tinkerin-w-stuf

I received a voice message yesterday from the sheriff in Wisconsin calling me in regards to the car my truck hit in Shell Lake and I left my old number on her window. Said it took him a while to track me down (called me on my cell phone) but anyway, he needed to talk to me to get my insurance information so this lady could get her car fixed.

I called him back, leaving a message that said, "if you thought it was hard to track me down, then this is about to get a whole lot more interesting because I moved to Colorado back in September and my truck hasn't hit any car in Shell Lake.

We finally connected up on the phone last night and it appears that maybe the guy who bought my old truck used my number. I traded my '04 in for my '06 to a local dealer. Like two weeks after the trade in, I got a call from a guy looking to buy my truck from the dealer and wanted a reference on the truck.

He's the only person I can think of as a witness said the truck matches the description of my '04 Dodge. At least the sheriff is being pretty cool about it, all I have to do is mail him a letter saying I moved and when I traded in my truck.

madhat

That sucks... At least you have a good excuse...

Fronty Owner

what?

you traded in a truck and the dealer gave the next buyer YOUR number?

RickG

By law a dealer has to let the buyer know who the previous owner was . I've bought several vehicles and found papers with the previous owner's name and address on them .

Fronty Owner

knowing who owned a vehicle is one thing, but giving out contact information is a bit much I think....

stock03

Are you sure? I have never heard of such a law. I really don't think that's true.

I can see if a dealer calls the prior owner and passes on the new owner's number (with the new owner's permission), but not the other way around.

RickG

It is the law in MA http://www.massconsumers.org/carsmart/002-3.html . You can check with your own state Attorney General .

Fronty Owner

ok, I can see that turning into a deal where someone buys a vehicle, has issues that you contributed to before you traded it in and the dealer not warrantying the work. now he shows up at your door for retribution.

Fronty Owner

or in this case, the hit and run leaves your number (and possibly address) for them to show up at YOUR door wanting their vehicle fixed and not believing you traded a year ago..

RickG

Another reason to get a copy of the bill of sale . In some states if the new owner doesn't get a new title you will continue to be taxed for the vehicle and lot allowed to renew registration on other vehicles if the tax isn't paid .

tinkerin-w-stuf

Makes ya wonder how they track down terrorists when this cop couldn't see that my WI license had been surendured back in Sept when I moved to CO and that the truck wasn't (shouldn't) be in my name. The old WI license plates expired in Nov of 07.

annabelle

Send him a letter? Was the title still in your name? Let him do his job. I woudn't send him anything.

Fueling around

Contact the dealer in writing through the Sheriff's department including information on the direct contact and add a cc to State Attorney General. If the sheriff's department decides to overlook the false information the state may actually do something.

Sounds as if the dealer/state didn't get the title transfer processed in a timely manner.

edit
Was the 04 financed? Those title transfers may take months to clear.