Need some legal help...

[ben90tsi]

Ok so the story goes like this, on Aug. 22 at about 3 am in the morning, I sold my 1990 talon tsi awd to some kids out of milwakee, WI. Im in Chippewa which is about 4-5 hours away and they have to tow the car back behind their moms car because the tranny was busted and i had most of the engine stripped. So i signed the title over, they gave me the cash and they left. Well today i get a letter in the mail from West Allis Police Department. It was a notice of past due traffic sitation issued aug 23. for 30 bucks. So im like crap i must of left my back liscence plate on, turns out i did.

Well my question is do i really have to pay this sitation if it wasnt even my car? I mean yeah they are my plates but i dont think they were valid being that i signed the title over and everything. What do you guys think i should do?

 

[khartley]

How could you have a violation on a car that wasn't running, that was being towed? You said the ticket was for the 23rd, is that the day it was towed, or the day after? I could probably help out, but I don't understand what the ticket is for.

And is West Allis where you live or where the kid that bought the car lives?

 

[ben90tsi]

Well im guessing the kids took the car to West Allis and left it in a parking lot overnight, and thats how the citation was issued. I suppose the cop or whoever didnt know the car wasnt running or being towed because all they towed it with was a tow rope so they probably took the rope with them and just let it sit overnight for whatever reason. And yes i live in chippewa and they live near milwuakee(not sure if they actually live in west allis). I just dont see why i have to pay for a ticket thats not even my car?

 

[MilwaukeeGSX]

west allis police suck... have you talked with the kids at all? I wouldnt pay for the ticket, i would try and contact the department and tell them the situation..

 

[tylerk]

Do you have a copy of the bill of sale? I got an invoice for property damage for a car I used to own a while back, I sent back a letter with a copy of the bill of sale and never heard anything more about it.

 

[ben90tsi]

I havent talked to the kids at all, all i have from them is 2 of their cell phone numbers(there was 4 of them) I have no proof of the sale except for signing over the title , which they have. Im going to call the department tommorow to tell them the situation, if they still say i have to pay, well then i guess ill have a warrant for my arrest in west allis...maybe. That wouldnt apply for the whole state of Wisconsin would it?

 

[TurBoGs-T]

if they still say i have to pay, well then i guess ill have a warrant for my arrest in west allis...maybe.

for 30 bucks.

Is it worth it??? Anyway, do like you said you were going to do and call the dept and explain you situation. But do realize this, YOU did leave the tags on it and YOU didn't CYA by getting a bill of sale. So if it all boils down to them holding you responsible, be responsible and pay it. If the people who bought the car don't fess up to being the violators then they have to live with themselves being stupid aholes. But a warrant and an arrest would be alot more trouble than $30.

 

[Daem0n]

I don't believe that anyone would hunt you down for this type of warrant, but yes it will go to every department in the state of Wisconsin via the crime net or whatever universal network the police work through. If you get pulled over, are a witness to any incident, or become involved with anything having to do with a background/criminal check, it will pop up, and you will be arrested. So unless you plan on dissapearing from the system--a rather 'extreme' notion for such a small infraction--, it's best to pay it off, should it fall back to you.

 

[ben90tsi]

Wait a minute, i was looking over this citation some more and it say PC VIN# under LICENSE NO. Im pretty sure that i took the plates off, i cant find them right now but this leads me to belive they just took my vin # and gave me the citation that way. So if i didnt have my tags on there, and the car did not belong to me, the contract of sale was made prior to the citation, theres no reason i should pay right?

 

[TurBoGs-T]

Wait a minute, i was looking over this citation some more and it say PC VIN# under LICENSE NO. Im pretty sure that i took the plates off, i cant find them right now but this leads me to belive they just took my vin # and gave me the citation that way. So if i didnt have my tags on there, and the car did not belong to me, the contract of sale was made prior to the citation, theres no reason i should pay right?

You are definately right that there is NO reason you should pay. And make sure you do everything you can to get this ironed out without any trouble. You say the bill of sale was made prior to but you don't have a copy to prove that. Call the guy you sold it to and just tell him .."Hey can you get me a copy of the bill of sale". Get him to fax it to you or something. We all know that you are right and shouldn't have to pay but the police have no way of knowing. So your problem is with the kid you sold it to not the police dept. just keep in mind IF it comes down to it the reason to pay is so your name doesn't go on any negative lists.

 

[ben90tsi]

I called the police in west allis and they said i have to mail them something like a bill of sale to prove the car is not mine and i need the kids name and adress. He saw the ad for my car on here so i dont know if hes a member or not, i know hes got a 91 eclipse gst and his name is tyler from west allis, wisconsin. I just got another citation too, because the car does not run and they just leave it on the street all night. Im still trying to find his cell number on call id but i dont know if ill have any luck, if you guys know any other way to solve this problem help me out please!

 

[Attack Eagle]

well try to locate him or at least his full name and contact his folks... explain to them that you are getting citations because they are pulling the vin... ask them to please fax you or meet with you to a bill of sale or a copy of the signed over title for the vehicle... next time I sell a car I'm going to make a copy of the signed over title!


Contact the police department again, tell them you signed the title over and the car doesn't run so it is not going to be registered under the new owner anytime soon. ask if you can speak to the judge in charge of parking citations rather than having to commute in, or mail him a notarized and certified letter with the vin of the vehicle in question stating that it was sold on x date... before these citations and that you do not reside or own a vehicle in that township... most judges and police are pretty tolerant of things like this.

I got a parking ticket on my mgb one weekend when I and it were out of town at school, and I once got a parking ticket for a black toyota i did not even own... In neither case did I end up having to go to court itself after contacting the police and speaking to the judge.

the problem in your situation is that their database is not going to get updated until the car is registered and that is not going to happen for a while... maybe never.

 

[ben90tsi]

Yeah thats what sucks, and if they keep leaving the car on the street, more fines will come my way , which i wont pay. Yeah i know it was stupid of me to ot get a bill of sale and stuff but shit happens. I dont see why the police couldnt go ask people in the neighborhood and find out who owns it that way, or have the car towed , that way the REAL OWNER could come and get the car. If i dont resolve this soon the state of WI will take away registration on both of my car and truck. :thumbdown Thanks for all of your help guys, i appreciate it