That’s a crazy story. I have one too. When I moved to California from New York in ‘88, I had to transfer the title of a car because California law requires re-registering the car within 10 days. I called the bank (MidLantic, also now defunct) and asked to do that. They declined as it was a new car with a 3- or 4-year loan on it, and suggested I pay off the loan instead. I didn’t see an alternative, so I did and they sent me the New Jersey title with a stamp “Lien Released”

Fast forward 20 years and a collection agency just sent me a bill for almost $80,000 for the unpaid balance and interest for their client, a bank I never heard of.

So now I have to go back and try to retrieve a copy of the canceled cashier’s check (also drawn on a defunct bank – Security Pacific) or see if California still has the original NJ title with the lien removed stamp.

Anyway, how are you doing? We haven’t spoken in ages.

-NR
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