What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? IL
Got a bit of a dilemma here, and I'm going to try to make a long story short. I saw an ad on Craigslist in NY for a car that was listed with no title, it was supposed to be a project car. It was just what I needed, as I bought a car with a wrecked front end, and I could get all the parts from this car to repair mine. I contacted the seller, he let me know he bought it from an auction with no title, and he did not have the keys. I asked him for the VIN, he emailed me one, and the Carfax checked out OK. I set up a shipper to pick it up, write out a check to the seller for the amount, and deliver it to me. After the shipper picked it up, he told me the seller had drove the car on the trailer, but would not give him the key.
The car showed up a few days later, and when I saw the car and how good of shape it was in, I got suspicious. I wrote down the VIN, went home, and Carfaxed it and discovered it was previously stolen a week before. I immediately called the local police, they took a statement, and towed it away. I talked to the seller the next day who assured me he had no idea it was stolen. After talking to my lawyer, he instructed me to recontact the seller, and ask for my money back. I did, and he told me he didn't have it anymore. My lawyer contacted him, and the seller told him he would have his lawyer contact mine. It never happened.
Not too long after that, a NYPD detective contacted me, and said he was on the case. I haven't spoken to him in over a month, and he won't return my emails. Since then, the car has gone back to the rightful owner, and I'm left with nothing. I cannot believe that this guy can get away with this...what can I do?
Got a bit of a dilemma here, and I'm going to try to make a long story short. I saw an ad on Craigslist in NY for a car that was listed with no title, it was supposed to be a project car. It was just what I needed, as I bought a car with a wrecked front end, and I could get all the parts from this car to repair mine. I contacted the seller, he let me know he bought it from an auction with no title, and he did not have the keys. I asked him for the VIN, he emailed me one, and the Carfax checked out OK. I set up a shipper to pick it up, write out a check to the seller for the amount, and deliver it to me. After the shipper picked it up, he told me the seller had drove the car on the trailer, but would not give him the key.
The car showed up a few days later, and when I saw the car and how good of shape it was in, I got suspicious. I wrote down the VIN, went home, and Carfaxed it and discovered it was previously stolen a week before. I immediately called the local police, they took a statement, and towed it away. I talked to the seller the next day who assured me he had no idea it was stolen. After talking to my lawyer, he instructed me to recontact the seller, and ask for my money back. I did, and he told me he didn't have it anymore. My lawyer contacted him, and the seller told him he would have his lawyer contact mine. It never happened.
Not too long after that, a NYPD detective contacted me, and said he was on the case. I haven't spoken to him in over a month, and he won't return my emails. Since then, the car has gone back to the rightful owner, and I'm left with nothing. I cannot believe that this guy can get away with this...what can I do?