ex won't give back car

[rjones]

a vehicle in my name only (registered in Maryland) is in the possession of ex who won't give it back unless I pay him for the payments he has made on the car, the downpayment he made and the insurnace payments. It has been one year and I still have 3 years of payments to go. The deal was I buy the vehicle and he make the payments and he would eventually place the vehicle in his name.

He has not made payments on the vehicle for the last two months. He has also been in an accident with the vehicle and my insurance company warns me to get the vehicle away from him. This is why I am anxious. I have been making the payments because I don't want my credit to go bad.

I would just simply go and get the vehicle, but it's hard because he doesn't have a known address (I can't find him), I told him he could use the vehicle the last time I talked to him and I have a protective order against him and will violate the order if I go near him.
I want to know if he can be successful at suing me for those payments when I get the vehicle back? The vehicle has been in his possession the entire time--even when we were dating. I has been 9 months since I have seen the vehicle and I last spoke with him in January.

 

[LegalBeagle]

a vehicle in my name only (registered in Maryland) is in the possession of ex who won't give it back unless I pay him for the payments he has made on the car, the downpayment he made and the insurnace payments. It has been one year and I still have 3 years of payments to go. The deal was I buy the vehicle and he make the payments and he would eventually place the vehicle in his name.

He has not made payments on the vehicle for the last two months. He has also been in an accident with the vehicle and my insurance company warns me to get the vehicle away from him. This is why I am anxious. I have been making the payments because I don't want my credit to go bad.

I would just simply go and get the vehicle, but it's hard because he doesn't have a known address (I can't find him), I told him he could use the vehicle the last time I talked to him and I have a protective order against him and will violate the order if I go near him.
I want to know if he can be successful at suing me for those payments when I get the vehicle back? The vehicle has been in his possession the entire time--even when we were dating. I has been 9 months since I have seen the vehicle and I last spoke with him in January.

You should at least report the vehicle as stolen.

 

[JETX]

With all due respect to LB, the police won't accept the stolen car report since it is a civil matter. The problem here, as I see it is that she gave him permission to drive the car. And, without some formal revocation of that permission, it is purely a civil matter.

My suggestion to 'rjones':
Try to locate the 'ex'. Hire a PI if needed. Then, once you locate him, go get the car (of course you still have a set of keys, right???). If not, you may have to hire a repo firm or tow truck (or with the title, you can contact a locksmith who might make a set of keys).

Then, when you have the car back let him determine what his options are (none).

Realize that he will still have a set of keys also, so you need to expect that he may do the same to you. But then, you could report the car as stolen.

 

[rjones]

Thanks so much!

thanks for the response. I had keys made (took 5 minutes and $3), and called a couple of repo companies, so I'm on my way to getting it back. It's gonna cost me about 350, but it's well worth it.

 

[JETX]

Keep copies of ALL receipts including the repo fee. Then, sue him for all of your damages (Get the current address from the repo).