I purchased a car from an individual and was given a bill of sale with the owner promising the title in 5 days. Turns out the title had been...

Question

I purchased a car from an individual and was given a bill of sale with the owner promising the title in 5 days. Turns out the title had been pawned and the owner did not pay off the debt. What are my options?

Answer

It appears you got ripped ogff by a criminal.

In real individual to indivodual sales, you never buy a car without receiving the title when you pay, so he gave you a very good clue that you were scammed.

File a police report and see if they will prosecute. They may take the position that your remedy is civil, and you can try suing in small claims court. Remember that success in suing a criminal is rare.

In the future remember that you never buy a car where the title is unavailable, and you always run a Carfax and also get an independent mechanic to check the car.