Lawyers of Washington please help me. Private car sale buyer wants refund has buyers remorse.

Submitted by dabsgramsandxans t3_zv60c4 in Washington

So I've been up in alaska fishing all year and I unfortunately had to sell my foxbody mustang back home in Washington. The buyer didn't have upfront capital so he paid me half and I gave him the right to go pick up the car and work on it and drive it home. He's worked on it twice in my stepmothers driveway and this whole time has been saying how he loves the car and was going to engine swap it etc. He is now threatening me that's he's going to pick it up with a trailer and bring the cops to my stepmother house. He's asking for his money back and now saying he's just going to trailer it home without paying the rest of the amount. There was no bill of sale, no title, he had literally just cashapped me for the car. It was 700 which was about half of the 1500 price for the car. Old 1989 foxbody mustang with everyone problem with the car had been fully disclosed to the buyer. Do I legally have to refund him? I already spent the money for Christmas items and work stuff. He's threatening me and acting crazy at this point. What are my options right now? Thanks

Edit:after speaking to everyone my main question now is can I tell him to fuck himself and that legally the car is still mine and so is the 700 and tell him that the only way he can be allowed to pick up the car is if he pays the rest of the amount owed?? Am I within my rights to do that? I also want to tell him that I'm going to explain the situation to the cops and that if he tries to take the car without paying the rest of the amount that it would be a felony theft charge? I just wanna tell this junkie to fuck himself seems like he's trying to get one over on me and scam me

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Kawikami99336 t1_j1nbknp wrote

If you have the title, he is screwed pure and simple. The police will tell him to settle it in Civil Court. Call the police where the car is and report him. Tell them about the threats and everything else. Do this right away. Document everything. I live in Washington stste too. He can't do shit without a bill of sale or a title. He's just blowing smoke up your ass. Tell him to go fuck himself.

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dabsgramsandxans OP t1_j1ncv9e wrote

For all I know he could've stolen parts off my car and is now asking for his money just to make a buck. The guy is an ex heroin/fentantyl junkie with face tats etc. Sketchy character and it was stupid of me to trust him and not sell to someone else.

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MelRNFL t1_j1o4xt3 wrote

I have a friend not on Reddit who has been wanting a fox body since he wrecked his a decade ago. Does this have the 5.0? Pm me please

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lurker-1969 t1_j1p694a wrote

Once a junkie always a junkie, dude.

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dabsgramsandxans OP t1_j1p7v7i wrote

People turn their lives around all the time but I agree when you have an addiction like that serious its hard to come back and get clean and everyday must be a struggle and a fight of staying sober.

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lurker-1969 t1_j1qbtzx wrote

My 2 brothers are opioid addicts and alcoholics. They started in the mid 70's. Even during periods of being clean the thought process of an addict dominates their lives. I am an alcoholic and have been sober over 36 years now without a single relapse. I am still an alcoholic.

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dabsgramsandxans OP t1_j1nbu31 wrote

Doesn't this sound like he's completely trying to scam me to get the car for half the price? That is what it seems like to me. If we go to court I will win I know he has no money for lawyers and I would counter sue him or win in civil court.

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dabsgramsandxans OP t1_j1nbzi0 wrote

Thanks a lot for replying to me bro I was worried sick to be honest when he started threatening me.

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lurker-1969 t1_j1p66k7 wrote

I live in Wa too. This is correct. This guy is a piece of shit.

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Careless-Internet-63 t1_j1nealf wrote

If the title is in your name this is entirely a civil issue. Cops aren't going to help him take a car that's not his and you could report it as stolen if he did take it. He could try to sue you over it, which could make things more complicated, but currently it's not his car in the eyes of the law

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dabsgramsandxans OP t1_j1nem10 wrote

Roger that. I should have a title somewhere but I'm having trouble finding it but regardless the car is on my property currently.

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Sadieboohoo t1_j1nf0u3 wrote

You’re probably still the registered owner with the DMV, so the cops aren’t going to help him take the car if that’s so.

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dabsgramsandxans OP t1_j1nf977 wrote

Exactly. I'll tell him the only way he's picking it up is if he pays me the rest of the money

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dabsgramsandxans OP t1_j1nidea wrote

To everyone who helped me and gave me advice thank you and all of you have merry Christmas seriously. And a happy new year. Yall have been a huge help I had no idea what to do. Now I realize I'm completely in my rights

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Steel-and-Wood t1_j1nbzgz wrote

Caveat emptor isn't just a fancy saying, it's how these things are legally handled.

