Maverick Alert! Please read

I always make out two bills of sale, one for the buyer, one for me, and get both signed. That way, if they lose theirs, I still have a copy. Only some counties here require they be notarized, mine doesn't. I have left the buyers name off of a title like that before if I bought a car with the intention of selling it soon. If I sell one, I always fill out the sellers portion, that way I'm in the clear, the buyer can do as they please. I also make a copy of the title, that way if something like that comes up, I've got proof it was sold, along with the bill of sale.

 

the first car I ever had was a 1980 lincoln continental. It was a beater and when I finally upgraded, i sold the car to a less than reputable guy that I worked with. He never registered it and then somewhere along the way, it got abandoned along the 405 freeway. so about a year later I got a call from the impound lot asking me what the deal was with the car and told them that i sold it and filled out my part of the title transfer and whatnot. long story short, i didnt even have to show them anything and they didnt ask me for anything. and the kicker is i went down to the impound lot and gave them 100 bucks and drove home the car i had sold a year earlier for 500. sometimes life is good.

 

I learned a lesson the hard way. I had an old car I wanted to get rid of sitting in my driveway. A fellow doing work at my house expressed interest in buying it. My dad obliged him by signing it over to him for a few hundred bucks and signed my name. the guy slapped some plates on it and drove away, I was happy to get rid of it.
Nearly a year later I got a bill from the department of sanitation for near a thousand dollars for abandoning my vehicle in a shopping center parking lot. Apparently the guy had been driving it the whole time and never registered the car with the DMV. Of course I had no idea who dumped it, I never saw the guy. I am glad it died and it taught me a lesson. Could have been much worse if he hurt someone with the car.
Any car I sell now, I get a photocopy or scan of the paperwork and a copy of the buyers drivers license for my records..

Good luck with your dilemma.

 

I had a tow company charge me $400 for impound fees on a car that I sold. The owner never changed the title and left it on the side of the highway. Even though I sent in my half of the title like I was supposed to I had to pay. The state said they had no record of it... Now I do 2 bills of sale and I report the sale online most of the time to be sure that I did my part.

 

Jean,,, If I can help I will. I'm in Pittsburgh an western Pa is no problem.

May as well get a duplicate title so you have your proof. If all goes array,,, junk title. Let me know if I can assist anyway, Good Luck, Dave Stuckey in 724 springdale pa ma bell

 

This is a good post and should be a lesson for everyone to at least make good copies with signatures, addresses, phone numbers, and copies of drivers license. I've always been a little too lenient and fortunately have had no problems but as in Jeans case, you never know. I hope you get everthing worked out Jean. Everyone else, make notes!

 

Jean,

Just put my stepson on alert ... he lives in Pittsburgh and travels to eastern Ohio frequently.

 

Yeah, definitely take notes people. If someone is rushing the heck out of you when you sell a car, ask for every piece of information you can get from the buyer. If we were not so desperate to get rid of the car I would have told the guy to take a hike. I didn't like him right from the start. He's the kind of jerk who wanted everything for nothing. Hell, he even wanted the damn car cover. For everyone in western PA's information, the guy lives in Franklin, just off of interstate 80. The car might still be there, possibly at a Ford dealership. I have the guys address too, so the car could be there as well. I will not post his name and address here in case it is all a misunderstanding, but if anyone wants it just drop me a PM. I have sent an email to the police department in Franklin asking if they could confirm if the buyer was a cop or not. When I hear back from them I'll decide what step to take next.

 

Good move to contact the police dept. If their response isn't too helpful, they might be a little more forthcoming if you call them. emails can't be off the record.

 

I'm in PA also and anytime I privately sell or buy a car I, and the other party, go to the notary together and get everything signed, paid and sent off to Harrisburg. What Jean has right now is referred to as an open title. You're not completely free of any liability until the title transfer is done.

I have been guilty of this in the past but I have put a stop to that practice. I know Jean now will also.

 

Whenever I sell a car....I tell them before they drive all the way to pick it up: "We will be filling out the title completely and I will be making a copy."

 

This is exactly what a lot of guys do,that way when they sell it for cash there is no record that they ever owned it,and do not have to pay taxes or show it as income.It is very hard to get anyone in PA. to transfer a signed title without both parties there,because they photo copy both drivers licences,in the old days you could easily do it,not anymore....by the way I'm 1hr N. of Pitts. and 1 hr 40 min. S.of Erie,I'll keep my eyes open for you!!! Jack

 

Man, I've owned my '75 Fiat Spider for almost two years now, and never had the title transfered. GA doesn't require it. Did have it registered in my name for a short while though. I've got other vehicles I've owned longer then that and are probably still traceable directly back to the previous owners since I've never registered them, and a couple that probably the last 3 to 5 owners never had registered either, so there is no telling who they would trace back to. Goes to show how lenient people can be with stuff like this, kind of scary. When I sell a car, I have two copies of the bill of sale that both I and the buyer sign.

 

Problem resolved

I sent an email to the police department where the red and white Maverick's current owner lives. It turns out the guy is a cop after all, but he got told to get the title to the car transfered ASAP. He called a little while ago to tell us he did get the title notarized today, so now it is no longer my problem. Thanks to all who read this post and commented on it. There is a lesson to learned here. No matter who you sell a car to get the title notarized at the time of the sale.

 

Great news, Jean.

It sounds like you handled it just perfectly.