Legal ownership : prior sale

Sorry I can't help, Xflow.

I got a call one Sunday morning from the NYC cops. Seems a motorcycle Titled in my name was involved in a personal injury accident.

Que?

No, that's my son's bike, he sold it a month ago.

Quickly call the kid. He had copies of the Bill O Sale, he had the plate, he had the buyer's name etc.

The buyer didn't have a MC license. Nor did he re-title or register the bike; he stole plates off another Suzuki. If a cop ran the plate it came back Suzuki, gas tank said 'Zuki, maybe they'd go away.

It won't help you now, but next time print out two copies of a bill of sale on one piece of paper. Have the buyer sign both, you sign both; cut the paper in half, C'ya!

Perhaps you can negotiate with the tow yard? Got any old emails, phone calls, messages? If you can find anything, it may get you off the hook.

OR, take the car back. It is still legally yours, pay the fine, resell it, profit?

whenry wrote: I dont know how many times I have gotten this call but why would you sell a car to someone and let them drive off in license plates issued in your name. You are just inviting them to drive it until the tags expire and without insurance. Typically, there are no legal ramifications other than the tow/seizure/storage bill but you put yourself at real risk. Yank the tags so at least he has to put someone's else tag on the car; hopefully he will go and register the car. YMMV

in MN the plates stay with the car unless they are a special plate of some sort like handicap or veterans plates and what not. it's like a bonus selling point when you are selling a car that just got new plates and/or tabs on it...

also, when you sell a car you are supposed to write down the buyer's info on a part of the title at the bottom that you tear off and send into the state, then if the buyer doesn't transfer the title within 10 days of the date on that tab they get to pay an extra fee.. that's the way it's supposed to work- but sometimes titles don't get dated and that part of the title doesn't get sent in right away just to give the buyer more time to find the cash to transfer it and what not.. but i only do that if i know the person buying the car, and i always transfer titles into my name as soon as i can just to get it out of the way- and also because i tend to buy junk with expired tabs..

i got one of those letters once. lakewood PD sent me a letter saying my car was in impound found on side of road. i had bill of sale and kept my plates. i called them and told them i sold it to a guy named x and it's not mine anymore. problem solved. i assume he didn't put oil in it ever week like i told him it needed.

In SC no notary or bill of sale is needed for a private sale. But, you MUST remove the tag and turn it in to the DMV within 15 days of the sale or be fined $400 and have to buy SR22 (high risk) insurance for the next 3 years.

Me, I do a bill of sale, sign the title, take the tags (if any) and send it down the road.

You cant fix stupid or stop thieves but you can do things to protect yourself. Copies and witnesses are the best.