Car blew a head gasket day after I sold it?

[user removed]

Bought a car once with 82k miles, timing belt broke on a 5 mile test drive, never tried to extort money from the seller, never thought of trying.

In Virginia a car over 10 years old is not sold with a salvage title, title is clear, even though it is sold through a salvage disposal company. Salvage titles on newer cars unless damage exceeds 75% of cash value before damage, then it can not be titled and is sold as nonrepairable.

If the actual selling price was more than the $250 recorded on the title, then the purchaser has intentionally defrauded the state out of their legitimate taxes on the purchase. Va. recognizing that this is a common practice and used to charge a minimum of $35 in tax (assumed value $1000) but recently increased that to $75 (assumed value $2000).

If buyer tries to use (assuming the selling price was higher) that as a "means to extort" then the buyer has committed at least a misdemeanor of fraud against the state. He (or she) would be an absolute idiot to even consider any such legal action and it would be his (her) word against yours, unless the transaction, in particular the exchange of money was videotaped with consent of both parties.

No lemon laws apply to private party sales, at least not in Va.

caveat emptor (buyer beware)

"Pound sand turkey".

regards
Mech

[Cobb]

Yeah, tell him to file a case with judge judy.

I dont think you have a problem as long as you said it is "as-is" and you didnt make any comments like it has a good engine, it doesnt over heat or anything in regards to the issue at hand.

[Superfuelgero]

I can't comment on California law.... ....but here, it would be a 2 second dismissal (12(b)(6)), if he tried.

[Baltothewolf]

Guys, I can't even thank you all for your support. Let me just start by saying this. The mechanic they took it to said the head gasket was blown AT THE TIME OF SALE which is complete and utter BS. I had NO overheating issues, no weird noises or anything coming from the car when I sold it. I did tell them that once they buy it, it's out of my hands and I won't help for repairs (my little bro was there and heard me say it). I won't comment on the sale price of the car other then it was sold for 250 as that's what is stated on the Title. If he had listened to me and took it to a mechanic to get it checked out, like I told him to, this probably would never have happened. I checked the oil, tranny fluid and rad level before I sold it to him and everything was in working order, hell, the oil was only a week old when I got in the accident. I changed it on the 24th I believe it was and I got in the accident on the 27th. His wife sent me a message today saying they want 800 for repairs (wtf?) or it will become a 'legal issue'. I haven't responded to her or him and won't do so unless they show up at my house, and in that case I will simply call the police as I do have 'no trespassing' signs out front (my parents put them up a while back).

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by darcane

Sounds to me like the radiator failed and he didn't bother to stop driving, so the headgasket failed

My thoughts exactly.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by Baltothewolf

The mechanic they took it to said the head gasket was blown AT THE TIME OF SALE which is complete and utter BS.

I seriously cannot imagine someone purchasing a car with a blown head gasket and not noticing it.

Sorry for the scare, but I really cannot imagine anything coming out of this. Please resume your life, already in progress.

Submit Your Case - Judge Judy

[Baltothewolf]

Originally Posted by Xist

I seriously cannot imagine someone purchasing a car with a blown head gasket and not noticing it.

Sorry for the scare, but I really cannot imagine anything coming out of this. Please resume your life, already in progress.

Submit Your Case - Judge Judy

Roooooofl.

[j12piprius]

Originally Posted by Baltothewolf

I haven't responded to her or him and won't do so unless they show up at my house, and in that case I will simply call the police as I do have 'no trespassing' signs out front (my parents put them up a while back).

I would definitely respond to them; tell them you were driving the car with no issues prior to sale, that he accepted the condition of the car when he bought it, and anything after that is their responsibility to do with as they choose.

[Baltothewolf]

So I sent them a message saying I'm not responsible for repairs and they told me because I didn't get it smogged before the sale and I sold it with the clean title I committed fraud? Wtf? They agreed (and I have my little brother as a witness) to take care of repairs to get the salvaged title and get it smogged. Is their claim even still valid?

[Insight for life]

At "$250" I dont think you sold them much more than an as is parts car. Was there anything given to them beside a title?