Ex's abandoned car still registered to my address

[mcinca]

State: California

Background:
My ex husband gave away his car (with only has his name on it and my name had never been on it) to a neighbor next to my house about 4 yrs ago. I assumed they both had gone through the transfer of the title. Now this neighbor apparently just ran away to avoid paying 3 months worth of rent to the landlord next house to mine and left the car in their driveway. This landlord called police about the abandoned car and found out that the car is still registered to my ex name with my address. Apparently the neighbor never followed through with transferring the title. The police simply told me that I have the responsibility to remove the car because the car is registered to my address even though we told the police that my ex does not live here for many years. I do not know where my ex live since he left 4 yrs ago. I have been divorced too and remarried and live at the same address. This deadbeat neighbor was the only one who had been driving this car for the past 3-4 yrs and my other neighbor can be the witness too that I had nothing to do with that car ever since my ex left.

Question:
Can I be held responsible to remove this car?

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

Tell the police it isn't your car and you have no legal right to dispose of property belonging to anyone else.

 

[mcinca]

The police simply said, "Because the car is registered to your address (= my address), you have the responsibility to remove the car in 5 days" although we told them that the car was my ex and as far as we know, my ex had given the car to the tenant-neighbor 4 yrs ago and the tenant-neighbor was the one driving it ever since. We never knew that this tenant-neighbor never followed through with changing the title to his name and I am guessing that my ex does not know either. I am guessing my ex has signed the title form. That car apparently accumulated a lot of ticket penalties.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

IMO the officer is just trying to force the problem onto you. If there were an actual legal responsibility, there would be no abandoned cars in CA, They would all be the responsibility of whosoever owns that property they were last registered at, absent the registered owner. Suggest the police impound the car until the owner shows up to claim it.

 

[xylene]

Can I be held responsible to remove this car?

Tell the office to have the car towed and bill the OWNER.

You are not the owner.

The address associated with the title does not mean you are responsible.

 

[mcinca]

And I do not even have the key to the car, but the car is unlocked. Do you think we will get into trouble with the police if we just choose to ignore it because when the police knocked on my door yesterday, he said we have 5 days to remove the car. Or should I put the car onto the street (and eventually it will be towed, I assume) but then it may mean I dip my hands into the problem and now I maybe responsible right?

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

I would not touch the car since it is not yours. If you are so concerned, call the police station and speak to a supervisor about it. Explain absent them citing a law requiring you to take responsibility for another persons property, you will not do so. If you move it, you may assume legal responsibility for its loss or charges incurred by it.

 

[xylene]

Don't touch or move the car.

That would be the worst thing you could do.

It would prove you have responsibility for the car.

There is an expression "Don't take legal advice from a policeman."

If the cops harangue you over the car again, ask them what will happen.

At worst you would have to go to court, where your non-ownership would be immediately established... that is an absolute worst case scenario.

 

[CdwJava]

You say the registration has your address. Whose NAME is on the registration? His alone? Yours alone? Both of yours?

The police cannot make you remove the property of another. They might cite you for abandoning the vehicle, but you could beat that at court if it is not registered to you.

The owner of the property (the bank, I guess) can have it removed and the costs will be billed to the registered owner.

 

[mcinca]

The car was my ex's car before we got married. Through out our marriage, he had never added my name to it. Now I am divorced from him.
That concludes that I have never been a co-owner of that car in my life - before, during, or after our marriage.

 

[xylene]

The car was my ex's car before we got married. Through out our marriage, he had never added my name to it. Now I am divorced from him.
That concludes that I have never been a co-owner of that car in my life - before, during, or after our marriage.

This is not exactly an answer to what Carl asked.

If your name (not just your address) is on the registration, then it is your problem, whatever you have concluded.

 

[Zigner]

Why say anything? Let them dispose of the car. YOU have nothing to do with it (based on what you've posted)

 

[Zigner]

This is not exactly an answer to what Carl asked.

If your name (not just your address) is on the registration, then it is your problem, whatever you have concluded.

The car was my ex's car before we got married.

(Showing that her name wasn't on it previously)

Through out our marriage, he had never added my name to it.

(Showing that her name was never added to it)

I think it actually was an answer

 

[xylene]

(Showing that her name was never added to it)

No man has ever shafted their ex-wife with a shady car transaction?

So no I don't actually share the posters believe as a causal certainty that their divorce is proof her name is not on the registration.

The poster should be prepared for a tougher legal matter if her name is on the registration / title and Carl's point is true.

 

[Zigner]

No man has ever shafted their ex-wife with a shady car transaction?

So no I don't actually share the posters believe as a causal certainty that their divorce is proof her name is not on the registration.

The poster should be prepared for a tougher legal matter if her name is on the registration / title and Carl's point is true.

The police have not claimed that her name is on the title either...the police merely said that because the car was registered to her address, she is responsible for it (which is untrue)