Dallas, OR asked in Small Claims for Oregon

Q: I signed a title away on a car and now it got towed and they want me to pay $1400 that I cant afford. What do I do?

My first car ended up breaking down a long time ago(maybe 2015ish?) and I ended up signing it over to a scrap yard as it no longer ran. In 2018 I got a call from someone claiming to be from a collection agency stating that it had been towed in a city I never go to (years after I had gotten rid of it), and that I had to pay them a couple hundred bucks. I thought nothing of the call thinking it was just a scam, since I get a lot of scam calls everyday, and now a civil agent dropped off paperwork saying that I am being sued for $1400 for that towing incident. I cant afford that, and I feel like this wasn't my fault. I want to dispute the charge and go to a hearing but I don't know what to do or what is the best way to resolve this.

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1 Lawyer Answer
Gregory L Abbott
Gregory L Abbott
Answered
  • Portland, OR
  • Licensed in Oregon

A: If you want to do anything but have a Judgement entered against you, you must respond to the Summons and Complaint. It sounds likely that you failed to notify DMV when you turned the vehicle over to the scrap yard (as you were required to do) and they then did not scrap it. Tell DMV now, gather whatever proof you can that you turned the car over to the scrap yard (do they have any records?) and tell it to the Judge.

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