Sold my car to a criminal...
August 5, 2008 1:10 PM Subscribe
I sold my car to a guy three months back. He has not registered the car yet.
I know he has not registered it yet because I forgot to give him the lean release. So he could not have. Furthermore, I just got the paper in the mail today to renew my registration.
I called the guy and he said he registered it in his name the day after he purchased it and then the motor broke, etc. and he had to sell it. So he says he no longer owns the car.
I sold the car in WI to a guy from IL. I called the WI DMV and they recommended I seek legal advice.
When the car was sold, we did sign an additional contract stating that on this day at this time he purchased this VIN, etc. So that, along with the photo copies I have of the signed title should cover me legally I think.
I kept my license plates.
He paid for the car with a 12 inch stack of mostly 10 and 20 dollar bills wrapped in small rubber bands that appeared to be the same type as those in his corn rows.
So I guess my question is, should I do anything about this? Do I really need to take the time to care about this?
Thanks.
I know he has not registered it yet because I forgot to give him the lean release. So he could not have. Furthermore, I just got the paper in the mail today to renew my registration.
I called the guy and he said he registered it in his name the day after he purchased it and then the motor broke, etc. and he had to sell it. So he says he no longer owns the car.
I sold the car in WI to a guy from IL. I called the WI DMV and they recommended I seek legal advice.
When the car was sold, we did sign an additional contract stating that on this day at this time he purchased this VIN, etc. So that, along with the photo copies I have of the signed title should cover me legally I think.
I kept my license plates.
He paid for the car with a 12 inch stack of mostly 10 and 20 dollar bills wrapped in small rubber bands that appeared to be the same type as those in his corn rows.
So I guess my question is, should I do anything about this? Do I really need to take the time to care about this?
Thanks.
Yes, you really should take care of this - while I think you would be eventually vindicated, you could still be initially held accountable for any crimes/tickets that the car accrues.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 1:18 PM on August 5, 2008
posted by The Light Fantastic at 1:18 PM on August 5, 2008
The only thing that you really did wrong was not turning in your plates and cancelling the registration right away. You should do that soon.
posted by Citrus at 1:31 PM on August 5, 2008
posted by Citrus at 1:31 PM on August 5, 2008
"If you receive a license plate renewal notice for a vehicle you no longer own and do not wish to renew the license plates, you can disregard the renewal notice. By not renewing the license plates this year, you won't receive a notice for these plates next year."
"If the vehicle will be operated, the buyer must title and register it within two business days after purchase. When the vehicle is titled in the new owner’s name, the vehicle record will be updated to reflect the change in ownership."
"....You may still receive a renewal notice when the license plates expire. You can disregard the notice."
This seems to be his problem now, not yours. I know in CA there is a Motor Vehicle Transfer Notification (VTR-346) form you can fill out that would release you from all liability, but this doesn't seem to be the case in WI.
posted by B(oYo)BIES at 1:32 PM on August 5, 2008
"If the vehicle will be operated, the buyer must title and register it within two business days after purchase. When the vehicle is titled in the new owner’s name, the vehicle record will be updated to reflect the change in ownership."
"....You may still receive a renewal notice when the license plates expire. You can disregard the notice."
This seems to be his problem now, not yours. I know in CA there is a Motor Vehicle Transfer Notification (VTR-346) form you can fill out that would release you from all liability, but this doesn't seem to be the case in WI.
posted by B(oYo)BIES at 1:32 PM on August 5, 2008
wrapped in small rubber bands that appeared to be the same type as those in his corn rows
How does this have any bearing on the situation?
Who has the title?
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 1:34 PM on August 5, 2008 [1 favorite]
How does this have any bearing on the situation?
Who has the title?
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 1:34 PM on August 5, 2008 [1 favorite]
Also , you do not have to turn in your plates or notify the DMV when you sell a vehicle. Oddly enough, you can put your plates on another vehicle.
