Check the VIN# BEFORE you buy any vehicle!!

[whunter]

Before you buy ANY vehicle!!!

Double check the vehicle identification number with the number listed on the title, registration, bill of sale and any other legal documents.

Law enforcement or a court can:
* Seize vehicle as stolen = your car and money are gone + you may go to trial for vehicle theft.
* Declare a fraudulent VIN# or title = impossible to license or sell.

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[Stretch]

And the story behind this message is...?

[whunter]

There are many stories behind this warning.

The most recent was a a local 1976 240D owned by an elderly woman with a serious HOARDING problem.

I saw the car peaking out from a pile of her treasures (trash).
The car had not run since 1980 when her husband died.
It was a very good body, so I offered $400.00 if the title was clear, she accepted, and her niece brought out the title.

This purchase crashed when the VIN# failed to match the title, it looks like a silly clerical error by the State.

FYI: As I recall, here are the first nine characters of the fouled VIN# WMV115117

We went to the Secretary of State (DMV), where they informed us there was no way to correct the title at this late date, except with a scrap title.

FYI:
After a scrap title is issued, the vehicle may be used only for parts or scrap metal. It cannot be re-titled or returned to the road using the existing vehicle identification number.
SOS - Scrap Titles

I may still buy the car for parts some day, but for the moment I have walked away.


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