Tips on Buying Cars: lien, lienholder, tight spot

Question
i bought a 2002 suburban from a guy he gave me a form for a lost title i called dmv they said that it would be what i needed to get the title and reg but they did not even run plates or vin come to find out he still owes allot i paid reg and got temp tags now they are up and the line holder wont deal with me . i cant find seller and dmv wont give me anything what do i do to keep my baby and get the title or attests reg so i don't get pulled over please help me

Answer
Tim,

You are in what we call a tight spot.  What the seller did is also what we call ILLEGAL.  You can not sell a vehicle or item that has a lien on it, without fulfilling the lien first.  The ONLY thing you can do is hire an attorney, and let them try to find the guy and file charges against him.  The lienholder will probably want to prosicute him as well, but they may only be worried about getting their car back, and they have every right to do so.  

I know that isn't what you wanted to hear, but that is the reality of the situation.  

Hope this helps you out a little.

Thanks - JB