Ok, so we had found the trailer we wanted, did some trading and dealing. Ended up we traded one of our really good horses, our trailer and some equipment and cash for this other trailer, plus we did all of the traveling/hauling, the trailer was a 16 hour trip for us. Now, before we left to get the trailer, I asked the seller if the trailer had a clean title and if she had it in hand....she said yes, it is clean and no lien holders on it and yes I have it right here. So we make the long trip, get there, I am happy with the trailer, but a few things are alittle different than I expected, but it was very nice. We go to exchange titles etc. here is where the problem starts.....she had not yet transferred the title into her name, which would not have been a huge deal, except she had already filled out all of her info in the new buyer section, you cannot change that or it is void I am sure. So she gave us a receipt and signed the title and said try to transferr it and go from there. Well I pretty much knew that would not work. But here we were 16 hours from home, we had hauled the horse and had some place to be on the way home. So off we went with the new trailer.

So we got home about 5 days later, then tried to do the transferr, of course, they said they couldnt do it that way. So I emailed her and told her the situaton, she then wanted me to mail the title to her hometown Sec. of State or whatever(different from where she lives now) and US PAY TO TRANSFERR IT INTO HER NAME, and she said she would then mail it signed to us after she got it back. I said no, I did not feel it was our responsibility to do that, and reminded her that I had asked BEFORE we did this if she has the title and if it was clean. Well, several weeks later she still will not reply to any of my emails. And I do not want to send this title out and do that, as I am afraid we will never get it back.

So anyone have any idea of what our options are here? What else I can do?

And please dont bash me for being stupid. I am already stressed about this.

Call your attorney and the attorney generals' offices of both involved states. You will need accurate legal actions, not the opinions often found here.

Gard

Thank you

So would you agree that I should not send this title out to be tranferred inot her name?

Thanks, the problem is, I dont just have an attorney, so I guess now I have to go find one.

I just sent her one last email, asking her again, to please atleast respond. But even if she does, now I would be afraid to even send the title to her.

Big lesson learned here, she seemed so nice and honest before we did this. Why me

 I also had this thought, tell me if I am stupid on this one, I can take it.

I thought about contacting the owner of the trailer on the title(the person she bought it from) explaining the situation, providing him with copies of the title we have, the reciept we have and the correspondence with her confirming the transaction, and asking him if he would consider filing for a lost title, and sending the new one to us signed by him. And being done with her dumb ***

Stupid or worth a try?

Not stupid at all but I still would not pursue that option.  This woman is a crook and you need to report her.  I also hate to say it but I would not want my horse going to a person like that.  Talk to a lawyer and go from there but I would be on their doorstep after my horse!  There could be all kinds of issues with this trailer.  If the woman lied about a clear title, what else did she lie about?   You don't really even know if the trailer is stolen????  Don't try to handle this yourself!

Thanks, but thankfully, since we did deliver the horse, I was able to see where she is at and see the other horses. It actually was a VERY nice place. She had nice horses, that were really well cared for, and a nice farm.  So I felt very comfortable leaving the horse there.

I doubt the trailer is stolen, as the title is signed by the owner and looks legit. But I guess you really never know, anything is possible.

I appreciate all of the ideas here.

FABULOUS advice, thank you so much.

Very sweet, thank you so much. And uuuhhh sometimes, i feel like I am a lifetime student of the school of hard knocks, I should be well on my way to getting a masters degree

DraftHorseJunkie.

I'm not completely following the whole title deal, but I agree that consulting with an attorney might be a good avenue. Many good attorneys offer a free consultation at first meeting. Then, if you need their services, you enter an agreement.

Not sure what part of Michigan you are in. I have a friend who is an attorney. This sounds like a civil action which is something that she can probably assist you with. She typically handles cases in the Macomb, Lapeer, Oakland county areas; but has taken action in other counties as well.

please send me an email and I will give you her's. She may also be able to direct you to someone closer if that is necessary. She is a fellow horse owner and understands about pinching pennies.

 Click on my user profile to send me an email through this forum.

Right now you may not be the owner of the trailer. Legally, the person from whom you made the purchase, also did not own the trailer, as her ownership was never established. Because the sale to you was made while knowingly being invalid, and a payment was collected to satisfy an unenforceable contract, a fraud has been committed against you. Not only can you sue to be made "whole" again, but you are entitled to sue for punitive damages as well.

Depending on the District Attorney in the seller's jurisdiction, you may be able to press for civil or criminal charges, depending on the local laws and his case load. These actions can be handled without the usage of your own attorney. However, your attorney's proper advise is necessary, before you do something that may irrevocably jeopardize your rights and legal alternatives.

Gard