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anyone have to give an abandoned car back to the owner? advice please

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Revhead, May 3, 2007.

  1. 53sled
    Joined: Jul 5, 2005
    Posts: 5,817

    53sled
    Member
    from KCMO

    That's funny, I don't care WHO you are!

    Get a new body from Cars Inc, use it for parts, then you give him back the shell!:D
     
  2. rixrex
    Joined: Jun 25, 2006
    Posts: 1,433

    rixrex
    Member

    Wellll..in Texas there is an abandoned car procedure you can follow(used to be in the biz)..if you don't have the paperwork in place you have to give the car back..next time follow the procedure and if the owner shows up they have to pay you all your fees(Texas allows 15.00 per day storage)..follow the procedure and you wind up with a storage lien title....
     
  3. DE SOTO
    Joined: Jan 20, 2006
    Posts: 3,857

    DE SOTO
    Member

    HAVE YOU EVEN CONTACTED DMV TO SEE IF THIS SAID CAR IS EVEN REGISTERED OR STILL ON THE BOOKS ?

    YOU CAN GO TO DMV AND FIND THIS OUT & THEY WILL SOMETIMES EVEN GIVE YOU THE LAST REGISTERED OWNERS NAME SO YOU CAN CONTACT THEM FOR A SAID "LIEN" ON THE CAR.

    IF ITS NOT IN THE SYSTEM. REGISTER THE FUCKER BEFORE THE GUY CAN DO ANYTHING .... THEN ITS YOURS !!

    I HAD TO GIVE ONE BACK ONCE, SAME DEAL.... LEFT AT A LOCAL GARAGE .. WOULDNT COME PICK IT UP SO THE OWNER GAVE IT TO ME .. A '55 FORD 4dr ... BUT THE OWNERS HAD IT ON NON OP SO I COULDNT LIEN IT

    I WOULDNT GIVE UP A '68 RS WITHOUT DOING SOME FOOT WORK
     
  4. Elrod
    Joined: Aug 7, 2002
    Posts: 3,566

    Elrod
    Member

    I just spent a lot of time pouring over a lease because of my crappy previous house I lived in. There was a clause in there saying that if the property is abandonded or left , the landlord can dispose of the abandond items left at the property and is not held liable for doing so.

    Legally, you may be able to work your way out of it. But the real life situation is that this guy might be some kinda dick and now that he knows your phone number (I hope you didn't give your address... I'd tow that thing down the street to the corner before you turned it over to him, too) he might start chucking rocks at your property, screwing with you, and being a jerk all the time until he gets his way.

    I dunno. Even if you got legal protection saying you could keep the car, you still might have the jerk of a guy screwing with you all the time.
     
  5. Revhead
    Joined: Mar 19, 2001
    Posts: 3,027

    Revhead
    Member
    from Dallas, TX

    you are right Jason, He doesn't know where the car is, but he does have my cell number. He offered to sell it to me already for the $2500 he paid for it apparently. Seems kinda strange if he really wants his car. I had found some old registration papers in the car and his name was not on it. That probably means it is in the system though. I'm gonna run the vin today at the DMV and see who really owns it. I think I should do that no matter what route I take. This dude might have just seen it or helped clean the place out and was planning on taking it, and was too late. He claims he told people he would come get it at some point in time, but he didn't know anyones name or even the company's name that is in there now.
     
  6. Section 8
    Joined: Mar 22, 2007
    Posts: 1,050

    Section 8
    Member
    from AZ

    If he wants to sell it, ask him to fax you a copy of the title and you'll have all of your answers.
    Don't meet him in person-- have him fax it.
     
  7. bobby_Socks
    Joined: Apr 12, 2006
    Posts: 938

    bobby_Socks
    Member
    from ǑǃƕǑ

  8. Lucky_mtl
    Joined: Dec 27, 2003
    Posts: 52

    Lucky_mtl
    Member
    from Montreal

    over here, if you bougt it in good faith, then it cant be taken away from you. the guy who sold something he didnt own should have to deal with the problems. i would just tel the guy to show proof of ownership before any discussion... if its not his, then its yours. pu it in your name asap.
     
  9. What kind of idiot would leave a valuable car like that just laying around? Like the others said above, he's probably a crook trying to get his mits on it. I'm suprised no one where it was abandoned wanted it. I don't care if you hate Camaros or not, any car guy should know they are worth a bundle.
     
  10. Mr T body
    Joined: Nov 2, 2005
    Posts: 2,228

    Mr T body
    Alliance Vendor
    from BHC AZ

    If he continues to be a dick, push it in the street, have it towed, and let HIM deal with the impound fees.
     
  11. old dirt tracker
    Joined: Sep 20, 2006
    Posts: 1,003

    old dirt tracker
    Member
    from phoenix

    title conveys ownership. whoever has title is the owner. your lucky to not get arrested for possesion of a stolen car. there are ways to do this legal but you went around the laws and now you lose.
     
