sold car shenanigans
Hey,
So I sold a junky car last year. I ####ed up because I was pretty unprepared and wasn't about to turn down cash on the spot. Wrote up a quick bill of sale, handed over the keys and sat down for dinner, totally forgetting that I had left the license plate on the car.
I didn't even think about it until CPS called because of a driver complaint. Informed CPS of the situation, went immediately to the registry and filled out the official declaration regarding the plate being 'lost' ("stupid idiot" is not an option on the form.
Something like 8 months after the fact, I get a call from CPA - 'my' car is illegally parked with invalid registration. Tell them the situation, it's not my car yada yada. Call registry, confirm that I did submit the form and they advise that it will still show me as the last name on it regardless, but not to worry if I submitted the form it will in fact be not tied to me.
Fast forward to today. I get a registered letter from CPA. Car is at impound, there is a substantial bill owing, and the car will be crushed if I don't recover.
Now...I am in no mood to pay for a car that isn't technically mine any more. But I don't have a copy of a bill of sale, because like I said, I just wrote one up on the spot for the cash. It's not my car, but to the government it is apparently.
What the hell do I do? I don't have the guys name or contact info, no bill of sale, and only a report (for which I don't even think I kept a receipt) about the plate. Do I just tell CPA it's not my car anymore and hope they accept that and don't hold the outstanding amount over me?
Now, the car is rare. I bought it for parts, but liked it too much to tear apart. I really, really, don't want it to get crushed because that's a total shame. I don't think I legally can claim ownership and recover the vehicle without:
a) risking being liable for any and all other expenses/infractions that car was apart of over the last year since I sold it.
b) risking having to hand over the vehicle should the guy who actually paid for it find me through CPA.
c) risking having this guy and his rather large buddy really #### me up.
I don't have the guys contact saved anywhere, I can't get ahold of him. Even if I could, I'm not super keen on getting reinvolved with someone who decided to drive around with my name on the registration for a year.
I guess the only option is to have CPA proceed with scrap, hoping I can convince them it's not my car any more? ####ing hate the thought of rare, hard to find, good condition parts getting scraped over $600 in impound fees. Anyone know who CPA uses to scrap cars? Im guessing it goes right to the crusher and not a salvage yard.
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No, no…I’m not sloppy, or lazy. This is a sign of the boredom.
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