Q: What should i do with a car that is owned by a friend who has gone to prison for 2 and a half years?
Car was just paid off however title transfer has not actully occurred. Registered owner is my friend. He is single. It is a 2005 Mercedes valued at around 4k. I have been storing the vehicle for his family who lives in Chicago. I have not been paid yet. I have the key and the vehicle registration and for the last 2 days car is parked on a city street in L. A. Car is up for registration renewal cost around $300, plus insurance needs to be purchased. I lost my apartment so i cant garage the vehicle and no money is given for storing the vehicle as his mom says i should do it out of my heart as a favor. i only met her son twice.
Hiz mom just paid $1k in parking tix to remove a boot which were incurred while car was in storage at my expense in my covered parking space off of city streets, and that is a whole other question of disturbing significance.
A:
So many questions. If he is your friend, why are you charging him for storage? If you are storing the car, why is it parked on the street? Why are you charging for parking a car on the street?
If you have an agreement for compensation for storage, and you are actually storing the car, then you need to look to the person who agreed to pay you for your compensation. If that person is in prison, you can ask him how he intends to pay. If he does not intend to pay you, you can leave the car on the street, where it will be towed and sold at auction by the City. Or, you could put a lien on the vehicle for your "storage services", then (after the statutory waiting period and notice to the owner) sell the car yourself at a publicized auction. Or, you could just cut your friend some slack and put a tarp over it for a couple of years until he gets out. Or, you could let his family take it, with his consent. If car is not going to be operated, he can file an Affidavit of Non-Use for the current registration period if he intends to cancel his insurance. https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/online/vrir/vr_sb1500anu
For future registration, he can file a certificate of Planned Non Operation, which is less expensive than a full registration, although it would not be legal to drive. https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/wcm/connect/febfde34-fc2b-415a-bc1c-0d51c7e4fff4/reg102.pdf?MOD=AJPERES
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