What do you do if you bought a car and you find out later that it was reported stolen?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What do you do if you bought a car and you find out later that it was reported stolen?
Asked on October 3, 2012 under Criminal Law, South Carolina
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
As long as you had no knowledge that the car was stolen, you are in no criminal jepoardy. However, you will lose the car. At this point your only recourse will be to try and get a full refund from the seller. If you bought it at a dealership, you should be able to get your money returned. If you are unsuccessful, you can sue them in small claims court and/or report them to your state's department of consumer protection. This assumes of course that they also didn't know of the stolen status of the vehicle (for example they bought it at auction). However, if they intentonally sold you a stolen car, then chances are the police will shut down the business. In such a case, suing in court may get you a judgment but collecting on it may well be problematic. The same holds true if you bought it from a private seller.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.