Car got repossessed today, turns out wife took out a loan on it years ago

[Ugh55]

I bought a car outright back when I moved here in 2016. At the time I was young and naive, and when the dealership said it would be very complicated to register it to my name, I stupidly relented and let them register it to my then fiance's name.

 

I've ended things with my wife almost 4 years ago (the usual story, sweet girl turning into an insufferable ogre the longer we stayed together), but never got officially divorced as she moved to another country for work. Yesterday, two men showed up with a policeman at my house, with legal papers to repossess the car. I checked my documents stack and indeed the blue book was missing. After I kicked her out she must have sneaked back to the house when I was away, grabbed the blue book, and got a loan with the car as collateral. The papers show she made payments for almost a year, and then stopped, leading to my current situation.

 

The car is worth around 400,000 baht now (if sold person to person and not to a dealer). The amount she owes is over 250,000 baht. I am pretty sure I don't have many options at this point, but wanted to make sure there's really nothing I can do.

 

Logically speaking, I should pay the 250,000, and take back the car. However, it would still be registered to her, so in theory she could come back and demand it at some point, compounding my losses. On the other hand, not taking it back is basically immediately losing the entire 400,000 with no recourse.

 

I'm struggling with deciding what to do. I can take the 400,000 hit now and put it all behind me forever, or I can take the 250,000 hit now and who knows what happens next. I think I can take possession of the blue book if I pay the 250,000, but it still won't be in my name.

 

Any insights?

 

(Please don't chime in just to tell me how stupid I've been. I already know)

[Ralf001]

its her car, she can do what she likes with it.

[FritsSikkink]

More importantly, get divorced asap, she could run up more debt and you could end up with bigger problems.

[chickenslegs]

I have no experience of repossession, but my thoughts are ...

Presumably, the car is now owned by the loan company.

If the loan company is willing to sell the car to you, maybe it can be registered in your name.

But they may want more than just the amount owing.

[stoner]

16 minutes ago, Ugh55 said:

I can take the 400,000 hit now and put it all behind me forever

 

you already gave yourself great insight. 

[BenStark]

What is your other username on this forum? Don't be shy, we all make mistakes sometimes

[BenStark]

23 minutes ago, Ugh55 said:

I've ended things with my wife almost 4 years ago (the usual story, sweet girl turning into an insufferable ogre the longer we stayed together), but never got officially divorced as she moved to another country for work. Yesterday, two men showed up with a policeman at my house, with legal papers to repossess the car. I checked my documents stack and indeed the blue book was missing.

How can she sneak into the house while working in another country for 4 years already, and how would you pay road tax and insurance all those years without a blue book.

 

Story stinks

[stoner]

4 minutes ago, BenStark said:

What is your other username on this forum? Don't be shy, we all make mistakes sometimes

 

hi my name is stoner.....wait did i already say that ?

[BenStark]

2 minutes ago, stoner said:

 

hi my name is stoner.....wait did i already say that ?

 

My question was not directed at you, hence I didn't reply to your post, but you may be too stoned to comprehend that.

[Ugh55]

3 minutes ago, BenStark said:

How can she sneak into the house while working in another country for 4 years already, and how would you pay road tax and insurance all those years without a blue book.

I didn't say she was working abroad for 4 years already, I said I ended things 4 years ago. A little after I kicked her out she must have sneaked in to get the blue book and do the dirty deed. It must have been her seed money to move abroad.

 

It is very easy to pay road tax and insurance online or with a simple copy of the blue book - it's never necessary to show it.

[stoner]

9 minutes ago, BenStark said:

 

My question was not directed at you, hence I didn't reply to your post, but you may be too stoned to comprehend that.

 

good grief you can't even see your stick anymore it's so far up there. 

Edited December 1, 2023 by stoner

[henry2109]

As another poster already said, do not pay her debt in order just to get her car debt free. Instead get in contact with the loan company. All they want is their money back, so the outstanding amount, plus interest, plus cost of reposession. Usually they have to auction off the cars or do similar procedures.

 

So offer them all the outstanding amount, incl. cost, to buy the car (in your name) quick. That should work.

[Celsius]

Cars are cars all over the world

[impulse]

None of my business, I'm sure.  But I'm curious whether the OP's visa status is based on the marriage to that same woman?

 

Because I can see that being the next thing that comes out of the blue from nowhere and presents a real unpleasant surprise.

