Improper dealer practices

[asil00]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? North Carolina

Not sure if this is the right place for this, I apologize if it isn't. I purchased a vehicle in Oct 2011. I trusted that the dealer would follow thru on their responsibilites and file the proper paperwork in a timely manner. Go to renew my tag today and find out the vehicle is not registered to me. Title work was never filed with the state. It is registered to some rental car company south of where I live and according to the DMV there was a tag transferred by them on this vehicle in Feb 2012. Impossible because I had the vehicle. Have a call in to the rental place and waiting to hear back from them. Contacted my finance company as I am making payments every month and they are researching the issue. Would they not have received a title in their name until the vehicle was paid off? Aside from the frustration of my morning the legal ramifications on this are tremendous I know. Essentially we have driven a vehicle illeagaly for a year now. The tag is still registered to the vehicle we traded in so I assume that the title work was never filed on that also and we are still the legal owners of that vehicle. Once again, if any issues came up, accident, theft, etc for that vehicle we can be held liable. What is my next course of action? The dealer has filed bankruptcy and out of business. I just want to have my vehicle registered in my name and keep making my payments.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

I suggest attempting to contact the rental company and obtain title from them or working through your loan company to obtain title.

 

[ecmst12]

You have some responsibility here too, how did you not question never getting your registration papers in the mail?

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

You may need to investigate the court orders relative to the bankruptcy and obtain documentation from the court to allow you to gain title.

 

[jiggy78]

Assuming you get this resolved, you have no damages and have not won the lawsuit lottery. The best you're going to get is a half-baked appology from the dealer. You share a lot of the blame considering you never bothered to investigate why you were driving without proper registration. If you had been pulled over, that would have been 100% your fault.

 

[asil00]

I appreciate the responses. Let me say, I am not, I repeat NOT, looking for a lawsuit here. Just the legal avenues to explore to rectify the situation. It is my husbands vehicle and to be honest, I never thought twice about the registration once we drove off the lot. I have contacted the previous owner and they are in the process of obtaining the title to reassign it.

Aside from my neglect in not following up after purchase, wouldn't the finance company question the lack of proper documentation from the dealer?

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

When you receive the title, you are required by your contract to approach the lender so they perfect their lien on the vehicle. They have been pooched as much as you.