Ok so this is going to be a long thread, but would love input from you guys so if you have the time read the whole thing. I also want to have all this documented in case this turns into a legal matter...

As some of you may know I sold my Silver 1996 A4 a couple months ago (Oct.29th I think). I bought the S4 a couple weeks before and really didn’t have a need for the 2.8.

A younger guy maybe 19 or 20, seemed very interested in it, but didn’t have the money to buy it, so I had to turn him down to pursue other potential buyers. Those two fell through, and the other guy (Matt) called me back to ask if he could set up some sort of payment plan. I was extremely reluctant to do this, for the simply fact that I am not a bank. I didn’t want the hassle of having to try and collect this guys money, along with various other issues that go along with financing anything. But, me being the nice guy I am, decided to give the kid a break. I know how hard it can be when you don’t have a ton of money to save up for something you really want, so I bit the bullet and agreed for him to pay for the car gradually.

I asked Matt how long it would take him to come up with the money, and he said two months. So, I wrote up a contract which stated: He was to pay me $2000 up front, $1000 of which was NON-REFUNDABLE, he then had 2 months to pay off his balance, and if he couldn’t I held the right to look for a different buyer. If I found a different buyer and he still hadn’t paid all of the money, I would refund him everything he had paid to that point minus the $1000 non refundable deposit. In all honesty I wasn’t going to be a dick about it, if he needed more time I didn’t have a problem with it, again trying to be a nice guy here. During this time I still would have possession of the vehicle, 18” wheels and tires (which were included in the sale but removed from the car) and the title still in my name. Once full payment was made I would give all of those to Matt.

So he signs the contract, pays me the $2000 and so I “sold” the car. In the next few weeks he is really good about making payments, which by the way I drive 20 minutes to go pick up from him each time since he doesn’t have a car (again me trying to be a good guy and help this kid out). So it comes to be right around month later, and he calls and says I can get you all the money but the last $500. He says that he has paid all this money and really has nothing to show for it, so was wondering if he could have the car. Looking back on it I shouldn’t have but, ONE MORE TIME I am the nice guy and feel for the kid. So I say sure, I’ll bring the car to your house, but you cannot drive it or park it on any public road. The car isn’t tagged, registered or insured, so I have him sign another contract saying he will not do so. He pays me everything but the last $500 and we are good to go. At this point I tell him specifically, “if you need to put in any fluids in the car, they must be Audi approved. So for coolant or PS fluid you CANNOT go to a regular store for those”.

A week or so later Matt calls and says, I turned the car on and it was making a funny noise and the power steering reservoir was out of fluid, and that he filled it up. Funny because the car had been sitting in a garage for more than a month before I took it to his house, and I had no problems with it what so ever. Anyway, I say, “Ok so you went to Audi and got some more?”. No, he spoke with a friend and they said any fluid would do. This guy!! So I say he is dead wrong you need to flush that ASAP. He also says he is very unhappy with the car, the alignment is off and the light bulb that lights up the 2 by the shifter is out. Complaining about a light bulb being out? Give me a break. Then the alignment, it was fine when I had the car and bottom line he was not supposed to be driving the car period. I tell him not to drive the car.

He calls me a yesterday to say there are “big problems with the car”. He took it to a shop and now the steering rack needs to be replaced. Hmmm, could the fact that you put the wrong fluid in have anything to do with that? It could have been on its way out, but I didn’t have any problems when I had the car. He says it also needs to have 2 tie rod ends replaced and a CV boot was torn. I didn’t mention earlier but before I gave him the car I had it Maryland State inspected, and this is what came up. Passenger TRE needed to be replaced, tiny leak in the exhaust (funny because I had it custom done less than a year ago, but oh well simple fix) and the two of the tires didn’t have enough tread (the stockers, the 18’s have a great amount left, and he was getting those with the car. So basically all he needed to do was replace the TRE, swap wheels and put one weld on the exhaust leak and he would be find to have it pass inspection. Sorry that was kind of a tangent there, but bottom line he was aware of all the problems that I knew of from the get go.

Now he is saying that I need to pay him $300 to cover the cost of repairs. I tell him there is no way, and he must pay me the remaining balance of $500. He says there is no way in hell that will happen and I will not see the car until he gets that money! First of all buddy, I have most of your money, I have the title in my name, you are SOL. We have a signed contract stating the car was sold AS-IS with no warranty, so I’m sorry if you feel ripped off, but I was trying to be a nice guy the whole time and this kid is being a moron.

For those who have gotten this far, that’s basically where this whole thing stands for now, I told him I didn’t want to take legal action but I will if I don’t get the rest of the money by this weekend. I’ll probably just end up reporting the car stolen and get it that way. He is short a car or $1000 either way so he needs to step up and be a man about it. Buddy, you bought a USED CAR, I’m not a dealer. I guess this is what I get for taking on a charity case….

 

I made it through the whole thing! I am sitting in class though, bored, and can't understand my professor.

Anyways... sounds like you have done the right thing when it comes to keeping yourself covered. When I bought my car just a few months ago, I did the same sort of thing. The guy had a lien on the car, don't know why he left it on while selling the car, but whatever. And it was going to take a week or so in order to get the new title. But the trick was that he didn't have the cash to pay the lien off and needed me to give him the money first, so he could then combine it with some of his money to pay it off. And of course I was weary about just giving 6 grand to a stranger. So I compiled a Bill of Sale and a few other documents. It all worked out in the end, but I was worried about getting screwed over. Sounds like this guy your dealing with is a complete idiot and has no respect for cars firsthand. Secondly, he is a moron for threatening to not give your car back. I am 19 and hope I never get called that dumb haha.

 

uh yea...That is a pain the butt man. I would definatley report the car stolen ASAP. You do have signed documents covering your butt, so you are completely in the right. Get either your money, or your car! Don't wait, it will only come to bite you in the *** if you do.

 

Honestly, to me the $500 is not a big deal its the priciple of it. Its not worth my time to try and find another buyer, especially for the fact that I need to replace the Steering Rack now because of him. He can't register the car, so he is screwed until I get that money. I do need to get the car if I can find it, he says its still at the shop he took it too, so I don't know where that is.

 

Yeah, you did the right and mature thing here. The kid is clearly an idiot.

 

if the kid knows where you live, then I would keep a close eye on your cars at night and so on... i would figure if you take the car back and make him eat 1000 bucks, he'll be back for revenge...

 

Yeah especially if he had to have you finance the car haha. That situation sounds like a cluster **** im sorry i hope it all works out for you

 

oh yeah, I hope the kid was over 18, otherwise the paper and ink of your drafted contract doesn't mean ****... you can't hold a minor liable for his actions.

Don't you love America.

Personally, 500 bucks comes and goes, I would let it go, and sign over the title and say goodbye to the nightmare and move on.

Play it off as being a nice guy for the troubles of the power steering which you know was his fault anyways.

 

Give him the title but keep the rims to recoup the 500 bucks.

 

Vernons idea seems pretty good. Also, do you have a garage? I would keep anything valuble thats usually outside, in the garage.