So, here is an update! With this situation, I have been keeping it secret. I didn't want to stir up anything whilst dealing with it. Enjoy!
Originally, when I bought the car, i thought it was a fake. But with the diesel, I thought....heck...why not.... Once I found out it was rare, I started to search for missing parts. I had a friend who knew Tom Collins and got me in contact. After I talked to Tom, I received Webber Arnold's(1991 camel trophy driver?) number. Webb was the first owner, after the truck was damaged. I have some paperwork that came with the truck and his name is on the first bill of sale from Land Rover of North America. So, I decided to give him a call. No answer. I left a message saying the truck was broke and was looking for missing parts. Soon after, he called me and said: "Oh, it's running and working? It's stolen!" Which I responded with, Bullsh*t. Then he called a Mesa County sheriff and told the sheriff his side, only. The sheriff called and said that I might have a stolen vehicle. I said how could it be stolen, if I have paperwork(bill of sales leading up to me)? Which the sheriff responded, " Oh, there is paperwork? Webb didn't tell me that. Fax it over." Then the sheriff calls back and said" well I found Bob(the guy who sold it to me) and he said he knew about the paperwork, except the bill of sale to you. That makes this a forgery and you are a bonafide purchaser, we will tow the vehicle and you will be compensated. We are going to tow the vehicle." Then, out of nowhere, San Miguel County shows up, getting ready to tow the vehicle. I Called my lawyer immiadiatly, and we threatened to sue San Miguel County and Mesa County for not going through "Due Process". They backed off and would allow it to go through the court system, and the sheriff dropped his case. Then Webb filed a civil suit against me for possession of the truck. Webb screws up the paperwork,multiple times(saying I lived in Mesa county, etc), doesn't get a lawyer, and tries to serve me a week before a court date in grand junction(which we get it moved telluride, soon after). With the extra time, We decided to get the sheriffs report and check out his investigation. We read the entire thing from start to finish, and found out hthe sheriff dropped the case, not because of us threatening to sue, but because he found some interesting info out. Webb gave the land rover to his brother(Charlie) in 2009ish(all the documentation, keys, etc), who kept it on his property. Soon after, Charlie's marriage goes to **** and his wife wants the truck off the property.....Charlie then tries to joint sell it with Bob to a guy in Alaska, but the sale falls through and the truck is parked on Bob's property for over a year, without contact or payment, making it abandoned. Bob had the right to sell it and the fault was with Charlie. We finally make it to a preliminary hearing. Webb verifies my documentation, except the bill of sell from Webb to Bob. Webb doesn't bring a lawyer(tries to make his wife the power of attorney, so he doesn't have to pay a lawyer and get help from her?.....which is not how that works...) and pisses off the judge right away, who normally sides with people who feel wronged. I win the preliminary by a land slide and the land rover was ordered the stay in my possession. The judge orders a mandatory mediation. So we let Webb chooses a Mediator, and we head to montrose. Both pay the fee, sit in separate rooms, and the mediator does his job. Webb tries some bargaining, still without a lawyer, and We decline, giving him the option of dropping the case or going to court and his almost guaranteed loss, having to pay my attorney fees in full. After a couple hours, the mediator convinces him that he will not win and to back off. He signs the paper work and the truck is STILL legally mine, but now with added bonus of it being mine in the "eyes" of Colorado. Either way It was a honor to meet Mr Arnold! I was also honored for Mr. Arnold to meet my lawyer.
Lesson of the day, lady's and gents, is to get a lawyer if you need one(you get what you pay for, especially when choosing a lawyer) and if you wanna tango with me, let's tango....cause I don't ******** around.
Hope the read was not too long.
Ps: I'm not here to slander anyone's name. I am just telling my story, with facts from the Mesa County Sheriff's reports and my lawsuit information/outcome.
