My exhusband passed away the car is in my name & his new wife -widow wont give it back.

[quincy]

Right - the point is that she might be paying for a rusted hulk. I doubt that's the case, but it's worth mentioning.

Yep-yep.

I see no legal reason why LostCar should have to pay $15,000 (or anything) to retrieve her car, regardless of its condition, absent a previously-made agreement to pay for storage.

I think the widow probably wanted to sell the car after her husband's death and found she couldn't without the title.

 

[LdiJ]

Right - the point is that she might be paying for a rusted hulk. I doubt that's the case, but it's worth mentioning.

Yep-yep.

I doubt its a rusted hulk, the widow wouldn't want the title if it was. The widow would just be demanding that she retrieve her property.

 

[NeilTheCop]

And those cars originally sold for between $1000 and $2000.

Most I ever paid was about 10 pounds
They are still cheap in the UK so maybe it's because they are in the US makes them rare.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Cars-Motorcycles-Vehicles/9800/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=austin

 

[quincy]

Most I ever paid was about 10 pounds
They are still cheap in the UK so maybe it's because they are in the US makes them rare.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Cars-Motorcycles-Vehicles/9800/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=austin

There is a rather large market for classic cars.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

I doubt its a rusted hulk, the widow wouldn't want the title if it was. The widow would just be demanding that she retrieve her property.

It is an OLD British car. There is a very good chance it is a rusted POS.

 

[quincy]

It is an OLD British car. There is a very good chance it is a rusted POS.

Classic car collectors are willing to invest a lot of money into restoring even rusted-out "POSs."

It really depends on the car. LostCar said her model was rare.

You should visit Detroit on August 19 for the Woodward Dream Cruise. It is an annual free event with classic car owners from around the world "cruising" the area to show off their cars.

 

[xylene]

The ex 'permitted' the OP to store the car there, so any claim of 'storage fees' going back 30 years is bunk.

 

[Ohiogal]

Or an argument can be made that the ex ABANDONED the car as in thirty years she never attempted to retrieve it.

 

[quincy]

Or an argument can be made that the ex ABANDONED the car as in thirty years she never attempted to retrieve it.

That would have been a better argument had the widow not contacted the rightful owner.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Classic car collectors are willing to invest a lot of money into restoring even rusted-out "POSs."

It really depends on the car. LostCar said her model was rare.

You should visit Detroit on August 19 for the Woodward Dream Cruise. It is an annual free event with classic car owners from around the world "cruising" the area to show off their cars.

Well aware of that. My point was in response to LdiJ's that it wasn't likely. If this car has been sitting for 30 years it isn't just possible that is a POS it is a likelihood.

 

[Ohiogal]

That would have been a better argument had the widow not contacted the rightful owner.

It is still a legitimate argument since OP forgot she even owned the car.

 

[LdiJ]

Well aware of that. My point was in response to LdiJ's that it wasn't likely. If this car has been sitting for 30 years it isn't just possible that is a POS it is a likelihood.

My reason for saying what I did is because the widow was asking for either the title or 15k. Nobody does that unless they think its valuable, and its not very likely that someone would ask for the title or 15k, if they thought something was a POS rust bucket.

 

[quincy]

Or an argument can be made that the ex ABANDONED the car as in thirty years she never attempted to retrieve it.

Here is a link to Minnesota's abandoned property statute:
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/345.75

 

[Zigner]

According to Quincy's link, 30 days notice is required before title shall pass. In other words, the OP should go get her car. If the other party refuses, the OP should contact the police. In fact, what the other party has done might actually be a crime under MN law: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/609.27

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

My reason for saying what I did is because the widow was asking for either the title or 15k. Nobody does that unless they think its valuable, and its not very likely that someone would ask for the title or 15k, if they thought something was a POS rust bucket.

The person holding the car won't even let the OP see the car without the OP handing over the title or the money.