Seven years ago I drove my 1981 300SD to CAR-MAX of Houston and sold it on spot for $800.
The car had become a money pit and I had to get rid of it at any cost, I wanted no hassle clean sale, that is why I took it to CAR-MAX.
Well this past weekend I received a certified mail from a towing company located in a little town in South Texas with formal notification that “my” car has been towed and what it takes to get it back.

Obviously CAR-MAX did not bother to change the title and turned ariound and sold my car to another person with my name on it.

If you must sell a car stay away from CAR-MAX.

Vahe
240D 77 350K

I had something similar happen but on an individual sale.
My recommendations:
If you have a Bill of Sale, get a notarized copy of it and send it to the towing company along with a letter stating that you do not have any interest in the vehicle and that you are sending a copy of the Bill of Sale so that they can notify the legal owner of the vehicle.

I did the above and then also went to the tag department, with Bill of Sale in hand, to make sure that they also knew.

Bear in mind, this might help the new owner as he/she might not have a clue where their car got towed. Also, it places you on record as not owning the car, helping to show no responsibility for the vehicle.

CYA...

__________________
87 300SDL - 215K Miles !!
99 F-350CC Dually PSD - 190K
86 300SDL - 189K
All on B-100

I have seen states where dealers simply reassign the title, filling out a section on the back. The car can go through multiple dealers before it ends up with an end-buyer, and that end-buyer is the first person who retitles the car.

Yes, but it has been SEVEN years since I sold the car, amazing.

Vahe

years a go a buddy of mine sold a mustang and a couple years after that a park ranger in another city called him and said that his car was dumped on some park property and he had to come get it. He told him he sold it and they told him to sign some paper and send it to them but he never did. Who knows what happened to it.

__________________
1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

Cool, go get it and take it back!

-GH

__________________
For Now:
1992 Mercedes Benz 500SL
1998 BMW 528i
2003 Honda Element
2002 CBR600F4i
1977 Coachmen Motor Home

Whats it take to get it back?

__________________
91 350SD
14 F150 Eco
19 Fusion Hybrid
11 GT500

I personally know of two instances where the same thing happened to CarMax sellers....
My brother and a friend each sold cars to CarMax, then were later (months, not years) contacted by law enforcement saying they had found their car, please come pick it up. Both my brother and friend had to go through some hoops to convince the authorites that the title had been transferred. The police told both that if they didn't get the car they were responsible for the "storage" fines. CarMax was no help - they said they didn't keep records of the sales. (huh?)

In TX there is a form you can download from DPS that you as the seller fill out and mail in that indicates you have sold the car, so any traffic tix or *ahem* other illicit activities the car becomes involved in are not your responsibility.

Be careful out there!

__________________

Current Mercedes
1979 maple yellow 240D 4-speed

Gone and fondly remembered:
1980 orient red 240D 4-speed

Gone and NOT fondly remembered:
1982 Chna Blue 300TD

Other car in the stable:
2013 VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI / 6-speed MT

Thanks,

I am in the process of filling that form right at this moment and will mail it tonight.
I did stop at our local police station, they checked the VIN, it is in my name, but it also indicated that the last time that I registered the car was in 2001.

CAR-MAX, what a bunch of crooks.

Vahe

A guy I work with traded in a big old Jeep Wagoneer a several years ago. Last year a couple of Texas state trooper showed up at his door. It seems the Jeep, which had never been re-registered, was caught fording the Rio Grande out in the Big Bend area with a load of Mexican happy weed.

__________________
Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

When does you friend get out of jail?

__________________
Bob
'82 300D Petrol B-G Metallic

All is well. He was able to show paperwork indicating that the Jeep had been traded in on a new Toyota.

__________________
Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

Thank goodness that here in California that on your title there is a form that you can fill out and send to the DMV that basically states that you have sold the vehicle and that you no longer have any legal responsibility concerning the vehicle.

You can't convince me that the DMV does anything with that form. I still have registration renewal forms sent to me for a car I sold 3 years ago. My in-laws too for a car they sold 7 years ago.

Sixto
87 300D

Same here in WA. It is called a Seller's Report of Sale and it is a tear-off part of the title...

I'm glad that WA isn't like that. If you don't send it in within 15 days of sale YOU can be fined.

I traded a truck to a guy for a Jetta. He had owned the Jetta for several months and never transferred title. He had got it from another guy who had also owned it several months and never transferred title. The title was still in the previous owner's name - 3 owners back. I made sure I filled out and sent in the Seller's Report of Sale on my truck - and about 3 weeks later I called the DMV to make sure it was received and the truck was no longer in my name.

That has become a standard practice for me.

__________________
1984 300 Coupe TurboDiesel
Silver blue paint over navy blue interior
2nd owner & 2nd engine in an otherwise
99% original unmolested car
~210k miles on the clock

1986 Ford F250 4x4 Supercab
Charcoal & blue two tone paint over burgundy interior
Banks turbo, DRW, ZF-5 & SMF conversion
152k on the clock - actual mileage unknown