Check the VIN# BEFORE you buy any vehicle!!
 

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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And the story behind this message is...?

Answer
 

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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