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Is buying/ Selling a Vehicle Without a title illegal?

I recently Purchased a 2010 Toyota Camry, I bought the vehicle with a bill of sale and the owner told me he will pay off the car and send me the title within 2 weeks, I called him a week later and asked him how it was going and how soon i would have the title, He cusses me out, tells me he cant get the title and says do what you want with the car, So next Day i list the car On a local Classifieds site online mentioning the car had no title and i dont know how to get it, Cops show up at my door a couple days later take the car and tell me i cant sell a car with no title, Turns out the guy a bought the car from rented from hertz rental and sold it to me, The police are trying to charge me with Fraud Invalid vehicle title, possession of stolen property and fraud selling vehicle with no title, what should i do?, Should i come to my court date alone and explain what happened or get myself a lawyer, I lost money, And the guy who sold me the stolen car gets away scotch free, i have his id number and his name, and cops don't care, Please don't insult me for making a dumb decision, Can i go to jail over something so stupid and not straightforward? Thanks. Please please help me..

Public Comments

1. You need an attorney ASAP. Stop messing around. Look in the phone book or search the web for a local attorney that deals with stuff like this (contract law, vehicles, consumer law, etc).
2. If you don't have a copy of the "Bill of Sale" or proof that you actually paid the man money (canceled check, wire transfer, withdrawal of cash from your bank account, etc.), then yes can go to jail. I'm not sure how you allowed it to escalate to the point the police are involved. Between Hertz and the phone number you have for this man, you don't need Monk to track this guy down. stop wasting time on Yahoo and get the police investigating! right now, you are looking at jail time.
3. First, get off the internet and get in touch with a lawyer, the face-to-face kind. If you're being charged with a crime and the police have ignored anything you've told them, TELL THEM NOTHING MORE. If you can't afford a lawyer, use the rights afforded you under Miranda v. Arizona and speak to a public defender. Regardless of whatever they may be telling you, there's no such law against selling a vehicle without having the physical title. Millions do it ever year. Every vehicle that's sold or traded-in before the loan is fully paid is done that way. What the police are after you for is attempting to sell something that wasn't yours to sell in the first place, whether they ultimately charge you with attempted fraud, handling (dealing in stolen property), possession of stolen property, or auto theft. These are FELONIES and the consequences are life-changing, even if you don't set foot in a jail. Apart from contacting the best attorney you can find as quickly as possible and gathering as much documentation as you can regarding your "purchase" of the vehicle from the person who provided you with the vehicle and took your money (including any receipts, cancelled checks, copies of any advertisements/classified ads, phone records, names, dates, places, and anything else you can possibly relate to how you believe you legitimately obtained the vehicle), there's nothing useful to be had from pursuing further advice here, as nobody but a licensed attorney in your state is qualified to offer you any advice on the matter. Best of luck. I hope this helps.