Collection and Lien questions

[wi_engine]

Ok the abreviated story.....

Seven years ago I co-sign for a now exgirlfriends car. We break up, she moves out of state, car gets paid off in due time, no problems with that part of the story. However about 2000 the Cities CA contacts me to let me know that I owe $260 some odd dollars in parking tickets on her plate (plate was out of state and they ran me down as the lien holder and only body who still lived in the city). I told them to pound sand. Last year they filed a lien agains't my State tax return and "loose" my dispute letter (my bad should have gone return receipt). They score thier money, I'm pissed but realize that this is a loosing battle in all likelyhood and call it a day.

Fast forward to yesterday when my 03 return shows up minus $140. Never recieved any notice of lien, nothing (I did the year before). Somewhat purturbed I call the CA and discover that

1) The funds have already been released to the CA

2) They can only account for dispersal of $105 on this years lien.

3) They have no record of the lien from last year (or didn't care to find it).

4) They have a new/third lien (again news to me) with the State for an additional $295, $90 of which is from 7 years ago on a plate that I've never heard of. The remaineder appears to be a recyling of citations that should have been covered by their initial cash grab.

At this point, the total that they are trying to/have collected is larger than the maximum possible fines for all the tickets they have on record (so something is clearly amiss). That subtle point was responded to with "thats what the computer says if you have documentation otherwise please provide it".

Regretably, I've had a number of rounds with these douche bags involving my own car and have seen numerous cases of "lost" release letters and the like. Unfourtunatly, this is quickly getting to the point where we're talking about real money and worse thanks to the no hassle lien arrangement the CA has with the State, its beginning to look like a yearly event.

Obviously is lawyer time. Who do I need? What should I be asking him to do? If its get written documentation of zero balance, I have that from last year, it just wasn't very permenant. Are there any potential violations of the Collections Act that I can collect on to offset the cost of the attorney? I really don't have time to deal with this crap and if the $140 was the end of it I'd be tempted to just let it go. Unfourtunatly, they're tee'ed up for another $295, and I've got no illusions to that being the end of the road.

Adding insult to injury, the first troll of the day hung up on me and her supervisor, "didn't have time for this" when I called back and tried to get her to track down where the funds from the first lien were applied.

I await your suggestions,

Dave