Took over payments on a car

[cwortham]

I reside in WA state.

I took over payments on a car that the owner couldn't afford to make. I paid the dealership directly and paid the car off three years ago. To date I still don't have the title. I've contacted the dealership and since I wasn't the purchaser of the vehicle they cant sign the title over to me. They need the person that got the financing to come in and sign the title so it can be given to me. The person that legally is the registered owner of the vehicle keeps telling me they are too busy to go in and sign the title and they will get to it when they can. It's been three years and they still haven't done it. To make matters more difficult, the car is licensed out of the state of Texas. The owner is in the military and they purchased it while stationed there and came up to WA with it where I took possession and then they transferred back to TX. They live in the same city as the dealership is locate but cant take the 10 minutes out of their day to go in and sign the title. I've called and spoke to the dealership so many times they are tired of hearing from me. At one point they told me they had a POA executed when the car was purchased by the owner and they could use that to sign the title on the owners behalf. They just needed the owner to call and give them permission to do so. The owner was willing to do that and they called and when I called the dealership to give them mailing instructions they changed their mind and said they couldn't use the POA to execute the title. Now I'm unsure what to do. I went into my local title office and they couldn't help me as the car was title out of state. I'm pretty sure the owner is doing this to me as I was engaged to their cousin but things fell a part and we separated. The ex didn't take it to well and now I believe the cousin is giving me a hard time due to that. I've tried everything from donating the vehicle to asking a wrecking yard to take it but none of which would do anything without a title. Does anyone have any suggestions as I need to get rid of the car ASAP as it is sitting in front of a home I no longer occupy and I really don't want to have it towed to my new residence, as it doesn't run anymore.

Thank you in advance for any advice you may have!

Chris

 

[adjusterjack]

Call around to junk yards until you find one that doesn't care about titles. Tell them they can have it for free if they pick it up.

Otherwise, since it's not in your name, go take the plates off, leave it on the street, and it'll be towed as an abandoned vehicle.

 

[cwortham]

Call around to junk yards until you find one that doesn't care about titles. Tell them they can have it for free if they pick it up.

Otherwise, since it's not in your name, go take the plates off, leave it on the street, and it'll be towed as an abandoned vehicle.

I've considered abandoning it. I've also called several junkyards and none will take them as they are required to have the title for the car. I guess the state patrol goes through the lots frequently asking to see titles of the cars on their lots. If they cant produce it they get fined for possessing what they consider stolen property. Thank you for taking the time to respond.

 

[Zigner]

You could offer the guy money for his trouble in going to the dealer and signing the paperwork. Unfortunately, your problems won't end there as there will be additional fees, etc., that will need to be paid due to the title jumping, not to mention that WA is going to want to get in on the act, particularly since you have illegally operated the vehicle in that state for quite some time now (prior to the break-down, of course.)

 

[adjusterjack]

I've considered abandoning it.

Likely the cheapest and fastest way of unloading it.

 

[latigo]

. . . . you have illegally operated the vehicle (?) . . . . . . .

How so, Z?

 

[latigo]

I reside in WA state.

I took over payments on a car that the owner couldn't afford to make. I paid the dealership directly and paid the car off three years ago. To date I still don't have the title. I've contacted the dealership and since I wasn't the purchaser of the vehicle they cant sign the title over to me. They need the person that got the financing to come in and sign the title so it can be given to me. The person that legally is the registered owner of the vehicle keeps telling me they are too busy to go in and sign the title and they will get to it when they can. It's been three years and they still haven't done it. To make matters more difficult, the car is licensed out of the state of Texas. The owner is in the military and they purchased it while stationed there and came up to WA with it where I took possession and then they transferred back to TX. They live in the same city as the dealership is locate but cant take the 10 minutes out of their day to go in and sign the title. I've called and spoke to the dealership so many times they are tired of hearing from me. At one point they told me they had a POA executed when the car was purchased by the owner and they could use that to sign the title on the owners behalf. They just needed the owner to call and give them permission to do so. The owner was willing to do that and they called and when I called the dealership to give them mailing instructions they changed their mind and said they couldn't use the POA to execute the title. Now I'm unsure what to do. I went into my local title office and they couldn't help me as the car was title out of state. I'm pretty sure the owner is doing this to me as I was engaged to their cousin but things fell a part and we separated. The ex didn't take it to well and now I believe the cousin is giving me a hard time due to that. I've tried everything from donating the vehicle to asking a wrecking yard to take it but none of which would do anything without a title. Does anyone have any suggestions as I need to get rid of the car ASAP as it is sitting in front of a home I no longer occupy and I really don't want to have it towed to my new residence, as it doesn't run anymore.

Thank you in advance for any advice you may have!

Chris

(Only to mention it as the vehicle doesn't appear to be worth the effort.) You could file a lawsuit under Washington Revised Code Section 7.28:310 to quite title to the car in your name. That is, provided you could produce some documentation like a bill of sale showing you as having bought it from the dealership's buyer, assumed and have fully paid the balance of the purchase price.

Regarding the foot dragging dealership' and its special POA:

Please understand that as the designated attorney in fact the dealership DOES NOT need permission from the grantor of the POA to act upon its delegated authority in the grantor's stead. Not unless the authority granted has been effectively revoked.

What would be the purpose of granting the power to endorse over the title if it required secondary permission? You can bet your back side that if doing so was to the dealer's advantage, it sure as hell wouldn't be calling the contracting buyer asking for consent!

Anyway, I would place the issue before DMV or whichever state agency regulates and reigns over the business licensing of these scumbag dealership clowns.

 

[Zigner]

How so, Z?

OP has been operating the vehicle in WA without licensing it in WA.