Bought a Stolen Travel Trailer

**tripletmom** · 11-30-2008, 05:06 PM

Alabama
Two days ago, I purchased a 16' older travel trailer. I was given a Bill of Sale and told that it did not require a title because it was only one axle. I began to get a little suspicious because the seller did not have keys to give me (he told me that he would meet me the next day to give me the keys).......so I looked up his address (off of the Bill of Sale) and there was no such address. I also suspected that the VIN that he wrote on the Bill of Sale was fake because I had not been able to locate a VIN when I had previously looked for one. So I decided to thoroughly examine the trailer to find the VIN to see if they matched. There was not a VIN anywhere on the trailer. But I did find an old receipt from an online purchase that had a name of a woman and her address and phone. So I called her and asked if she had owned the trailer or knew of the trailer.....she said that it belonged to her son and it had been stolen 2 weeks earlier! So, my gut was correct. Now I am out the money that I paid for the trailer and only have a Bill of Sale with fake addresses and probably fake names. I am sick........any one know what the next step for me is? I was told I have to sue the guy that sold it to me to get my money back........I doubt anyone will ever find the guy anyway, much less be able to get my money back.......this is so unfair!!! I am sick! Thanks in advance for any help! I am in Alabama....the trailer was stolen from Mississippi (just across the state line)
All I have for the guy that sold it to me is a fake address, probably a fake name and a cell phone number......I am sure it is a pay as you go cell phone and it will be a dead end (if the police even care to try to track it).......I need help.....I cannot afford to lose this money......I was purchasing it for my father (in another state) so I paid for it and he was going to reimburse me......but he is retired and on a very limited income, so I cannot allow him to reimburse me ......

jk · 11-30-2008, 08:10 PM

sorry to be the bearer of bad news but you need to contact the police and report this. They will take the trailer from you since it is stolen and unless you can find the guy that screwed you, you are out your money.