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dabsgramsandxans OP t1_j1nc4x4 wrote

Roger that brother. I completely agree. Legally he is fucked

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Steel-and-Wood t1_j1nc6vq wrote

Good luck my man! Merry Christmas to you and your family

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dabsgramsandxans OP t1_j1ncap5 wrote

You too man have a great Christmas and happy new years. Sounds like I'm completely within my rights from everything I've been reading on reddit. Thank you all for the help.

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non-member t1_j1o2nhk wrote

Taking payments on a $1500 car? What the serious hell is the matter with you? That’s got to be the biggest warning sign right after a gaunt face, picked scabbed over sores, track marks, and face tattoos that you’re dealing with a rotten scumbag that’s nothing but trouble… and worse yet, YOU AREBT THE ONE DEALING WITH THEM FACE TO FACE!?!?!? you have your step mother dealing with this shit… you seem like a bit of a careless jerk.

You basically have two choices at this point. Call the cops and report him for the threats and hope the car hasn’t been stripped already(I bet $5 the cat is already gone) and pray that they don’t take it out on YOUR FAMILY…. Or suck it up, forget about the rest of the money, and just give them the car with a cheerful “merry Christmas”.

If it were at your house and you were home and we’ll armed option one would be a good way to go, but you’re not… you tried to make a business deal with a junkie for something at a family members house like an utter fool and now they might be in danger because you’re pissing off an irrational twat over a few hundred dollar… might just be best to kiss the couple hundred dollars goodbye and hope they don’t cause any trouble for your family.

Sometimes life is a bitch, hopefully you learn something from this experience.

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FFG17 t1_j1nkw9y wrote

It is currently a civil matter. Now as that car sits on your property if he decides to pick it up and move it, then it matters who’s name it is in. By your story it sounds like it is in your name. If he moves the car report it stolen if you so choose, but don’t obfuscate any facts or your knowledge of who took it or why because then it’s a false report. Also know that when you do that he’s going to go to jail for felony take motor vehicle without permission. The reality is he is never going to pay you and you probably get to keep his 700$ but in that world he’s probably also going to retaliate, remember when you described him as a ‘sketchy ex junkie’? Yeah, those guys tend to hold grudges. Decisions decisions

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dabsgramsandxans OP t1_j1nlc58 wrote

Yeah man he's a sketchy ex junkie but currently it is at my stepmothers property and I'm out of state crabbing. So he can't physically do anything to me he's just doing a bunch of empty threats. He's claiming the 700 is his but I don't think thats how it works.

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SheMovesLikeThis t1_j1ol2jy wrote

He can’t physically do anything to you, but he can to your stepmother and her property. Are you absolutely blind to this? Maybe check with her how empty she thinks those threats are before you tell this guy to fuck off from the safety of Alaska.

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DundermuffinX t1_j1omxqn wrote

Tell her to get somebody to stay with her until this blows over also maybe send her some money to buy a gun if she doesn’t already have one.

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SheMovesLikeThis t1_j1p3e5h wrote

Are you telling me to do this or OP?

If I were OP’s stepmother I’d be pissed I’d ever been put in this situation to begin with. Why the hell is some stranger doing work on (or stripping, who knows…) a car on her property in the first place? OP doesn’t seem to have the best judgment…

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lurker-1969 t1_j1p6gvd wrote

Isn't crabbing shut down??? My crab boat owner friend ain't fishing.

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dabsgramsandxans OP t1_j1p7t2e wrote

Hmu man. If you have quota for tanners you can still crab but yes king is officially cancelled this year. Just wondering what boat as I know a lot of the skippers out there. Sucks they shut kings down but if you have quota for tanners which my boat does you can still go get your quota. Gonna be good money in pot cod this year I'm doing that too on my boat

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lurker-1969 t1_j1qd2x3 wrote

Opilio shut down too, right? When I was fishing they were considered garbage crab. Our pots would be plugged when we got into those suckers. 1978 Red King quota 125 million pounds for the fleet. We plugged the Nordic Venture, a brand new boat in about 24 hours, 237,000 lbs. Those were the hay days. Bairdi Tanner was a second rate fishery at the time. Personally I like the meat better than King. My buddy who was part owner in Nordic Venture owns Aleutian Beauty. They are Halibut and cod fishing and he is still driving at 66. Pretty grumpy about his King quota shares.