 

[Digitalbanana]

48 minutes ago, Ugh55 said:

I can take the 400,000 hit now and put it all behind me forever,

You did that back in 2016 when you bought your partner the car. Look on the bright side, you've made progress and haven't been daft and lost anything since 2016. Or have you?

[JBChiangRai]

43 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

I have no experience of repossession, but my thoughts are ...

Presumably, the car is now owned by the loan company.

If the loan company is willing to sell the car to you, maybe it can be registered in your name.

But they may want more than just the amount owing.

 

This is the best course of action.

[soi3eddie]

Time to buy a nice new car (in your name only).

 

Edited December 1, 2023 by soi3eddie

[Georgealbert]

Can understand your frustration, but the car has never been yours, legally.

 

If you pay to get the blue book back, it is still not in your name and not your car, legally.
 

Hence nothing to stop it happening again or she comes back for her car (assume blue book in her name) and she no longer has any debt.

 

Sorry write it off, move on and learn.

[JBChiangRai]

24 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

Can understand your frustration, but the car has never been yours, legally.

 

If you pay to get the blue book back, it is still not in your name and not your car, legally.
 

Hence nothing to stop it happening again or she comes back for her car (assume blue book in her name) and she no longer has any debt.

 

Sorry write it off, move on and learn.

 

You don't pay the debt, let the loan company take the car but offer to buy the car from the loan company, with that document you can get a new blue book

[Georgealbert]

3 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

 

You don't pay the debt, let the loan company take the car but offer to buy the car from the loan company, with that document you can get a new blue book

Yes fully agree. We are both saying the same thing. 
 

Ugh55, the original poster should never pay anything unless the blue is transferred into his name only.

[Ugh55]

2 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

Presumably, the car is now owned by the loan company.

If the loan company is willing to sell the car to you, maybe it can be registered in your name.

But they may want more than just the amount owing.

 

1 hour ago, henry2109 said:

get in contact with the loan company. All they want is their money back, so the outstanding amount, plus interest, plus cost of reposession. Usually they have to auction off the cars or do similar procedures.

This is good logical advice, but proving very hard to implement. As far as I could gather, there's now a grace period in which the debt can be paid off in full (apparently one week). After that, the car goes to a different department to be sold off, and there's no way to intercept the car between the grace period ending and it going off to be sold. Once it goes off to be sold, there's no incentive for them to sell it specifically to me, as they could get the actual market/dealer price for it.

[Elkski]

Put 250k towards a different car.  Let that baggage go.   Your only losing 150k by your resale estimate. 

Thanks for providing others and me with a look into the thai mind. 

 

You bought her a car many years ago.  It was never yours. Be thankfull you got to use it so long. 

The real loser here is the not so ex,ex. Her credit should be shot.  And she would have so much smarter to take the car and sell it 4 years ago. 

Edited December 1, 2023 by Elkski

[Ugh55]

Decided to post an update, just in case it ever ends up helping anyone in the future.

 

It proved impossible to buy the car directly from the loan company. They are contractually obligated to sell all repossessed cars via a second partner company who would not even speak to me.

 

Eventually, I was able to guilt my ex into signing all the necessary paperwork to transfer ownership to me (power of attorney type forms in order to change ownership in absentia, tabien baan, etc). Once I had all the paperwork signed I went and paid her debt, and got the car and blue book back. The next day I was able to transfer ownership at the DLT without issue using said paperwork.

 

It was a stressful couple of weeks, but it was resolved in the least financially damaging way possible, given the situation. Many lessons learned. Thanks to everyone who offered genuine advice and empathy.

[KhunLA]

Good heads up.   Also people should watch out for the same, houses put up for collateral, without their partner's knowledge.   Many think it's free money.   Farang build, buys/pays for new house.  In wife's name, who refinances it, for what ever reason.   Maybe even a good one, that goes tits up.  Worse if paying off a gambling debt, or help a friend/family member that had no intentions of paying back.  It's only farang's money ... he no need 

 

Why my first 3 cars were entry level POSs (Vios & Mazda 2), that I wouldn't have owned in USA.  Dependable, but basically crap for comfort on the road.  As not knowing if I was staying, or was going to walk away from them, quick sale & loss.   First 2 in my name, since not really trusting Thai partner #! that much, and then very single when buying 2nd.

 

3rd was in future wife's name (already lived together for 6 yrs), and couldn't turn down that 100k baht tax rebate to new car owners.

Edited January 17 by KhunLA