What to do if someone repossessed your car but you own it outright

A repossession is unlawful if you own a car outright, but someone took it anyway. A former buyer may have fraudulently removed his or her lienholder from title to the car and then sold it to someone with no knowledge of the old lien. However, that new owner likely is a “good faith purchaser for value” (sometimes called a “bona fide purchaser” or “BFP”). He or she has superior rights to the car over the old lienholder. This BFP rule means that it is a wrongful repossession if the old lienholder repossesses the car from the new owner. If you bought a car and a company you never heard of repossessed it, it is best to reach out to an attorney. Act quickly because the old lienholder could sell your car.