Wells Fargo is withholding legal documents on a car we purchased

[linamina]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? I reside in California.

I've been going round and round between DMV and Wells Fargo Bank about a lease end car that my son purchased for me this past July.

My son purchased the car from the lessee of the vehicle by paying off the lien against it which had been held by Wells Fargo Auto Finance Inc. The loan was paid off in the presence of a Wells Fargo loan officer who then typed out a bill of sale transferring the interests of the vehicle from the lessee to my son (and myself).

However, instead of sending a notorized lien satisfied letter and legal bill of sale to us, Wells Fargo sent these along with the title to the previous lessee who we "bought the car from". We were informed that she had received these by certified mail on September 8th. She was supposed to sign off on them and send them to us.

We have repeatedly requested the signed copies from her and she has failed to supply them to us cutting off all contact, instead. We have sent certified mail requesting these which were lost in the process of delivery. This loss of our certified letter was confirmed in writing by the United States Post office.

I was then told by DMV simply to ask Wells Fargo for a copy of these which we had already done early on and been refused. DMV has informed us that there is no reason that Wells Fargo should not comply with our request for the lien satisfied letter and legal bill of sale since we have the "unofficial" signed release of ownership from the lessee that was provided by the loan officer at the time the loan was paid off. Again they are refusing to do so and are calling this a civil matter.

We are caught between a rock and a hard spot. We paid for a car that we cannot register without the required paperwork. The car is paid off and Wells Fargo is no longer a lien holder and we can not force the previous lessee to send us the documents and don't know of her whereabouts. I don't believe she should have received the title and legal documents to begin with. We need proof that Wells Fargo is no longer the lien holder yet they are still refusing to send us the lien satisfied letter and required bill of sale so we can finally register our vehicle.

What can we do?

[Zigner]

WF has no legal obligation to provide you with the documents requested. Your recourse is against the SELLER. Sue the seller for the value of the vehicle.