Odd place to ask, think my first time in the OT section but had a question some of you gentleman might be more aware of how to handle.
I received notice that an old 87 camper van I had has been impounded. I sold it 2.5 years ago to a questionable individual, he later texted me that the AC had quit and he would murder my family. Anyways, besides the point. It was abandoned in a parking lot on 121 in Melissa where I used to live. I’ve been notified it’s in an impound lot in McKinney, because it’s still titled to me. They want me to come get it. Am I wrong to claim it? He clearly is in jail, doesn’t want it, abandoned it, I have no idea but... am I wrong to go get it and file lost title? I wouldn’t mind having it back. But he did pay me for it. Not like he owes me money. It’s $700 to get it out of impound. What legal rights do I have to it? Any thoughts?

If the guy threatened me over a non working AC I would leave it alone. Your legal rights I believe are you can go pay the fees and pick it up.

If you steal it from him, he may murder your family or something

he later texted me that the AC had quit and he would murder my family.

I would steer clear.

It would probably be wise to see if you can verify his circumstances before making a move on it...... Unless he’s dead or serving life for murdering some other guy, I’d say leave it impounded & forget about it..

Awesome first OT post. I haven’t experienced anything like this, so I can’t offer any advice. Great thread, and I hope you get it sorted out. Safely, of course.

Possession is 9/10 of the law. The title in your name is the other 1/10.

I hope he doesn't know where you live, and paint it a different color.

If he has been making meth in it, it's probably no longer worth the $700 it will cost you.

Legally speaking, if you had an agreement with the guy to sell your camper and you took his money, that camper no longer belongs to you. The title makes no difference.

notify the impound that you no longer are the owner and take any proof to them so they quit sending you stuff, it is not your van any more.

It is your camper if the impoundment yard contacted you. Impoundment yards may only contact the legal owner. No legal advice here but if you have enough .556 rounds its up to you.

You entered into a contract with him to transfer the property to him, and you did so. After the fact, he failed to file the title with the state of Texas to be updated as proof you transferred ownership. Texas has a form you, as the seller, can fill out to notify the state you no longer own such and such titled item. This is always a good thing to file with the state (at no cost). Why? Texas is then aware you are NOT the legal owner, so that if the new owner gets into trouble while in possession of the property, you are absolved of having any part in it. Example: sell a vehicle, new owner doesn't transfer title, but has a bad accident injuring others who want to sue. Guess who they go after? You don''t want that. File the form. It's available on the state's DMV website I believe.

I knew a dude who sold two nice trucks to a couple of dudes, They both got arrested later in a drug sting. They had never registered the trucks and of course they put all kinds of electronics and upgrades in them.

He went and got them and resold them again, at a much lower price to turn a profit.

Same situation, different type of vehicle (pickup truck). Sold my RAM to a guy in Houston (Humble) after Katrina. Delivered it to him by driving it down with my Sonata on a one-way U-haul trailer. He looked it over, drove it on a test and handed me 24 $100 bills. Did the bill of sale and stuff . . . . . turned in the trailer and drove back to DFW.

Fast forward, I'm on the road (working) and the Post office is holding my mail and in the daily report I see mail from the County Sheriff and an impound lot down that way. I look up the phone #s and call the sheriff's office, sure enough it's the RAM. They wanted to know if I wanted it back....... I declined.

As previously stated, the entity that has current possession of said titled merchandise has to exercise due diligence via title search to contact the last known holder of the title. If no response or the current owner declines then the current owner can apply for a lost title in his/their own name and get the asset.

Kinda like buying a 12' aluminum boat & motor from a guy in southern Oklahoma and going through all of the above with TPWD . . . . . . . been there, done that, never again !

There might have . Toll tag fees and parking tickets too ,link toward your plate. Do you have a dated bill of sale still.

Did you get the agreed purchase price? If so, I'd let the impound yard know that you sold it and are not the owner.

They have their own legal tools to resell it later & get some money out of it. Then the buyer can threaten to murder their families and leave you out of it.