What title records can—and cannot—show
California DMV guidance says a valid Certificate of Title proves ownership and that changes in ownership or lienholder must be reported to the department, with the title updated. That general guidance does not establish what happened to the records for Arrod Berjis’s car.
What buyers can check on a title
For a private-party purchase, the California DMV says a title may show the registered owner’s information and the lienholder’s information if money is owed on the vehicle. The DMV also says paper and electronic titles have the same legal significance and undergo the same examination of title documents and applications. These general rules describe what title records can show; they do not establish what records showed for Berjis’s car.
In its published materials, Carvana says vehicle title and registration work involves 50 separate state systems, many paper-based, and that the company handles the entire process for customers in more than 80% of cases. It also says more than 99% of its customers have registration completed before their temporary plates expire. Those company-wide statements provide context about the process, not evidence about Berjis’s vehicle.
What ABC7 reported about Berjis’s title dispute
According to ABC7’s reporting, Berjis, then 17, paid $58,000 for a 2019 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG he found on Autotrader. He told the station that neither the title nor his Carfax report showed a lien, and that a DMV clerk said the vehicle had no lien and its paperwork was clear. He said he went to the DMV with the seller before completing the purchase.
The title issue came to light after the Mercedes disappeared the night before a planned sale. According to Berjis’s account to ABC7, he reported it missing to the Los Angeles Police Department and later learned from a towing company that it had been repossessed on Carvana’s order. ABC7 also reported that Berjis had spent three months repairing the car and had arranged a potential buyer willing to pay $75,000.
Berjis told ABC7 that when he later sought answers at the DMV, he was told earlier paperwork might have been overlooked and the title issued to him could be invalid. He also told the station that the seller’s identity and documents ultimately turned out to be fake. ABC7 reported that the LAPD was investigating, the DMV could not comment because the matter was open, and Carvana had not responded to the outlet’s requests for comment.
A separate case offers context, not confirmation
GM Authority reported that Cleveland buyer Mark Moore’s vehicle was repossessed after a previous owner’s unpaid debt was linked to it. The dealership said it had received what appeared to be a clear title and that the vehicle was later connected to an alleged theft ring under federal investigation. This is a separate reported case and does not independently verify what happened in Los Angeles.
Berjis told ABC7 that the $58,000 came from savings he had built over four years of high school for college, and that the loss could delay his higher-education plans. He said he hopes Carvana will return the vehicle or compensate him; ABC7 reported no resolution.