"You do not need to notify the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) when you sell your vehicle. If you are selling your vehicle privately, there is no special form that is required. We recommend that you keep a record of the sale. You may draft your own bill of sale including such information as:
* Make, year, model, vehicle identification number and an odometer reading for the vehicle
* Name, address and telephone number of the buyer
* Name, address and telephone number of the seller
* Signatures of both buyer and seller
* Selling price and date sold"
posted by B(oYo)BIES at 1:35 PM on August 5, 2008
"You do not need to notify the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) when you sell your vehicle. If you are selling your vehicle privately, there is no special form that is required. We recommend that you keep a record of the sale. You may draft your own bill of sale including such information as:
* Make, year, model, vehicle identification number and an odometer reading for the vehicle
* Name, address and telephone number of the buyer
* Name, address and telephone number of the seller
* Signatures of both buyer and seller
* Selling price and date sold"
posted by B(oYo)BIES at 1:35 PM on August 5, 2008
I STILL get parking tickets for a car that I sold FOUR years ago...it has transferred title twice, but still hasn't been registered. The DMV in Ventura county know me now...
"Hi, it's me again! Here's another copy of the fax I sent you six months ago proofing that I still don't own that crappy Jetta! Talk to you soon, thanks!"
posted by iamkimiam at 1:40 PM on August 5, 2008
"Hi, it's me again! Here's another copy of the fax I sent you six months ago proofing that I still don't own that crappy Jetta! Talk to you soon, thanks!"
posted by iamkimiam at 1:40 PM on August 5, 2008
Whenever I buy or sell a car there is always a stack of bills involved because cash don't bounce.
You have all the paperwork required for proof of sale, you're covered. I have bought and sold over a hundred cars in my twenty eight years in Wisconsin and have had only one problem with someone racking up parking tickets in my name with a vehicle I sold them. A fax to the police department of my copy of the bill of sale took care of it with no problem. Relax, don't worry, and just be glad he didn't drop it back off at 3 A.M. two days later and call you for weeks trying to get his money back.
posted by Floydd at 1:47 PM on August 5, 2008
You have all the paperwork required for proof of sale, you're covered. I have bought and sold over a hundred cars in my twenty eight years in Wisconsin and have had only one problem with someone racking up parking tickets in my name with a vehicle I sold them. A fax to the police department of my copy of the bill of sale took care of it with no problem. Relax, don't worry, and just be glad he didn't drop it back off at 3 A.M. two days later and call you for weeks trying to get his money back.
posted by Floydd at 1:47 PM on August 5, 2008
Response by poster: I had no personal qualms about selling the car to a shady guy. Perhaps now I will.
He is a criminal because he has not registered the car yet (and probably driving it).
The rubber banded small denomination is not proof of anything, but may indicated the the fellow is involved in illegal activity. Normal people go and get 100's from the bank.
He has the title; I have photo copies of both sides.
posted by Slenny at 1:51 PM on August 5, 2008
He is a criminal because he has not registered the car yet (and probably driving it).
The rubber banded small denomination is not proof of anything, but may indicated the the fellow is involved in illegal activity. Normal people go and get 100's from the bank.
He has the title; I have photo copies of both sides.
posted by Slenny at 1:51 PM on August 5, 2008
The only thing I can see you did wrong was not turning in your old expired plates and cancelling your registration on the car, which you should do now. I would think that this is the reason you got the registration renewal. If the buyer registered the car in another state, who knows if Wisconsin DMV (or at least the legacy mainframe application that cranks out registration renewal forms in some airless basement) would even know about that.
What aspect of all this did the Wisc. DMV seem to think you needed "legal advice" about anyway? Based on what the buyer said to you, my guess is the car is sitting unused in someone's yard somewhere, which is the fate of a sad many used cars (including a couple I myself bought and which broke down, back in my starving grad student days).
posted by aught at 1:53 PM on August 5, 2008
What aspect of all this did the Wisc. DMV seem to think you needed "legal advice" about anyway? Based on what the buyer said to you, my guess is the car is sitting unused in someone's yard somewhere, which is the fate of a sad many used cars (including a couple I myself bought and which broke down, back in my starving grad student days).
posted by aught at 1:53 PM on August 5, 2008
The only thing I can see you did wrong was not turning in your old expired plates and cancelling your registration on the car, which you should do now.
There's no way to do that in Wisconsin.
posted by Floydd at 2:02 PM on August 5, 2008
There's no way to do that in Wisconsin.
posted by Floydd at 2:02 PM on August 5, 2008
The only thing I can see you did wrong was not turning in your old expired plates and cancelling your registration on the car, which you should do now.
There's no way to do that in Wisconsin.
