Topic: I was scammed! False Title!

[luvhonda750]

The 750 I bought back in April had a VIN listed on the title for an XR75. I bought the bike for 200 bucks and it was a non running rust bucket, I spent $600 on parts plus countless hours cleaning up chrome and getting it running. Its an okay runner, but not perfect. I think what happend was, back in 1980 a scam artist, switched titles and sold a bike he owed money on to a guy I know in Milwaukie OR, I don't know this for sure and won't know unitll I take the bike to the DMV and let them inspect the bike. When I called the DMV today, they didn't tell me I could send a certified letter to the owner on record to pursue title. They just said bring it in, so thats why I know something is wrong. I'm guessing at this point that a finance company owns this bike, I'm beinging to wonder if they will have an interest in this bike since they more then likely wrote it off nearly 30 years ago. I feel the bike is righfully mine

[medic09]

Truly a bummer!  I hope this gets resolved with a minimum of additional pain for ya...

[Bob Wessner]

Truly a bummer!  I hope this gets resolved with a minimum of additional pain for ya...

I agree, keep us posted.

[csendker]

If your DMV is anything like ours here in NYS, I'd be looking for a properly titled frame right now.  That was just a scammed frame, right?     It didn't actually include the motor or anything else, right?     Haul in the frame and drop it on the counter; then if they really want it, they can keep it.  Truly a bummer.

[antiq]

If your DMV is anything like ours here in NYS, I'd be looking for a properly titled frame right now.  That was just a scammed frame, right?     It didn't actually include the motor or anything else, right?     Haul in the frame and drop it on the counter; then if they really want it, they can keep it.  Truly a bummer.

Agreed! Most govt. agency's tend to be adjusted to our max. displeasure.

[paulages]

if you have a bill of sale, you're entitled to any information they have on the legal owner. i've titled many bikes with lost titles here in oregon (including my rider), and though it's a pain in the ass it's doable. i'd go in without the bike and show them the bill of sale. if there's a lien or something else wrong with the situation, they'll tell you.

if your bill of sale is for the other VIN number, you can just get a proper one for your frame and go from there. a "proper one" is any bill of sale saying that someone sold you the bike (i'll "sell" it to you if you want). the reason they're wanting to see the VIN is because you have nothing saying the actual bike is really yours.

[mkramer1121]

If its not stolen, then you can go through International Title Service.  $85 and 10 days later, I had enough information to get a legal title from my state of Illinois. 

[m00ntan]

You should attach a bench warrant to the person who sold it to you.  Public servants love this stuff.  Passing bad titles is classic fraud and any misery to you needs to be remedied by the criminal.

[m00ntan]

If there is a discrepency between the make and model to the VIN, be sure to get the DMV's explaination of why they certified the discrepency.  Then you start writing letters to secreatary of the DMV.  Be a pain and don't except an admission from anyone less than the department deputy secretary or his legal council.  Doesn't help your situation, but it establishes your reliance on an authority.

Then you file a claim for damages with the state's attorney.  Embarass the heck out of them until they beg you to stop.

That's what I would do.

[tbone]

If it was ever reported stolen then it will revert back to the original owner regardless of how many times it's been sold. If that's the case then I'd pick it clean of everything I put on it and hand over the frame to the DMV.

[m00ntan]

There is bailiff responsibilty, that you have to take resonable care of it.   But then, if nobody has seen it, all you bought was the frame decal.  Have the owner send a truck to pick it up.

[luvhonda750]

Thanks all for your advise, I was seriously considering buying another junker for 150 bucks with title and transfering all my parts.

It turns out to have a happy ending, the DMV made a mistake and just issued me a title with the wrong VIN #. I was able to prove this by saving my old paperwork and having the old plate that was registered to the owner I bought it from. It sure pays to save paperwork   This just created a bike headache for me

[antiq]

  So glad it all worked out well for you especially after all that work, time and money you invested. Ride her with pride and care for her like the grand old lady she is. I'm still missing my old 750 honda.

[fuzzybutt]

same thing happened to me with the geniuses in our dmv. i registered my 750k when i got it 2 1/2 years ago. never looked at what the reg said or the title when i got it. i never found out till i went to change insurance companies and they notified me that the vin i gave them (read off of the frame) was not what was on the registration. according to the registration i had a 70 750k. the best part is the title i got and the registration had 2 different numbers as well.

[paulages]

hey luvhonda-- did you see my post about the end of summer ride this saturday?