Anyone else have trouble like this?

[etoop]

Well it was a beautiful day when I purchased my new Vibe in late August. I never had any second thoughts about my old 1995 Eagle Vision. That was until one day I get a call from my wife. She had just received a phone call from her ex-husbands new wife. Apparently a police officer was looking for me and got a hold of her. (he said it was by putting my name in the database and credit records). I promptly called the Sergeant back and started to explain to him that I traded my car in August and that the dealership sold my car to a wholesaler, who in turn put the car up for auction.He then explains to me that my car was seized in a major drug bust the night before and my name was still the one on the title. Below is the article about the bust. I got home that night and found a message from my neighbor across the street that I have talked to like 4 times in the past 3 years. The officer had also contacted her.... don't ask how.. I don't have a clue.Then last Saturday I received a Certified letter in the mail. I opened it up to find a letter addressed to me, letting me know that my car and $2,640 was being Seized and that an Intent to Forfeit my property was taking place.BUT IT ISN'T MY CAR!!! By law I don't provide a transfer to a dealership to the state.... not until the car is sold to an individual. So somewhere or another someone dropped the ball. So know I have been making phone call after phone call to the state, to the District Attorney's office, and to the Police officer trying to figure out how I get my name off of this thing so that I don't have this on my police record!!!! GrrrrrrCOTTAGE GROVE: Traffic stop yields methBY AMY BECKERPioneer PressA speeding stop yielded much more for Cottage Grove police, who seized about $18,000 worth of methamphetamine in a Tupperware container.An officer spotted a man driving 78 mph in the southbound lane of U.S. 61 near 70th Street in Cottage Grove about 2:12 a.m. on Oct. 22. The officer pursued him, according to a criminal complaint filed in Washington County District Court.The driver pulled off the highway and into a gas station. When the officer approached, he smelled alcohol. The driver, Juan Luis Vargas, 28, failed field sobriety tests. A breath test showed his blood alcohol level was .162, well over the legal limit. Vargas, from South St. Paul, was arrested.Cottage Grove police patted Vargas down and found $2,640 and live ammunition in his pocket, the complaint said. They suspected he had drugs in his vehicle and impounded it in connection with the drunken driving arrest.Officers found a sealed Tupperware container in the car that contained more than a quarter-pound of methamphetamine, the complaint said. The 168-gram stash is "(more) than we normally see," said Washington County sheriff's Cmdr. Don McGlothlin.Vargas has been charged with first-degree drug possession and fourth-degree driving while impaired. His next court appearance is set for 1 p.m. Nov. 13. He posted bail of $1,000 and left the county jail. Attempts to reach him for comment Monday failed.

[Craigmri]

Eric,You used your Vibe to buy Crystal meth? How could you?JUST KIDDING!!Word to the wise......When you sell or trade a car inform your local motor vehicle. Lets say I sell a car to a guy and he never registers it. 20 years later the car is used in a hit and run. If I never let DMV know they would come after me.

[joatmon]

It may vary from state to state, but in Maryland, when you sell a car you are required to turn the license plates in to the DMV (in maryland it is the MVA) This tells them that you no longer have the car. The only exception is when you trade your car in for a new one, if it's the same class of vehicle you can transfer the tags to the new vehicle.Maybe the paperwork just hasn't made it though the system yet, or maybe someone dropped the ball. You probably have some paperwork that shows that you traded the car in on your vibe, if you don't then the dealership will.I don't think that it will be on your police record, unless you have an alias of Juan Luis Vargas. Once you can document the sale of the car to the cops you should be free and clear. Call Don McGlothin and tell him to reign in the hounds.I still can't figure out the notification chain though. The cops called your wife's ex-husband's new wife. How in the world did they pick her as the person to call?

[Jahntassa]

In Jersey, when I traded in my probe. I had to give the dealership the title. Also, I had my registration and plates transferred to my Vibe by the dealership...

[msmyer]

quote:Anyone else have trouble like this?No....WOW!

[pmh013]

Wow, that's insane. A section of our registration has a "transfer of title" on it. That way you "own" (or don't own, whatever the case may be) the car even though you don't have it officially registered with DMV. I would think that the paperwork you have proving that you traded the car in would be sufficient for proving your innocence. Start threatening malicious prosecution to this over-zealour cop. Keep us posted!

[drunkenmaxx]

aint no hope with dope!

[vibenorth]

Call a lawyer immediately. These things can get messy!!!

[etoop]

I talked to the officer in charge this morning. My main concern was that in a year I might be pulled over and they see this DRUG thing on my record and would instantly cuff me and want to search my car. He assured me that it would not be on my record. He did also mention that my car ended up going through like 8 different hands (dealerships).I'll still be worried until the County attorney calls me back and reassures me

[threekrows]

WOW,just reading that made me sweat bullets!My Dad is a cop and I always hated how they can talk to you in that tone that makes you feel guilty even if you didn't do anything!It's more like guilty until proven innocent sometimes

[vibeseller]

thank god i live in a province where the title is transfered to the dealership right when the car is traded in. It is then the dealerships responsibility to transfer the ownership to whoever we sell it to, whether its an individual or a wholesaler who will then transfer it again to whoever they sell it to and so on.

[etoop]

Oh I signed and technically transferred it to the dealer. But the dealer isn't required by the state to report the transfer and sale of the vehicle until it goes to an individual.I've been told by both the police officer and the DA in the case that I have nothing to worry about. I've just been notified and wrapped up in all of this because the state "technically" says I'm still the owner. Even though the police can prove that 8 others (dealers) owned the car after me. Stupid system!The DA told me that she takes the plates off of any car she sells now... That way it forces the new owner to get the title transfered right away!