Cheated out - please help

I bought a 1995 Honda Accord from my neighbor in March 2003. I did not
run any carfax or anything because I trusted the guy as he told me
that nothing was wrong with the car. Also, he was driving it daily and
we had a good friendly relation.
I got this car for $3500, the Blue Book value on this car was around
$4100, so I thought I was getting a good deal (and the neighbor also
showed it that way). I was really impressed with this gesture of his.
Now that I want to sell the car, I ran a carfax on it and was shocked
to find out that this car actually had a salvage title on it.
I really do not know what to do now. According to the carfax report,
the seller was the original owner of the car and had had an accident
in 1997 that rendered the car with "extensive damages" and a Salvage
title in the state of GA was issued thereafter.

Can anyone please help me with some advice as to what is the best
course of action to be taken here? Was the seller legally supposed to
tell me that this car had a Salvage title? Or was this my
responsibility. I plan to call up the seller but before I do that, I
want to get my ducks in a row here. I am willing to fight it out in
the courts too if I need to.

Thanks!

 

so what title did *you* receive? the original? apparently, the collision
repair work was done so well you never noticed it.

its usually printed on the title he hands to you when you buy. if he
gave you the "old" title, thats... pretty fraudulent.

how much were you going to sell the car for?
how much would it sell for with a "salvage" title?

see if the "friend" would like to buy it back, minus a mileage deduction
for the time youve been using it. let HIM sell it to someone else.

another option would be to use it as a trade in?

if it looks and runs well, just sell it as is and disclose the salvage
aspect of it. its 10 years old anyway, you paid $3500, and drove it for
a year and a half. sell it for $1900. if the cars nice, itll sell itself.

 

so what title did *you* receive? the original? apparently, the collision
repair work was done so well you never noticed it.

its usually printed on the title he hands to you when you buy. if he
gave you the "old" title, thats... pretty fraudulent.

how much were you going to sell the car for?
how much would it sell for with a "salvage" title?

see if the "friend" would like to buy it back, minus a mileage deduction
for the time youve been using it. let HIM sell it to someone else.

another option would be to use it as a trade in?

if it looks and runs well, just sell it as is and disclose the salvage
aspect of it. its 10 years old anyway, you paid $3500, and drove it for
a year and a half. sell it for $1900. if the cars nice, itll sell itself.

 

Small claims court. If you can somehow prove fraud or
misrepresentation, even after some time has gone by, you might win. I
did it and won.

 

Small claims court. If you can somehow prove fraud or
misrepresentation, even after some time has gone by, you might win. I
did it and won.

 

Does your neighbor have something you can borrow and then not give back?

Just kidding, of course. Pretty crappy thing for him to do. Pretty bad
when you can't trust your neighbors.

 

Does your neighbor have something you can borrow and then not give back?

Just kidding, of course. Pretty crappy thing for him to do. Pretty bad
when you can't trust your neighbors.

 

Might want to contact the your state Motor Vehicle Administration about
title validity. Let them do a title research for you. After all, it is
their responsibility.

 

Might want to contact the your state Motor Vehicle Administration about
title validity. Let them do a title research for you. After all, it is
their responsibility.

 

This all sounds pretty odd to me. A *two* year old Accord was in an
accident. Damages were so extensive that it was declared a total loss!
Must have been pretty bad. Yet for some reason the owner felt he could get
it fixed on his own and lobbied the insurace company to give it to him as a
"slavage". He has it repaired and gets 6 more good years out of it. You
buy the car from him and it must look and drive good enough to fool you into
thinking there were no major problems, so apparently the original owner did
a good job having it fixed after the accident. Hmm.....

Georgia has an unusual definiftion of salvage which may or may not offer
an explanation for what happened: " A vehicle which has been broken,
disrupted or damaged to such an extent that it will not pass a Georgia State
motor vehicle safety inspection and is sold, or in any manner disposed of,
while in that condition. A vehicle to which any person, including an
insurance company, has taken title in the settlement of a claim for damages
to such vehicle by fire, collision, or other causes is wreckage or salvage
regardless of the actual condition of the vehicle. The term "insurance
company" is defined in such a manner as to include self insurers."

