Found a 85 gl wagon... Now for the question.....

[Subieguy]

I was out driving around when I spotted a brown 85 subie 4x4 wagon in a field. I stopped by and asked the owner of the house if he wanted to get rid of it. He said it was not his. The former owner left it and 3 other cars when he moved out. The car has been sitting there for at least 3 years. He said I could have it for nothing. I want it but I need to find out how I can get paperwork on it. I live in California. I am going to have the vin number and license plate ran on the DMV computer at my local police department. My aunt works there and she runs my plates for me when I need it done. Maybe I can find the owner of the car. That might help. But if not I will need some help from you guys on what I need to make this car mine.

[NorthWet]

I am not familiar with CA rules, but will help with OR and WA info.

 

Is the guy you talked with the property owner? Was the car owner a renter/tenant? If both are true, there is usually a provision for the property owner to file a "landlord lien" or similar, which allows him to legally dispose of the car. There should be paperwork that he can get from, and file with, DMV. Once this paperwork is filed, there might be a requirement for him to try and contact the previous owner, but this is kind of similar to the "Public Notices" that you see in the paper: More a legal formality than an actual need to contact owner. Once all of this is done, and maybe some more paperwork, DMV should be able to issue you a clean title.

 

One possible fly in the ointment here is that CA has tried to encourage people to scrap older vehicles, and this attitude might make this procedure different or nonexistant in CA.

 

Good luck. No Subaru deserves to rot or get crushed because someone abandoned it.

 

Pat

[Subieguy]

Anybody else know anything about this and what I need to do?

[Subieguy]

Bump