  12. Revhead
    Joined: Mar 19, 2001
    Posts: 3,027

    Revhead
    Member
    from Dallas, TX

    Look don't act like I am a crook trying to steal someones car. I buy cars out of fields all the time with no titles. It's not uncommon for crap to be left to rot. For one it is not stolen and not reported stolen. Second, it was abandoned and days away from going to the crusher/impound, so they way I see it, if he shows proof that it is really his, then he's lucky I moved it for him.

    Granted '68 camaros aren't your normal field crap ,but it really does look like an abandoned vehicle. No engine/trans, Windows left down, in the rain. It had rained it in so much that the new unfinished floorpans had rust through now. rear wheel well arches cut out. flat tires, unfinished front brakes and the calipers that were in the trunk were so rusty that they are useless now. half-sanded, half primer with surface rust that doesn't grown overnight. Lots of parts missing like the grille, rear backup lamps, guages, etc. It's not like I found a cream puff camaro and thought hey, no ones looking I can get this.

    and most of all we waited and waited and waited after they had rented the building, moved all their stuff in and so on and still no one had showed up for the car. Literally months after they moved in and it looked like it had been sitting there many many months prior to that and I've had it for 2 months now.

    I am going to talk to their landlord and find out more.

    If it truley is his I'll gladly give it to him for the gas money and towing. I won't give any shit about storage or anything, but if it just guy pretending to be the owner, who saw it a while back and was gonna get it, then i'll see what I can do to keep it. If that's the case and I can find the real owner I'll contact him.
     
  13. usmc50lx
    Joined: Oct 3, 2006
    Posts: 711

    usmc50lx
    Member
    from St.Louis

    Yes, but isn't possesion supposedly 9/10 of the law and if he can get a bill of sale/contract for removal from premises from the landlord that proves it was bought in good faith and that the previous owner had left it abandoned on the landlords property then the car should become his if it wasn't for him it would be a little cube by now anyways,did this guy all of a sudden go, "Oh I might have left my Camaro outside that building" or is he gonna say "Thats where it brokedown, and I went to get a tow, I came back and it was gone?"I'd be mad if someone was trying to get my project but I wouldn't have let it sit on someone else's proberty for that long even after I knew it had changed hands.-Paul
     
  14. volken65
    Joined: Mar 14, 2003
    Posts: 109

    volken65
    Member

    Don't waste time or hair over this.

    Take the paper work you have to DMV and try to register it, you did pay something for it, right?
    If you can, it's yours... if you can't, have him pick his shit up.

    I doubt you'll ever get your tow money back, thou...
    If he is the legal owner, you've just towed a vehicle with out the owners permission. No matter where he left it.

    Thats my 2cents
     
  15. Revhead
    Joined: Mar 19, 2001
    Posts: 3,027

    Revhead
    Member
    from Dallas, TX

    UPDATE:

    I just got off the phone with the tax office. It IS in their records and she couldn't tell me who the owner is, but she would answer yes or no.. Guess what.. It's NOT titled in his name. I know that doesn't mean it's not his, but it kinda puts holes in his statement that he has a title with his name on it. I am gonna call the landlord now and see if he knew what the deal was with it.
     
  16. brewsir
    Joined: Mar 4, 2001
    Posts: 3,278

    brewsir
    Member

    Man just do a lien sale and get it all legal like. Storage and towing fees ...have a legit company do it and it should end up being yours.
     
  17. Elrod
    Joined: Aug 7, 2002
    Posts: 3,566

    Elrod
    Member

    heh. what a dork. you should let him know that you've run a vehicle trace on the car, and you know he's not the owner.

    Looks like you can find out who the real owner is for about $50 at one of these sites. http://www.abika.com/Reports/vehicleownership.htm

    There may be some HAMBers out there that have access to VIN info that might PM you with that as well.
     
  18. Revhead
    Joined: Mar 19, 2001
    Posts: 3,027

    Revhead
    Member
    from Dallas, TX

    so what kind of company does that type of work brewsir?i'm all for doing it the legal way, just never ave had to go through all this since most my titless car were for parts
     
  19. Elrod
    Joined: Aug 7, 2002
    Posts: 3,566

    Elrod
    Member

    Storage Liens-Mechanic's Liens
    A storage lien or mechanic's lien is designed to protect a person who has stored or serviced a motor vehicle when the owner fails to pay storage or service costs.

    When payment is not received for storage or service costs, a lien holder may attempt to recover costs by foreclosing on the lien. This begins the process which results in a public sale where the lien holder may acquire the vehicle through a bid purchase.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Abandoned Vehicles
    Before an abandoned vehicle can be disposed of, a public sale must be held in order to transfer title. The motor vehicle tax is due on the amount paid by the purchaser of an abandoned vehicle at public sale.


