so what title did *you* receive? the original? apparently, the collision
repair work was done so well you never noticed it.

its usually printed on the title he hands to you when you buy. if he
gave you the "old" title, thats... pretty fraudulent.

how much were you going to sell the car for?
how much would it sell for with a "salvage" title?

see if the "friend" would like to buy it back, minus a mileage deduction
 for the time youve been using it. let HIM sell it to someone else.

another option would be to use it as a trade in?

if it looks and runs well, just sell it as is and disclose the salvage
aspect of it. its 10 years old anyway, you paid $3500, and drove it for
a year and a half. sell it for $1900. if the cars nice, itll sell itself.

Small claims court.  If you can somehow prove fraud or
misrepresentation, even after some time has gone by, you might win. I
did it and won.

Does your neighbor have something you can borrow and then not give back?

Just kidding, of course.  Pretty crappy thing for him to do.  Pretty bad
when you can't trust your neighbors.

Might want to contact the your state Motor Vehicle Administration about
title validity.  Let them do a title research for you.  After all, it is
their responsibility.

   This all sounds pretty odd to me.  A *two* year old Accord was in an
accident.  Damages were so extensive that it was declared a total loss!
Must have been pretty bad.  Yet for some reason the owner felt he could get
it fixed on his own and lobbied the insurace company to give it to him as a
"slavage".  He has it repaired and gets 6 more good years out of it.   You
buy the car from him and it must look and drive good enough to fool you into
thinking there were no major problems, so apparently the original owner did
a good job having it fixed after the accident.  Hmm.....

   Georgia has an unusual definiftion of salvage which may or may not offer
an explanation for what happened:  " A vehicle which has been broken,
disrupted or damaged to such an extent that it will not pass a Georgia State
motor vehicle safety inspection and is sold, or in any manner disposed of,
while in that condition.  A vehicle to which any person, including an
insurance company, has taken title in the settlement of a claim for damages
to such vehicle by fire, collision, or other causes is wreckage or salvage
regardless of the actual condition of the vehicle. The term "insurance
company" is defined in such a manner as to include self insurers."

   I would have a title search done just make sure yours is authentic.  If
it's not and GA wont let you sell a 14 year old car without a valid title
(some states will) then you might have a solid small claims court case.  If
the title is valid and the car has performed well for you, and a mechanic
will certify it's current condition as sellable at a value you agree with,
any claim against the original owner for his deception might not be worth
the trouble at this point, even if it could be proved.

Bob

You don't have to. Borrow $500 from your neighbor then offer his wife $500
to f**k her. Then tell your neighbor that you paid him back and get it from
his wife.

While at the DMV office, ask whether or not they can give you a regular
title since you were a victim of fraud. If they can't do that for you, ask
if it legal for you go sell the vehicle with salvage title. If you sell it
with a salvage title below the blue book price, take your neighbor to
small claims court and demand that he pay you the difference. For everyone
that reads this post, this is a story that proves everyone needs to do a
carfax report on any used vehicle they buy.

I hope you mean $4100 private party value and not retail.  

Again, I hope you checked the numbers yourself and did not just take
his word for it.  

You should call your neighbor, in a courteous fashion, and ask him about
the salvage title.  It could turn out to be a theft recovery with lots of
parts missing.  Due to the cost of fixing the car the insurance company
totaled the car and it got the salvage title.  It was your responsibility
to do your homework.  Also, the title should clearly state if it was a salvage
title.  You did review the title before you bought the car, right?  With a
salvage title I would say you over paid for the car, but that is your own
fault for not doing your homework.
-----------
Alex
   

hey there...  do ask georgia about the title.  i know that georgia is
one of those states that wash their own titles.  only a simple state
inspection is needed for a title to go from salvage to clean in
georgia.  the title may be clean now, but the history still show the
vehicle as salvage.  good luck.