How do I get a new title if my car was stolen with a fraudulent duplicate title?

[Mbzgurl]

Jurisdiction

Arizona

I bought a Mercedes from a private party on Craig's List. I could not register it in my name because there was a hold on the title. The car was inadvertently impounded a year later. I contacted the seller and he got a duplicate title by concealing facts. He stole the car and refuses to give it back. The police won't arrest the guy since the title is in his name they said it's a civil matter. The thief moved out of the state and the police closed the case. Can I take this case to court to get an order to have a new title issued in my name? Then the police can list the car on the national stolen car data base.

 

[Zigner]

How do you expect to get a title to a car that is not (and never was) titled in your name?

 

[army judge]

You have been scammed.

Never give a private seller PAYMENT for a vehicle UNTIL the title has been properly recorded in your name by the state's DMV/DOT.

The scammer has your dough and his car, and it is extremely unlikely that you'll ever see the vehicle, the scammer, or your dough again.

 

[zddoodah]

Can I take this case to court to get an order to have a new title issued in my name?

You certainly can sue (and probably should have done so within a month or so after you learned you would be unable to get title in your name). Whether you have any appreciable chance of prevailing isn't apparent from your post. Confer with a local attorney.

 

[adjusterjack]

I could not register it in my name because there was a hold on the title.

Why, exactly, was there a "hold" on the title?

What kind of hold?

 

[flyingron]

Never fork over the cash without an executed title.