Hello all. I was unsure of which category fit best but it seems like a contract issue at the core.
I purchased a car from a lot in Priest River, ID in 2008. The company, "Automotive Specialists Auto Sales LLC", owned by one, Michael C. Jordan, sold me the car. My mom made a sizable down payment, leaving less than a year of payments to take care of. Payments were made, records were kept. My mom made the payments, I never made a payment but the car is in my name, my mom's name isn't anywhere on the contract.
The car was titled/registered and licensed in Washington even though it was purchased in Idaho because I lived and worked in Washington (Spokane County).
Currently, I'm living in Oregon (Portland) and trying to title my car (as a good citizen should). I have an Oregon license. To get my Oregon plates, I need an Oregon title transfer. I don't have my Washington title.
I called the Washington DOL Spokane County Auditor's office about having my Affidavit of Title Loss notarized. My plates were looked up by the system and it was showing I have a lien holder on my title so in order to release the title to me, I either need to locate the lien holder or go to court to prove I have paid for the car.
I have tried locating the lien holder. His dealer # was 1814 in 2008. I have tried Googling and called a few different numbers that were disconnected. I have an address for him but I'm guessing if the number is disconnected, the address is probably not him anymore either. He is not listed as a current dealer (#1814, Michael Jordan, Automotive Specialties Auto Sales LLC) through the state of Idaho's DOL. (itd.idaho.gov/dmv/vehicleservices/documents/ValidDealerListing.pdf) The only documentation I retained from the sale is the Vehicle Certificate of Ownership Application. I had no trouble licensing the car in Spokane.
When I relayed all this information to the DOL County Auditor's office (Spokane County), she told me, to go to court I need to get a lawyer and get a court order. The DOL has to respond to court orders & when I can prove there is no lien holder, the lien holder will be removed. Furthermore, she couldn't offer me "legal advice" on how to approach this problem.
Here are my questions:
If I send a certified letter to the address I have and it's returned to me, what other options do I have for locating this person?
If I cannot locate this person, how do I go about getting before a judge to prove the car is paid for (which it is, we have checks and documentation from my bank)?
Do I have to have a lawyer to schedule an appointment to go before a judge to have my case heard?
Since I'm living in Oregon, do I have to physically go before a judge to submit my documentation?
How do I get my car titled in Oregon while the title shows a lien holder who is no longer in business? The DOL told me, specifically that Automotive Specialists LLC is the lien holder.
Thanks in advance.
I purchased a car from a lot in Priest River, ID in 2008. The company, "Automotive Specialists Auto Sales LLC", owned by one, Michael C. Jordan, sold me the car. My mom made a sizable down payment, leaving less than a year of payments to take care of. Payments were made, records were kept. My mom made the payments, I never made a payment but the car is in my name, my mom's name isn't anywhere on the contract.
The car was titled/registered and licensed in Washington even though it was purchased in Idaho because I lived and worked in Washington (Spokane County).
Currently, I'm living in Oregon (Portland) and trying to title my car (as a good citizen should). I have an Oregon license. To get my Oregon plates, I need an Oregon title transfer. I don't have my Washington title.
I called the Washington DOL Spokane County Auditor's office about having my Affidavit of Title Loss notarized. My plates were looked up by the system and it was showing I have a lien holder on my title so in order to release the title to me, I either need to locate the lien holder or go to court to prove I have paid for the car.
I have tried locating the lien holder. His dealer # was 1814 in 2008. I have tried Googling and called a few different numbers that were disconnected. I have an address for him but I'm guessing if the number is disconnected, the address is probably not him anymore either. He is not listed as a current dealer (#1814, Michael Jordan, Automotive Specialties Auto Sales LLC) through the state of Idaho's DOL. (itd.idaho.gov/dmv/vehicleservices/documents/ValidDealerListing.pdf) The only documentation I retained from the sale is the Vehicle Certificate of Ownership Application. I had no trouble licensing the car in Spokane.
When I relayed all this information to the DOL County Auditor's office (Spokane County), she told me, to go to court I need to get a lawyer and get a court order. The DOL has to respond to court orders & when I can prove there is no lien holder, the lien holder will be removed. Furthermore, she couldn't offer me "legal advice" on how to approach this problem.
Here are my questions:
If I send a certified letter to the address I have and it's returned to me, what other options do I have for locating this person?
If I cannot locate this person, how do I go about getting before a judge to prove the car is paid for (which it is, we have checks and documentation from my bank)?
Do I have to have a lawyer to schedule an appointment to go before a judge to have my case heard?
Since I'm living in Oregon, do I have to physically go before a judge to submit my documentation?
How do I get my car titled in Oregon while the title shows a lien holder who is no longer in business? The DOL told me, specifically that Automotive Specialists LLC is the lien holder.
Thanks in advance.
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