What can you do if someone sells you a car with a lien?

Answer 1

A lien against who... you or them? If the lien is against them, you're not in a good situation, even if you've paid the car in full. If they fail to make the remaining payments, and the vehicle goes up for repossession, then it's getting repossessed, and you'll have a lengthy and difficult legal battle ahead of you.

Answer

It is a little complicated. Basically, you need a clear title for your money. The seller needs to provide a title with a paid lien. This may involve your insisting on meeting the seller at his lender to pay off the lien and getting a receipt so you can put it into your name. That is because the seller may be upside down on what is owed and so will need to bring additional money to the table.