. A bill of sale is then produced, signed by that buyer as seller and is mostly blank. I wish I had asked for a ride back to the airport.

Instead, I get a trip permit from San Diego to Alabama, and off I go. The last reg date in California was 2007, and I am amazed not a single LEO noticed the long expired plates all the way back.

Nonetheless, now I am back in Alabama, and the DMV here says no way. The actual seller, whose name is nowhere in this deal says bills of sale are used all the time this way. The Alabama DMV says the only person that can title and register this vehicle is the buyer on the back of the pink.

So what are my options? I have an appointment with an attorney in 2 weeks.

[stomachmonkey]

So owner 1 sold and signed title to owner 2.

Owner 2 never titled it but made out a bill of sale to who? Sounds like no one.

And your seller was never an owner of record?

Sketchy.

Good luck.

[willtel]

In GA we have a lost title process that is pretty easy and for a small fee they just create a new one. Any chance you could go back in with nothing and follow that process?

[motion]

If I'm understanding, the guy you bought it from in CA has to title/register it, then when he gets the title, sign it to you. He's required by CA law to title it in his name. He's gonna have to pay CA sales tax, too. I think you can go after him.

[LWJ]

I had a similar experience. Sorry to say.

1) determine who has legal title to this.
2) Get your seller on the line.
3) Negotiate for all you are worth with #1 vs #2. In my situation, #2 owed #1 some $. I threatened criminal legal action and everything fell into place.

Good luck. You are probably screwed. You do have possession. You can part it? But if you don't have legal title is it really yours?

Yuck.

Larry

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by fingpilot

I wish I had asked for a ride back to the airport.

LOL. Yeah, you should have never driven away without proper chain-of-title, bill-of-sale, and a copy of the guy's DL.

Sounds like the seller was trying to flip it "under the radar" without actually registering it themselves first. You might search their eBay history to see if they have sold a bunch of vehicles/RV's. If they've been doing so without a dealer's license, that is not good (but potential leverage for you).

I'd try to get the seller to jump through the necessary hoops first (what Motion said above). If he doesn't want to play ball, then I'd probably threaten legal action (exposing his curb-stoning operation). If still no-joy, then I'd take legal action. YRVMMV.

Good luck.

[vash]

you cant do some sorta lien on it.? tell you the truth..liens are not even clear to me.

good luck Fing.

[Hugh R]

LA Mesa RV is a big place. Make it their problem.

[johnco]

that's done all the time aound here. called a double transfer. last buyer has to pay taxes/fees on every buyer before him that didn't. I used to be a notory and notorized many of them and have bought many myself. double transfer isn't so bad. it's when you get 3 or 4 sellers it gets ridiculous. buying the old cars like I do, eveything is "sold" for $100

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

LA Mesa RV is a big place. Make it their problem.

Wait, so this was a dealer?

That should make things easier.

Or not.

They may just tell you they know their state regs and it was your responsibility to know yours and as much as I'm in your corner they'd have a point.

[homer944]

orignal owner signs title/bill of sale over to the dealer. dealer then signs it over to you. Pretty standard practice. Sounds like the originally owner didn't sign the title is all.

[chocolatelab]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

LA Mesa RV is a big place. Make it their problem.

+1000

Call La Mesa RV and have them either come get the RV or take care of the issue.

They are a big/multi location dealer here in socal.

They must have had it on consignment.

I would start making every phone at La Mesa RV start ringing.

[aigel]

This is called title skipping and there are many different versions. I sometimes had people wanting to keep the title buyer information open - so they can flip the car and avoid DMV for tax and sales record (you can only sell x cars in a give time before needing a dealer's license).

At any rate, my main concern in your case would be that the RV was stolen with the title in it and that the bill of sale was forged. I would check if the vehicle was reported stolen before going any further, otherwise you may have some serious trouble on your hands.

G

[speeder]

First of all, he never said that he bought it from La Mesa RV. Or any other dealer. This is a private party sale all the way, trust me.

It's too bad you were not registering it in CA. They truly do not give a schit about this issue, they just want the registration/transfer $$. If anything, you might need to fudge a bill of sale from the person whose name is on the back of the title to you.

I have a car right now with a signed title from the original owner. It went through two fliipers before I got it and the DMV computer has the new owner as some guy in Holland. It will make no difference when I go to the auto club or DMV to transfer and register it. No one filled-in the back of the title but I've had them like that before. No problema at all.

Bummer about the state you're in.

[Steve Carlton]

That sort of thing hasn't been a problem in CA before, but who knows now with all the tightening up they're doing here. PM me and I'll give you the name and number for a woman who is excellent with DMV issues and takes care of them for a living. I'm sure she'll know the answer and can handle it. Maybe you'll have to title it in CA first in your own name before you can register it in Alabama, I dunno. Any tax you pay here should be deducted from what you have to pay in Alabama and I'm sure we have a higher rate as well.

[speeder]

The tax is nothing here. If you bought it from a flipper, you only paid $600 for it, right?

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

LA Mesa RV is a big place. Make it their problem.

My first idea as well...

[speeder]

He did not buy it from a dealer. Did you guys just make that part up on your own?

Licensed dealers do not hand you a title with writing all over it when they sell you a car. It's not the way it works. You fill out paperwork and the state sends you a new title on your name.

He bought I from a private party who was a flipper. On the street. I understood that part perfectly.

[vash]

i'm thinking the town was called La Mesa.

which means "the table" in spanish (which provides NO help to this situation.)

[Zeke]

I've seen this problem before. If you get in touch with a CA DMV investigator and give him/her all the names, dates, places and correspondence you can, your situation will be rectified. All Alabama is doing is protecting the system which, in the last few years, has become more universal in that each DMV knows how the other operates.

And, as long as you can prove this vehicle is not stolen, AL should be able to give you a temporary permit based on that and the fact that you contacted CA. So, get some correspondence going.

My question is where did you obtain this "trip permit?" I'm guessing not at the CA DMV. If so, in a way, you already have their blessing.