[Excaliber]

Robert transaction's like this is has been going on for years. Nothing special about it, not really a "scam". Often in the news paper you see vehicles advertised for sale with no title.

The price is usually quite good, cheap in fact! Various reasons people loose titles. Abandoned the vehicle at someones house or place of business is typical. The owner moves with the title, and somebody else "inherits" the vehicle. In this case, typical, the owner owed more money on the vehicle than it was worth to him. So he simply abandoned it, which of course leaves the mechanic up a creek and it's a BIG hassle to get the title. Often it aint worth the trouble.

Solution? Sell it cheap to somebody and tell him straight up, "I aint got a title". Heck, give 'em a bill of sale, the "mechanic" aint got nothing to hide (especially if he's moving shortly thereafter)! It's very unlikely the real owner will ever come forward and it's not like the vehicle is "stolen".

Just another day in the life of buying and selling cars, buyer beware and GET a clean title or "deal with it" later.

It's "fraud" when the seller gives you a title that DOES NOT match the vehicle. I check the VIN numbers for a "match" before I buy.

In Hawaii the vehicles TICKETS stay with the car!!! If you buy the car you WILL NOT be able to license it until those "tickets" are paid. They don't care WHO pays them, by the way, but somebody has to or no registration!

Ernie