I bought a used 5th wheel from an acquaintance about a month ago. I trust the guy, but the situation has become complicated. He has a lien on the vehicle - I paid him with a cashier's check, and he in turn mailed a cashier's check to the lien holder (he owed more than we paid for it). The problem is he mailed it certified 2nd day air and the post office lost it!!! His bank is making him wait 90 days before they will reissue the check. So, even with a bill of sale, he technically still owns it, and I can't register it. We were planning to start traveling full time within the next few weeks. The seller knows this and offered to register the RV and keep insurance on it so our plans aren't delayed. My wife thinks that's a bad idea and isn't comfortable doing that - she believes the only real option is to delay our travels until we can register the RV ourselves. Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks.

Certified second day air and the post office LOST it? BULL. I say 2 things....delay and get it straightened out. Number 2 ......his story is BS and it isn't lost. Sorry but that's my vote. let us know how it turns out. Hope it works out for you.

I smell a rat. The bank would cancel, and reissue a check immediately. Have you checked with the post office? The whole story sounds like hogwash.Best of luck with this. Let us know what happens.

Well, first of all, how do you actually know the post office lost a certified piece of mail?Secondly, say he registers it, and there is insurance on it for 90 days while you guys are traveling around. During that time he gets hit by a truck and dies. Now what? It was still his property when he died, not yours.Even if this seller was in my immediate family I would be cancelling this deal and continuing my search for another unit.

In reading it again....you said you paid him with a cashiers check and he then sent a cashiers check. All he would have had to do is sign it and send your check that you made out to him. That's BS right there. His loan/bank/credit union would have taken your check made out to him and applied it to the loan as soon as it cleared which with being cashiers would have probably been hours, not even days. Con job. He's got the cash and is going to keep making payments. Well.....maybe.

If he did send check 2 day "certified mail", has he shown his receipt to you as to when he sent it out? If it was lost why can't bank issue a stop payment on the check. Could it be he is wanting 90 days to come up with money to pay off lien?

Bought 5th wheel from private seller with lien - problems

Dr_Quick
Explorer II
Feb 18, 2015
If he did send check 2 day "certified mail", has he shown his receipt to you as to when he sent it out? If it was lost why can't bank issue a stop payment on the check. Could it be he is wanting 90 days to come up with money to pay off lien?
azrving
Explorer
Feb 18, 2015
In reading it again....you said you paid him with a cashiers check and he then sent a cashiers check. All he would have had to do is sign it and send your check that you made out to him. That's BS right there. His loan/bank/credit union would have taken your check made out to him and applied it to the loan as soon as it cleared which with being cashiers would have probably been hours, not even days. Con job. He's got the cash and is going to keep making payments. Well.....maybe.
C-Bears
Explorer
Feb 18, 2015
Well, first of all, how do you actually know the post office lost a certified piece of mail?

Secondly, say he registers it, and there is insurance on it for 90 days while you guys are traveling around. During that time he gets hit by a truck and dies. Now what? It was still his property when he died, not yours.

Even if this seller was in my immediate family I would be cancelling this deal and continuing my search for another unit.
Nutinelse2do
Explorer
Feb 18, 2015
I smell a rat. The bank would cancel, and reissue a check immediately. Have you checked with the post office?
The whole story sounds like hogwash.
Best of luck with this. Let us know what happens.
azrving
Explorer
Feb 18, 2015
Certified second day air and the post office LOST it? BULL. I say 2 things....delay and get it straightened out. Number 2 ......his story is BS and it isn't lost. Sorry but that's my vote. let us know how it turns out. Hope it works out for you.

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Bought 5th wheel from private seller with lien - problems

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