Xtreme Autoworld Jose Rios Sold a car for $17,000 cash, told me to wait to pay TTL. Two months later they transferred the car in my name and repossessed it two days later for TTL. Houston, Texas

 I proceeded to follow Jose to what he told me was his home and where he would draw up the bill of sale and title transfer paperwork.  This address to this location is 5554 Berry Creek, Houston, TX  77015.  Upon arrival of the Berry Creek address I was introduced to a lady whom Jose claimed to be his sister Veronica Rios.  He told Veronica that hed agreed to sell the vehicle for $17,000.00 cash and asked her to draw up the paperwork.  She immediately sat in front of a computer in our presence and drew up the bill of sale.  She asked about insurance and I told Catina Hubbard to contact our insurance company USAA to request our insurance to add the vehicle to our existing policy.  The proof of insurance was faxed to Veronicas fax machine within 10 minutes.  

Based on Veronicas calculations the T.T.L. totaled approximately $1,230.00.  Upon Joses request, I was asked to not pay the T.T.L. at that time because he wasnt exactly sure how much it would be and he would have to find out the actual amount when the title was actually transferred.  He said he would contact me with the amount and I could come and get my tags and title at that time. 

I then handed over the $17,000.00 cashiers check to Jose and left with the car and the bill of sale with a zero (0) balance owing on the vehicle.  I was not given any temporary tags for the vehicle. 

After not hearing from Jose for weeks I contacted him concerning the title transfer.  I was told that hed been in and out of town and that he hadnt transferred the title as of yet.  Weeks later I contacted Jose and he said that he still hadnt transferred the title and that he would contact me, he still hadnt given me an actual amount for the title transfer. 

On April 29, 2010 (over two months after the initial sale) Jose finally contacted me and said that he was ready to transfer the title, I responded that I had to get the money again because Id spent some of it, I didnt ask him for the amount needed, but I assumed it was at least 1,230.00 per Veronicas calculations.  Jose responded that that wasnt a problem and told me to call him back. 

Less than a week later, on May 4, 2010 at 9:25p.m. I received a mobile text from Jose which read, Hey I went 2 go get the title changed 2day but I need 2 get it inspected couse its frm dallas u think we can meet up so we can take it ? Ill pay for it. I just need 2 get it done . And the taxes I can do them 4 less than half I got a hook up now!   I responded the following morning (May 5, 2010 at 9:02a.m. with, Yea we can, Ill call u in about 2 hrs.  I was in a meeting at work at the time.  He immediately responded (9:03a.m.) with, Ok. 

Jose explained that the title hadnt been transferred because of this inspection.  There still wasnt a figure to be paid because it hadnt been transferred as of yet.                  

I went to meet Jose at Almeda Mall, the same location of our initial meeting.  Prior to his arrival he called me on the cell phone and asked that I go inside the mall and make a copy of my insurance card; not having a clue on where I would find a copy machine in the mall I drove off to make a copy down the street.  I found a local furniture store where an employee made a copy for me.  I returned to the mall and Jose had someone drop him off in the parking lot to ride with me to get the car inspected.  We went to a local Honda dealership, located at 11200 Gulf Freeway in Houston, TX.  Jose got out of the car and had a brief conversation with an employee in the service department.  Upon returning to the car, I was told by Jose that the machine was down and he was not able to get the car inspected today and we could do it later that day or the next day.  I dropped him back off at the mall where his ride picked him back up.  I went home.

  Jose contacted me again within hours of our last meeting.  He stated that the machine was back up and that he wanted to get it done today. 

I immediately went back to the dealership to get the vehicle inspected.  Upon arrival at  Honda, I called Jose to let him know I was there.  He asked me to meet him inside the lobby.  I proceeded to go inside the lobby; when I looked outside a wrecker was jacking my car up.  I ran outside to stop them and tried to open the door of my car.  I was dragged by the wrecker truck in an attempt to stop them from taking the car. 

I contacted the police from the dealership to report my vehicle stolen.  Officer T. Teter  from the Houston Police Department responded to my call and proceeded to ask questions to execute a police report.  After looking up the vehicle he explained that the vehicle had been repossessed for a balance owing on vehicle by Xtreme Autoworld; the address listed with Houston Police Department was 13903 Eagle Pass, Houston, TX77015.  He told me that although he would write up a report, I would need to contact Xtreme Autoworld to get my vehicle. 

I immediately drove to the location where I did the transaction (5554 Berry Creek Houston, TX  77017) and spoke with Veronica who had done the paperwork on February 25, 2010.  My interaction with Veronica was video recorded via cell phone.  Veronica claimed to not know anything about the vehicle or why it was repossessed.  She claimed that she hadnt spoken with Jose and she didnt have copies of any of the paperwork and that Jose keeps the files.  She also made attempts to contact Jose in our presence and claimed to not be able to contact him. 

After not being able to resolve the issue with Veronica I proceeded to drive to the address listed on the business card of Xtreme Autoworld which was the same address that Officer Teter had given me from the repossession listing.  Upon arrival 13903 Eagle Pass, Houston, TX77015 I found that there was no company there by the name of Xtreme Autoworld.  No business signs were in the window, on the property, nor at the top of the building.  A Hispanic gentleman, claiming to be the owner/leasee of the address for the past 6 months, claimed to not know Jose nor was he familiar with or able to give me any information on Xtreme Autoworld.  When I showed him the business card with his business address listed, he said hed never heard of Xtreme Autoworld. 

For the rest of the evening I made numerous phone calls to what I had as my only contact to Xtreme Autoworld and to whom I only knew as Jose Rios at (713) 454-4645.

The following day I spoke with the Ms. Walters at the Auto Theft Division at Houston Police Department.  She attempted to contact Jose on the same number and was able to get through to him.  Ms. Walters contacted me and reported that Jose told her that I owed money on the vehicle and this was the reason for the repossession.  I explained to Ms. Walters that I didnt owe any money on the vehicle and that the car was stolen.  She conferenced me in a phone call with Jose in which Jose still claimed that I owed him money.  I argued that I did not owe him money on the car, only the amount for t.t.l. and that I had the money for the t.t.l.; he said that he would send me my belongings and the amount that I owed (including repossession and investigation fees) via certified mail.  After Jose was disconnected, Ms. Walters said that this was a civil matter and that the City of Houston couldnt help me. 

I went to The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and found out that Jose had transferred the car into my name on May 3, 2010 and claimed that hed sold the car to me for only $3,000 (Id paid him $17,000).  He also listed Xtreme Autoworld as a lienholder, as if I still owed on the car.  Hed paid $187.50 for the title transfer.  He also claimed that hed sold the vehicle to me on August 28, 2009, our actual transaction date and first contact ever was February 25, 2010. 

Today is May 10, 2010 (five days after my vehicle has been taken) and I still have not heard from Jose or Xtreme Autoworld.  He will not answer my phone calls.  He has not returned my property that was inside the vehicle.  He is required by Texas Law to send me a letter of the amount I owe and my option to pay to get my vehicle back.  I have not heard from him at all.