Buy here pay here lot closed?

[Dieselcowgirl]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Virginia
I bought a car from a local buy here pay here lot. This was the second vehicle, I paid the first one off but due to a breakdown needed a car in a pinch. I put $800 down in September 15 and have made $75 a week payments since then. Thirty day tags were placed by the dealership and I took the sales paperwork (including title) to DMV and car is tagged, registered, and insured in my name with a lien on the title. In January 16 the dealer hours changed to them being open less often and we were informed the couple who had ran it had sold out and the new hours were them keeping the old owners on through the transition, noted about 1/2 cars removed from lot. February 16, maybe 5 cars in lot, dealership not even open posted reduced hours, my Husband works next door and even he can't catch them to make timely payments, payments made late but kept up. March 16-current, no cars left in lot, for sale sign on lot, have not been able to reach dealer by telephone or in person for 2 weeks, no drop box available. How should we proceed? I'm worried they may repo the car for not being able to pay, could this be their plan? Could we send payments by certified mail to at least try to have documentation?

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

Consult the local clerk of courts about establishing an escrow account to put the payments in. they should also be able to tell you if there is a bankruptcy in progress and to whom payments are to be made.

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Virginia
I bought a car from a local buy here pay here lot. This was the second vehicle, I paid the first one off but due to a breakdown needed a car in a pinch. I put $800 down in September 15 and have made $75 a week payments since then. Thirty day tags were placed by the dealership and I took the sales paperwork (including title) to DMV and car is tagged, registered, and insured in my name with a lien on the title. In January 16 the dealer hours changed to them being open less often and we were informed the couple who had ran it had sold out and the new hours were them keeping the old owners on through the transition, noted about 1/2 cars removed from lot. February 16, maybe 5 cars in lot, dealership not even open posted reduced hours, my Husband works next door and even he can't catch them to make timely payments, payments made late but kept up. March 16-current, no cars left in lot, for sale sign on lot, have not been able to reach dealer by telephone or in person for 2 weeks, no drop box available. How should we proceed? I'm worried they may repo the car for not being able to pay, could this be their plan? Could we send payments by certified mail to at least try to have documentation?

Are you sure you purchased your vehicle from a licensed dealer?

Here is a link to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles:
https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/commercial/#dealer/contact_field.asp

You may wish to contact a DMV field agent if you think the dealer could have been a "curbstoner" (it sort of sounds to me, from your description, that he could be).

Here is information on curbstoning, from the Virginia Independent Automobile Dealer Association: https://www.viada.org/curbstoning.php

Good luck.

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Virginia
I bought a car from a local buy here pay here lot. This was the second vehicle, I paid the first one off but due to a breakdown needed a car in a pinch. I put $800 down in September 15 and have made $75 a week payments since then. Thirty day tags were placed by the dealership and I took the sales paperwork (including title) to DMV and car is tagged, registered, and insured in my name with a lien on the title. In January 16 the dealer hours changed to them being open less often and we were informed the couple who had ran it had sold out and the new hours were them keeping the old owners on through the transition, noted about 1/2 cars removed from lot. February 16, maybe 5 cars in lot, dealership not even open posted reduced hours, my Husband works next door and even he can't catch them to make timely payments, payments made late but kept up. March 16-current, no cars left in lot, for sale sign on lot, have not been able to reach dealer by telephone or in person for 2 weeks, no drop box available. How should we proceed? I'm worried they may repo the car for not being able to pay, could this be their plan? Could we send payments by certified mail to at least try to have documentation?

At this point you do not know what is going on, therefore it may not be safe to send the payments. They may not even be due to the original lender.

At least set aside the money so that you can pay whoever eventually contacts you for payment.