    Here is some storage lien paperwork for texas...
    ftp://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/vtr/forms/vtr-265-vsf.pdf
     
  20. Goztrider
    Joined: Feb 17, 2007
    Posts: 3,066

    Goztrider
    Member
    from Tulsa, OK

    You know the car isn't titled in his name... what about going ahead with Broadway or Vintage Title service and get the title in your own name? If he can then prove he's the legitimate owner of the car, he'll get the bond instead.

    Its a thought....
     
  21. Aman
    Joined: Dec 28, 2005
    Posts: 2,522

    Aman
    Member
    from Texas

    This smells fishy(not that) if he's not the owner maybe he stole it and hid it there..hum..make another phone call to DPS.
     
  22. Revhead
    Joined: Mar 19, 2001
    Posts: 3,027

    Revhead
    Member
    from Dallas, TX

    Nah, it's not fishy, just miscommunication. It's all figured out now. I talked to the landlord and he confirmed who it belonged to, which is the guy claiming to be the owner. He had arranged with the landlord to leave it there.

    What happened was that the landlord came by saw the car in the back still and said something like " oh that's still there?, I'll get it removed" , then the new tenant said "its' ok we'll take care of it" and the landlord assumed they had been contacted by the owner. They assumed the landlord meant to have it hauled off to the dump or whatever.

    I'm meeting with the guy monday and he is gonna give me $100 for the trouble it has caused and all will be well. Why his name is not on the title, I don't know, but I have a '49 ford in the garage and my name is not connected to it legally either, so I understand how that could happen.

    I think I need to go title my ford now haha
     
  23. Danimal
    Joined: Apr 23, 2006
    Posts: 4,149

    Danimal
    Member
    1. A-D Truckers

    Get that Ford titled ASAP. Don't go through this again. Just what you need, to get accused of running a chop shop and have them come through your ass with a fine toothed comb!
     
  24. Danimal said it best,get on the ball and legalize your cars so that you cant be accused of anything wrong.
     
  25. Aman
    Joined: Dec 28, 2005
    Posts: 2,522

    Aman
    Member
    from Texas

    I'm with you Rev. I think most people don't understand that you just can't run down a register a car in Texas without the proper paperwork. The owner probably did what a bunch of people on here do and that's buy a car, and not do the paperwork to avoid the taxes. The law has changed. You used to be able to write in any figure you wanted as the purchase price. Now, they refer to a book because so may people abused the system. What I do is make sure I get a title first and have it tranfered to my name. When you are ready to put it on the street, that's when you get insurance and go to DMV and hope like hell it goes well. You don't need insurance to transfer the title, just to register it and get plates. Rev from the description you gave, sounds like your not missing out on much except the rearend maybe. Get the $100 and sleep better.
     
  26. Anderson
    Joined: Jan 27, 2003
    Posts: 7,155

    Anderson
    Member

    Damn George, that sucks. I know you were pretty stoked about that one. It must just be a sign that you don't need another muscle car.
     
  27. Revhead
    Joined: Mar 19, 2001
    Posts: 3,027

    Revhead
    Member
    from Dallas, TX

    yeah kinda bummed, I like '68s alot, but tomorrow I am meeting the guy to get the '53 ford hardtop coupe, so not all is bad. Can't wait to see it in person.

    And this one DOES have a title haha
     
  28. MotorBike Mike
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 325

    MotorBike Mike
    Member


    I'll give you 100 for it right now!!

    Mike
     
  29. Zombilly
    Joined: Sep 5, 2006
    Posts: 351

    Zombilly
    Member

    For next time: I think in Texas if you place a classified ad in the paper for two weeks for the owner to come pick it up (and he doesn't) and show proof that you did to the Texas equivalent of the ca. DMV. You can then reg. the car in your name. I may have some of the details a little off since it's been a few years since the last time I went though that in your fine state.
     
  30. 1950Deluxe
    Joined: Mar 18, 2007
    Posts: 24

    1950Deluxe
    Member
    from Kansas

    First off what kind of car is it? Secondly give a lawyer a call and then call the landlord and get the info on when the guy left. If you know the guys name then you can call the dmv and run a vin search on the vehicle to see who the last registered owner was. If he can not produce a valid title then the car is yours. If he shows you a bill of sale as proof of ownership make sure that the bill of sale he has, has the VIN on the bill of sale and not just say he bought the car on this day from this dude etc. Without a vin on HIS bill of sale means he just wrote one on his way to pick it up and if he does come to pick it up I would probably have an officer present to verify HIS ownership. Also do not call him, let him call you and after 90 days if you do not hear from him then assume the car is yours. I have been through this once and it can get real ugly depending on how he decides to handle it. If the car is worth it to you then I hate to say this but fight for your rights and what you want.
     

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