Not sure on a title

[shadowgray396]

A while back I posted a post about a car trailer I have had in at my house by an old friend who did not have a place to store it and it work out for me to be able to use it once in awhile. I haven't heard from this guy since it has been at my house.
http://chevelleforum.org/showthread....hlight=trailer


The trailer has been here for over 8 years and this summer I ended up putting new tires, rims and brakes and bearings on it. Guess what the guy called me today to come get it. I wanted to tell him its mine for storing it all this time plus the money I just put into less then 2 months ago. He wants it to haul a car down south. Had I not fix it it would have never made it. I probably have used it may be 3 times a year to haul a few long items and this summer to haul some roofing. The repairs have less then 200 miles on it. I knew I was taking a chance on the repairs. Guess I will see how this turns out later today.

Ray

[Ms Grumpy]

I am sorry, but my first thought was that he abandoned it. 8 years...that is a very, very long time. If you left a car to sit outside in the weather for 8 years what are the odds that it would be in good enough shape to drive it ? Besides, it would take you hours to cut all the weeds out of it if it has been sitting in a field.

I hope that he compensates you for what you have put into it. Good Luck.

[shadowgray396]

Well trailer is gone, not even a thank you or an offer to help pay for some of the work I did on it. Just pick it up and left. So it looks like I'm out about $600 that I could have used on my car.

[Rharp]

Sorry to hear this Ray.
Sounds like this guy is kind of a jerk.
You sound like an awfull nice guy. I would have screwed up all the stuff I fixed and let him have to spend the money to fix it again.
Wouldn't have gotten me my 600 bucks back but I would have felt better.

[BillsCamino]

You're saying that you haven't heard nada, zip, zero from this guy in EIGHT years???
And all this time you maintained and used this trailer on occasion?

Who renewed the registration on this trailer during those 8 years? If you did...how did you do this without it being in your name??
If he did, he continued ownership in the eyes of the state.

Trailer tags are due for renewal in GA every year on the owner's b-day. A pre-printed reg form is mailed to the owner of record and has to either be mailed back in or personally taken to the Tag Office.
The person doing the renewal has to show ID to process the renewal.

[shadowgray396]

Originally Posted by BillsCamino

You're saying that you haven't heard nada, zip, zero from this guy in EIGHT years???
And all this time you maintained and used this trailer on occasion?

Who renewed the registration on this trailer during those 8 years? If you did...how did you do this without it being in your name??
If he did, he continued ownership in the eyes of the state.

Trailer tags are due for renewal in GA every year on the owner's b-day. A pre-printed reg form is mailed to the owner of record and has to either be mailed back in or personally taken to the Tag Office.
The person doing the renewal has to show ID to process the renewal.

Not a word from this guy in all this time, didn't even know where he was and people who also knew him didn't have a contact for him. Oregon doesn't require a registration or a title for a car trailer unless you are hauling over 8000lbs.

I'm thinking of calling him and taking over some used tires and rims, because I want my 79 Bronco rims and tires back. I still have two of the original wheels and tires so I will need to pick up a couple of cheap rims and tires. That what it had on it when I got it.

[Ms Grumpy]

Oh..I would definately be on the phone to him getting those tires back. Did you tell him everything that you have done to the trailer ? If so, and he still didn't say Thank You. Then I would be so ticked off right now. If he ends up being a jerk about it, I would think small claims court. 600 bucks is 600 bucks + storage fees for 8 years.

[Rank]

Explain to me again why you put 600 bux into something that wasnt yours? .... where was the follow-through? I mean the guy comes for the trailer and you dont even lay claim on it ... dont shoot the messenger but, dang, you had a chance to control the outcome of who actually owns the trailer and you let it slide ... I think its to late now to do anything but write off your losses.


... lesson learned.

[shadowgray396]

Rank "Explain to me again why you put 600 bux into something that wasnt yours? .... where was the follow-through? I mean the guy comes for the trailer and you dont even lay claim on it ... dont shoot the messenger but, dang, you had a chance to control the outcome of who actually owns the trailer and you let it slide ... I think its to late now to do anything but write off your losses."


Good question, but since I do use it to haul thing and needed it alot this summer to haul items down to the beach house I ended up doing some repairs on it to keep it usable. I did tell him I felt it was my trailer since he left it all this time, he did care and said it was his and left. If it had a title I would have gone after a title for it along time ago. You may be right lesson learned. I'm starting my search for a 20' car trailer tomorrow.

[Ms Grumpy]

I know that this does no good after the fact, but, in Oregon the legal owner has up to 3 years to claim any "abandoned/unclaimed" property.

Property is generally deemed to have been abandoned if it is found in a place where the true owner likely intended to leave it, but is in such a condition that it is apparent that he or she has no intention of returning to claim it. Abandoned property generally becomes the property of whoever should find it and take possession of it first, although some states have enacted statutes under which certain kinds of abandoned property – usually cars, wrecked ships and wrecked aircraft – escheat, meaning that they become the property of the state