He owes you the $17,000 or the vehicle. You have two courses of action. The amount owed is more than can be handled in small claims court, so you will need to hire an attorney to sue him for either the vehicle or the money, plus attorney's fees. You can also go to the local police department and file theft charges against the friend. Be aware that if you file criminal charges, he may go to jail, and if so, you probably will not see either the vehicle or the money until he gets out. This could be quite some time down the road.
Answered on May 16th, 2016 at 5:11 AM