I would have a title search done just make sure yours is authentic. If
it's not and GA wont let you sell a 14 year old car without a valid title
(some states will) then you might have a solid small claims court case. If
the title is valid and the car has performed well for you, and a mechanic
will certify it's current condition as sellable at a value you agree with,
any claim against the original owner for his deception might not be worth
the trouble at this point, even if it could be proved.

Bob

 

This all sounds pretty odd to me. A *two* year old Accord was in an
accident. Damages were so extensive that it was declared a total loss!
Must have been pretty bad. Yet for some reason the owner felt he could get
it fixed on his own and lobbied the insurace company to give it to him as a
"slavage". He has it repaired and gets 6 more good years out of it. You
buy the car from him and it must look and drive good enough to fool you into
thinking there were no major problems, so apparently the original owner did
a good job having it fixed after the accident. Hmm.....

Georgia has an unusual definiftion of salvage which may or may not offer
an explanation for what happened: " A vehicle which has been broken,
disrupted or damaged to such an extent that it will not pass a Georgia State
motor vehicle safety inspection and is sold, or in any manner disposed of,
while in that condition. A vehicle to which any person, including an
insurance company, has taken title in the settlement of a claim for damages
to such vehicle by fire, collision, or other causes is wreckage or salvage
regardless of the actual condition of the vehicle. The term "insurance
company" is defined in such a manner as to include self insurers."

I would have a title search done just make sure yours is authentic. If
it's not and GA wont let you sell a 14 year old car without a valid title
(some states will) then you might have a solid small claims court case. If
the title is valid and the car has performed well for you, and a mechanic
will certify it's current condition as sellable at a value you agree with,
any claim against the original owner for his deception might not be worth
the trouble at this point, even if it could be proved.

Bob

 

----YOU ARE RIGHT, I NEVER NOTICED ANYTHING ON THE TITLE, JUST SIGNED
THE BACK OF IT AND SENT IT TO THE DMV. THE CAR LOOKED JUST FINE, SO
COULD NEVER DOUBT ANYTHING

I WANTED TO SELL AT OR AROUND KBB ~ $3000. NOW IT WOULD GO FOR HALF
THAT PRICE

 

----YOU ARE RIGHT, I NEVER NOTICED ANYTHING ON THE TITLE, JUST SIGNED
THE BACK OF IT AND SENT IT TO THE DMV. THE CAR LOOKED JUST FINE, SO
COULD NEVER DOUBT ANYTHING

I WANTED TO SELL AT OR AROUND KBB ~ $3000. NOW IT WOULD GO FOR HALF
THAT PRICE

 

---- I DO PLAN TO GO TO THE DMV MONDAY AND RESEARCH IF HE GAVE ME A
SALVAGE TITLE. THANKS ALL FOR YOUR PRECIOUS INPUTS

 

---- I DO PLAN TO GO TO THE DMV MONDAY AND RESEARCH IF HE GAVE ME A
SALVAGE TITLE. THANKS ALL FOR YOUR PRECIOUS INPUTS

 

Your Caps Lock is on.

 

Your Caps Lock is on.

 

When I lived in Mississippi, there were used car lots that specialized in
salvage vehicles. These were often cars that had been caught in floods,
maybe on a new car dealer's lot before even being sold for the first time.

If the interior was replaced, there was no obvious sign of a problem, other
than the salvage title.

Maybe it was flooded while the previous owner had it, but he never
considered it to be totalled.

Or, maybe carfax is wrong ;-)

The current owner should have the new title, salvage or not.

 

When I lived in Mississippi, there were used car lots that specialized in
salvage vehicles. These were often cars that had been caught in floods,
maybe on a new car dealer's lot before even being sold for the first time.

If the interior was replaced, there was no obvious sign of a problem, other
than the salvage title.

Maybe it was flooded while the previous owner had it, but he never
considered it to be totalled.

Or, maybe carfax is wrong ;-)

The current owner should have the new title, salvage or not.

 

Your Caps Lock is STILL on.

If you are comming here for help, don't yell at us
We didn't sell you the car

I hope things work out for you

aal