CLK320skr

I'm looking at a great price on a CLK430, but it's from an auction out of state (someone here in CA purchased it), it's a lien sale (has paperwork from it), but they only have a photocopy of the title.

Is this going to be a nightmare to sort out with the DMV?

Paulers

Sometimes Lein Sale cars are not too bad to register. I would go to a registration service and pay a few bucks to do it without the DMV headache. If you did not get a smog you could try to register it non-op first so the title doesnt get held up while you smog it.

CLK320skr

So you think I could still get it transferred with only the photocopied title?

Paulers

The lien sale cars I have bought have not even had a photocopy of the title. However they were in state cars that I bought from towing yards at auction. Out of the 5-6 lien sales cars that I bought only one car ended up being any good. I have not messed with a lien sale car in over 10 years.

You should call a registration service and get advice from them. Or tell the seller you will buy it when he produces a clean title. He could put it in his name then sell it to you.

DeutscheFahrer

You indicate you live in California, the "home" of a great number of MBs. With all that to choose from, why would you want to add-on the difficulty of a car with no actual title, with no known CA emission record, probably no service records, etc., etc. etc. You do get what you pay for--that is undoubtedly why it has a "great" price. Run--don't walk--away from this one...

Best Wishes--Carl

CLK320skr

Run is exactly what I should have done. Car was stolen, just towed away now.

I'm ****ED. Out of money, out of a job, just might end up having to move back to Canada now.

Hard, and equally stupid, lesson learned.

Paulers

Wow - so you bought it? Did you use a registration service? Had you already bought the car when you started this post?

Live and learn - when something like this happens you have to work harder to overcome it. I hope it all works out.

CLK320skr

No, I hadn't purchased it yet when I started this thread.

I went into a registration service today, she said they'd have to verify the documents with the DMV, so I just said I'd do it myself.

Woman at the DMV looked at the papers, gave me a number. Waited a long time, finally got up there and she says oh you're missing papers, you're gonna have to contact the company with lien.

So I did, and they'd never heard of the car.

Went to the police station and filed a report. They interviewed me, I guess to make sure I wasn't knowingly in possession of a stolen vehicle. They called the owner who reported it stolen, and it was towed to the station.

It was a local car, Burbank.. she recently purchased it, wasn't even plated yet. Somehow the 'thief' had a key for the car?

There's more to this than I can figure out, it's definitely a con, but I have my doubts the cops are going to do much.. cars are stolen every day, it's not a big deal to them. I'll likely never see my money again though, and at this point I'm royally ****ed, no money, no job.

carlosinseattle

Never seen a more obvious scam in my life. Even the pictures of the instrument cluster are different.