How can you check if you bought a stolen car and if you have what do you do?

Answer 1

First of all if you believe you have purchased a stolen vehicle the first thing you need to do is secure the history of the vehicle by obtaining a carfax.com history report, you can do this by using the vehicles vin number, located on the driver's side at the base of the Windshield and dashboard. After you have obtained the history of the vehicle and you still suspect that it may be stolen; make arrangements with a Police Detective from your local Police Department to visit with him regarding this matter. Make sure you bring with you all the documentation that was provided when purchasing the vehicle i.e., you will need the Title, any receipts from the purchase, bank statements reflecting the loan you obtained for the vehicle and a detailed history of all payments made, you will need to provide the tag and registration receipts, current insurance information, and the contact information for the individual you purchased the vehicle from. If it was a cash transaction then you will obviously not have any of the banking information described above. If that is your circumstance then you need to bring the transaction receipt as well as the other items mentioned above. Usually when someone purchases a vehicle without needing to obtain a loan they use a cashier's check or money order and most likely will have to withdrawal the funds from their bank prior to doing this. Under these circumstances you need to visit your bank; speak privately with a personal banker and explain your situation, ask them for any documentation they can provide showing the date and time of the withdrawal and a receipt for the cashier's check or money order you obtained to purchase the vehicle. If you obtained the money order from a separate institution i.e., a Super Markey, Gas Station, etc...Etc... Then you need to visit that location as well and obtain the original Money Order receipt, most likely they will refer you to the company that provides the Money order and from them you will be able to secure a receipt. In the rare case that someone has purchased the vehicle using cash, then you will need to provide some kind of documentation showing when and where you obtained the cash and the money order or cashier's check receipt. I know it seems like a big hassle and I assure you it will be. You will have to provide allot of documentation to prove that you believed you were buying a vehicle legitimately. Carrying auto insurance and updating the tag yearly will help prove your innocence, people usually don't pay TT&L and carry insurance on a vehicle if they stole it or purchased it knowing it was stolen. DO NOT just go into the Police Department and say "I think I bought a stolen vehicle" you will be detained while your vehicle's origin is verified and then if it is stolen you will possibly be arrested and charged until you can provide the above mentioned documentation. Unfortunately as a Detective I have seen this allot and it's a real shame, you work hard to make your payments, you take care of it, love it, and suddenly it's taken away. You will never forget this; it is a life altering experience that will affect all future vehicle purchases from that point forward.