Lien on car, can they report it stolen?

J

Jason Todd

New Member
Jurisdiction
Florida
Ok, so someone I used to work with loaned me $3,000 to buy a car. I paid it back months later as agreed while he was in China on business. I have bank transfer to him and texts. He was supposed to release the lien after he got back from china but we both forgot about it. Long story short, I left his company because they where commiting copyright infringement and suddenly he began attacking me. He recently threatened to report the car stolen. Now, I'm not conerned if I have to go to court. I have enough proof it was paid for. But what if he does report it stolen? The title has my name on it along with him as lien holder. If he does report it stolen, and police pull us over, what would happen? I can show them title with my name on it. would that prevent trouble?
 
Jason Todd said:
I can show them title with my name on it. would that prevent trouble?
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Yes.

And it could also give you grounds to sue him for defamation and would give the police grounds to arrest him for filing a false police report if he ever returns to the jurisdiction.

You've apparently got a problem with the lien still on the title. If you can't get him to give you a lien release, you will have to sue him for it.

Here's the Florida form:

http://www.flhsmv.gov/dmv/forms/BTR/82260.pdf
 
Ahhhh thanks. Yeah I meant to get him to sign it over but it was weeks later. I should have not paid him off until he got back. He's very dirty. I found out his business was illegal so I decided to jump ship. He then came at me thinking I was going to get his business shut down etc. I just wanted to leave. Not interested in what you do with your life. Well, the battle went down before I could get him to sign it. But I have text messages and bank transfer. I'm just worried if my wife is heading to the store etc and an officer pulls her over what will happen. But you're saying if he does report it stolen and yet it has my name on it, that he could be in trouble for filing a false report?
Thanks for the help.
 
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And people threaten to do things all the time. If he really does try to report it stolen, the police will ask him for proof of ownership and he won't be able to produce that. But don't carry the title in the car, just your current registration is proof enough.
 
Jason Todd said:
I'm just worried if my wife is heading to the store etc and an officer pulls her over what will happen.
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It's not a good idea to leave the title in an unattended vehicle so I suggest that you get one of those little holders that you can magnetize to the refrigerator so whoever is driving the car takes it along and then puts it back (assuming you alternate driving). But safer not to carry it but just rely on the registration. A police officer will be able to verify ownership on his computer.

You're right, you should have waited and paid him face to face and gotten the release signed at the same time.

If you can't get him to cooperate you will have to sue him to get good title.
 
Well, when we got the title they said "we now offer paperless titles if you're interested" and I said yes. So I have no paper title it's all digital at the DMV. I do have the physical registration of course. Can show digital title and of course officer can look it up as well.
 
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Jason Todd said:
what if he does report it stolen?
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Not sure what this question means.

Jason Todd said:
If he does report it stolen, and police pull us over, what would happen?
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Kinda hard to predict the future. Are you contemplating a scenario in which you are pulled over for some other reason or where you are pulled over specifically because of the stolen vehicle report?

Jason Todd said:
I can show them title with my name on it. would that prevent trouble?
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"Them" being the hypothetical cops who might hypothetically pull you over?

Jason Todd said:
But you're saying if he does report it stolen and yet it has my name on it, that he could be in trouble for filing a false report?
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Yes.
 
What if he does report it stolen?
Meaning what if he reports the car stolen.

If he does report it stolen, and police pull us over, what would happen?
Meaning if they spot the car and notice it's been reported stolen and pull me over. What would happen? I can show registration and title has my name on it.

Yes them being the hypothetical cops that pull us over for car reported stolen.
 
He wouldn't get anywhere reporting it stolen. If it is titled and registered in your name the police would see that immediately and tell him to settle his dispute in court. It's an empty threat.
You need to take action about the lien so he doesn't try a repossession though.
 
Jason Todd said:
What if he does report it stolen?
Meaning what if he reports the car stolen.
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That just restates the question. Are you asking us to write a story (or multiple stories) about what might, hypothetically happen?

Jason Todd said:
Meaning if they spot the car and notice it's been reported stolen and pull me over. What would happen? I can show registration and title has my name on it.

Yes them being the hypothetical cops that pull us over for car reported stolen.
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You're basically asking us to make up hypotheticals upon hypotheticals. Any number of things MIGHT happen under the circumstances described. As I think someone mentioned earlier in the thread, if your former employer reports the vehicle as stolen, the police aren't just going to take him at his word and issue an APB or BOLO. They're going to ask him if he's the registered owner and to prove that he is the registered owner. Either that or they'll research it independently through the DMV. Either way, they'll find out that he's not the registered owner, so chances are that things will go no further than that. If/when they find out that he's a lienholder, they'll likely tell him it's a civil issue and to stop wasting their time.
 
I meant it as is. This is a legal forum so it's obvious I mean what can happen legally.
What does the law say will or can happen at this point. As you said, someone already answered it. I'm just kindly replying to your comment.

Thanks everyone for the info.
 

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