Galant VR4 title scam?

So I haven't owned a VR4 for like 4+ years now and got a call out of the blue tonight from a guy who has the title to a VR4 I sold back in '07. He says it's been signed by like 6 people after me (Colorado titles only have lines for three signatures, if that is important) and that after he talked to the DMV they told him he had to find me and get me to have the DMV issue a duplicate title and then sign it over to him.

I've done some searching and don't see any scams that work like this, but I don't want to fall for something without doing my homework. I'm also wondering if maybe there's a way to tell it's in dispute by two owners to find out if he is trying to get a title to win the argument with. I dunno, just a couple of things that popped in my head. Anyone have any insight or ideas? or does this seem legit?

 

[SleepinGVR4]

Maybe someone from Colorado would be more helpful but I would just call the Colorado DMV and get your answers from them.

 

[14u2nV]

Sounds to me like nobody ever sent it in after you signed it, and now they are trying to get you to keep them from paying the penalties from not doing so. Or maybe they got a title loan or something on it? Or someone is trying to get the title without actually having the car, so then they legally own it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

 

[SmoothCustomer]

A couple local guys here get cars without signing the title, which is very annoying. If I ever sell a car I make sure the new owner signs the title in my presence.

 

[donkeylips]

Help him out!! My brother and I had to find the owner of 372/1000 in Brooklyn to have him get a duplicate and then send it to us. He hadn't seen the car in years either. In NYS only one seller can sign the title and its really annoying when they do that without going to the DMV and having it titled in their name. Because then they haven't paid the taxes, etc and it can't be sold until they do so or the prior owner gets a duplicate. I've actually done this another time as well with a Georgia title. I had to skip back to the previous owner who I did not get the car from to get him to title it and sign it over to me. Those guys were really helpful and it was awesome. I tried this another time but the previous owner was not helpful and the car had to actually be scrapped(it was a real cheap POS anyway. Buying cars with double-signed titles is a bad idea, but hey, they're usually the cheapest.

I guess I would get him to prove that he legitimately owns the car with some kind of bill of sale, or pictures of the car or something to prove that he has possession of it as well. I assume he's willing to pay all of the fees for you. If you don't help him the car would either need some kind of new crazy title or never see the road again.
Chances are it's been passed around a few times and nobody titled it and they signed it(which is pretty stupid to me) but why penalize the new owner and render the car un-useable for other people's mistakes?
But of course there always is the possibility that he's lying to you.

edit
Quoting SmoothCustomer:
A couple local guys here get cars without signing the title, which is very annoying. If I ever sell a car I make sure the new owner signs the title in my presence.


Oh come on Eric. What happens when that person signs the title, then doesn't go to the DMV but sells the car instead? Thats how these problems happen. I say don't sign the "buyer" section until you're at the DMV because sometimes they don't even ask for a bill of sale. That's way better than ending up in this guys situation or the situation you were in with your title.

 

[cheekychimp]

^^^

That's very wise advice. Here in Hong Kong it is not uncommon for dirtbags to buy vehicles and tell the original owner that they will send in the documentation to the Transport Department (our equivalent of the DMV). Of course they never do and then proceed to park the vehicle illegally, run red lights, scream through speed enforcement cameras and all the tickets get sent to the "registered owner" (the poor guy he bought it from). The police won't entertain the car being reported stolen because it was sold legitimately and the Transport Department won't right off the previous owner's liability without paperwork or a theft report.

The cycle can last up to two years after which time if the new "owner" doesn't license the vehicle the registration expires. The previous owner rarely loses points because he cannot be charged with moving offences (the identity of the driver being in dispute) but he gets hammered for every parking offence, every ticket issued for failure to display a valid vehicle licence and for all charges incurred if the vehicle is found abandoned and subsequently removed to a pound at the Government's expense.

Get your title/registration documents signed by the new owner regardless of which country you live in or it can come back to bite you in the ass!

 

Quoting 14u2nV:
Or someone is trying to get the title without actually having the car, so then they legally own it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif



I have heard of this happening. That could be the deal. I would just call the DMV they will tell you exactly what is going on.

 

[donkeylips]

But that would only work if the current owner of the car doesn't have it registered - which they should. Otherwise the OP would go to get it titled and it wouldn't work. Although I don't know anything about that state and its having multiple lines on the title.
Is this person a member on this forum?

*edit-
Quoting cheekychimp:
^^^

That's very wise advice. Here in Hong Kong it is not uncommon for dirtbags to buy vehicles and tell the original owner that they will send in the documentation to the Transport Department (our equivalent of the DMV). Of course they never do and then proceed to park the vehicle illegally, run red lights, scream through speed enforcement cameras and all the tickets get sent to the "registered owner" (the poor guy he bought it from). The police won't entertain the car being reported stolen because it was sold legitimately and the Transport Department won't right off the previous owner's liability without paperwork or a theft report.

The cycle can last up to two years after which time if the new "owner" doesn't license the vehicle the registration expires. The previous owner rarely loses points because he cannot be charged with moving offences (the identity of the driver being in dispute) but he gets hammered for every parking offence, every ticket issued for failure to display a valid vehicle licence and for all charges incurred if the vehicle is found abandoned and subsequently removed to a pound at the Government's expense.

Get your title/registration documents signed by the new owner regardless of which country you live in or it can come back to bite you in the ass!


But with a signed bill of sale you can prove the date that you sold the car. Get a witness in case you have to go to court and he denies everything.