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dabsgramsandxans OP t1_j1qkt5n wrote

Yeah rog opies also cancelled and I agree garbage crab personally I like tanners the most then king too and those dungees are pretty damn good too when you're eating them fresh on deck. Tanners is open down in kodiak too double quota from last year, got 8.25 a pound from trident last year for tanners this year kodiak guys are going on strike it sounds like because they're trying to lowball with 4 bucks a pound even though there's no king on the market. Also only got 2.75 a pound for dungees this year. Those were the days back then I bet, did yall have a kingcoiler and sorting table? Love the aluetian beauty she's a beautiful boat and is the nordic venture now the new venture out of kodiak?

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lurker-1969 t1_j1qo8zg wrote

When I took my first trip in Tanner '78 we had no sorting tale and no coiler. On Nordic Venture we had a coiler but never used it. On my first boat Emerald Island we had a trolly system for pot management, same on Nordic Venture.. Cranes were just coming into use. Nordic Venture got ran on the rocks during Adak King season and sank 1979. Fucking unbelievable. Flat calm, sunny morning and Skipper fell asleep at the wheel, no watch alarm on. Norwegians for you.

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dabsgramsandxans OP t1_j1qp200 wrote

Wow that's fucking terrible to hear you need a watch alarm on idc how badass of a skipper you are when you're up that many hours you need a watch alarm. Falling asleep at the wheel smfh, You're responsible for everyone's lives on that boat. I can't imagine how tough that shit must've been no crane, sorting table, or kingcoiler, all hand coiling and tanner taxis. I tip my hat to all you guys who've done it whether it's back in the day or now crabbing will break you down like no other job in the entire world. Second to none. But I bet you got some damn good elbow room stories from back then😂.

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lurker-1969 t1_j1skxsd wrote

We were all a bunch of swinging Dicks in our early 20's I grew up on a cattle ranch and had been around equipment and hazardous work for years, safety first. The other guys were city guys with not much experience at anything and had no sense of safety. EVERYBODY wanted a job on a crab boat and I got mine so in that respect I guess I was lucky and lucky to survive working on deck with these guys. My friends from my home town who I went to high school with came over to my boat and said I could work on their family boat any time and that maybe I wasn't in the best situation with these guys. In the end they were correct but I had chosen to stay home with my family and ill mother on the ranch at the time of the sinking. Family first always. I have lost friends to the Bearing Sea. Captain Jeff Hathaway of the Destination was a close friend. His wife and I worked together. Everybody is all Yeeha when money is being made and risks are taken but when shit goes bad as it did in his case it is a tragedy. Stay safe.

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dabsgramsandxans OP t1_j1slj8n wrote

Still the same situation everyone wants to go crabbing and only 10% can tough it out. It's just as much about being mentally strong as physically and emotionally strong. Sorry to hear about Jeff and the crew of the destination. Was such a beautiful boat same with the scandies rose. Sad sad day for the rest of the fleet. I've heard everyone speak very highly of Jeff including my father. Family always comes first I've had to turn down job offers that kids my age would kill for. But like you said family comes first. Just gotta keep praying for fair winds and full tanks.

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lurker-1969 t1_j1swems wrote

My friend the Aleutian Beauty owner and Jeff Hathaway's wife were very close to Scandies. Jeff was a really great guy. I liked him a lot. The last time I saw him was at his daughter's small wedding. He was the proud dad with a big hug and a big smile. Yea, you could line up 50 guys and try to pick the ones you thought would make on deck. Likely you would be wrong, It's in the head and heart. I watched a ton come and go.

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dabsgramsandxans OP t1_j1swvz7 wrote

Yeah Roger you see big strong 6 foot guys break down and cry and I've seen little guys work their ass off day in and day out on deck. All in the mind if you don't have the drive for it you won't make it through a season. Sorry to hear about Jeff Hathaway and the rest of the crew I'll never forget the day I heard about the destination and the day I heard about the scandies. Always saw the scandies and it was such a beast I fell in love with that boat the first time I saw it.

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Plethman60 t1_j1qc4p0 wrote

The question is how much grief you want in your life? What is it worth to be left in peace?

Pay the 700.00 back and he goes away forever........ you gained and lost nothing.

Let it play out, however long it takes, but you have to worry about your stepmother, and have to check on the car. You have to manage your stress and families as you wait for him to do what ever he does.

Or you could be the jerk and hide or move the car and ripe him off, and that could bring reprisal and damage to you and your families property. How much does a window cost to replace?

Pay the guy back and be done with it, just think of it as bonus you got a few a free repairs done.

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dabsgramsandxans OP t1_j1rheee wrote

Got it all worked out now and both ends. But I'll never make that mistake again

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Capable_Nature_644 t1_j1p09em wrote

Enact the lemon law. It's high enough. By law you can.

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