Wow! Sorry - it's not only possible but required in NY.
posted by aught at 2:06 PM on August 5, 2008
There's no way to do that in Wisconsin.
Wow! Sorry - it's not only possible but required in NY.
posted by aught at 2:06 PM on August 5, 2008
We gave a car to someone in our family and they sold it to someone else....hilarity ensued.
Not the good kind.
Turn in your plates unless you like paying taxes and dealing with paperwork on a car you don't own.
posted by konolia at 3:47 PM on August 5, 2008
Not the good kind.
Turn in your plates unless you like paying taxes and dealing with paperwork on a car you don't own.
posted by konolia at 3:47 PM on August 5, 2008
My sister did this years ago, and the boys in blue came around rather interested in where she and her car were when a particular armed robbery had occurred. I'd definitely turn in the plates or whatever your local equivalent is to ensure there's some record with the coppers.
posted by pompomtom at 4:36 PM on August 5, 2008
posted by pompomtom at 4:36 PM on August 5, 2008
Where I'm from, if you don't turn in your plates in order to cancel the registration, you are required to maintain insurance on the vehicle, and the only way to cancel the insurance is to prove that you cancelled the registration. Nobody cares if you sold it, or not, the point is that you can't get out from under the insurance requirement without the cancellation. That's what's behind the suggestions to turn your plates in, but in Wisconsin they don't require insurance, apparently, and don't want your plates back. So, as suggested, you just need to keep proof of the sale and can ignore the registration renewal notice when it shows up. So, you're cool. Don't worry about it.
posted by beagle at 7:01 PM on August 5, 2008
posted by beagle at 7:01 PM on August 5, 2008
Yeah, from the looks of it, you seem to be covered just fine; ignore the renewal notice, and hang onto the copies of all the sale paperwork in case you get notices of tickets or whatever.
And oh my god, all you people who keep recommending that he turn in his plates -- reading the comments before you post would likely give you the clue that it's already been well-established that you don't have to do that in Wisconsin, nor can you.
posted by delfuego at 7:06 PM on August 5, 2008
And oh my god, all you people who keep recommending that he turn in his plates -- reading the comments before you post would likely give you the clue that it's already been well-established that you don't have to do that in Wisconsin, nor can you.
posted by delfuego at 7:06 PM on August 5, 2008
He is a criminal because he has not registered the car yet (and probably driving it).
I don't feel like looking up the law in the concerned states, but in my state, it's perfectly legal to own an unregistered car. You just can't drive it. This state is studded with unregistered cars sitting in driveways and garages. There's nothing illegal about it. Registration is connected to the driving privilege, not ownership.
The rubber banded small denomination is not proof of anything, but may indicated the the fellow is involved in illegal activity. Normal people go and get 100's from the bank.
Em, yeah, I am a normal person and for many years my work as a waitress ensured that I had a large steady supply of 10s and 20s.
It wasn't necessary to cast aspersions on the person to get the answers you need.
It seems like you probably have no reason to be concerned, though be ready for the kinds of difficulties iamkimiam mentions - though, of course, that can attend any sale of a used car.
posted by Miko at 7:13 PM on August 5, 2008
I don't feel like looking up the law in the concerned states, but in my state, it's perfectly legal to own an unregistered car. You just can't drive it. This state is studded with unregistered cars sitting in driveways and garages. There's nothing illegal about it. Registration is connected to the driving privilege, not ownership.
The rubber banded small denomination is not proof of anything, but may indicated the the fellow is involved in illegal activity. Normal people go and get 100's from the bank.
Em, yeah, I am a normal person and for many years my work as a waitress ensured that I had a large steady supply of 10s and 20s.
It wasn't necessary to cast aspersions on the person to get the answers you need.
It seems like you probably have no reason to be concerned, though be ready for the kinds of difficulties iamkimiam mentions - though, of course, that can attend any sale of a used car.
posted by Miko at 7:13 PM on August 5, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
I can't imagine a situation where this transaction could cause you more than a tiny bit of trouble--you have enough paperwork to prove you're covered.
Even if he used it to commit a crime.
What makes you think he's a criminal?
If you thought he was a criminal, why did you accept his money?
(I think the bit about the corn rows probably wasn't necessary.)
posted by goatdog at 1:17 PM on August 5, 2008 [6 favorites]