my room mate stole my car, what type of attorney do i need?!?

If the car is in your name this shouldn't be a problem. What aren't you telling us?

Brad, you don't need an attorney on this. All you have to do is go to the court house where you live and file a law suit against him in small claims court and pay the fee required. The law will contact him and give him a court appearance date. Take the matter before the judge and the judge will issue a court order for him to return the car and he will also have to pay the court cost. If you receive the car in worse condition than when he got it, you can take him back to court for that also. That is what small claims court is for and they by law have to honor your request for a hearing. This sort of thing goes to court all the time. A lawyer will only cost you a lot of money a small claims court will do for nothing! The reason the law isn't doing anything now is probably because the way they see it, you loaned him the car to use to move and he just hasn't returned it yet. Small claims court has more authority than police on an issue like yours and will order the car returned.

If Charlotte police won't do anything, try Phoenix.

I'm a little worried that we don't have all the information here. He refuses to make payments, is the car in both of your names? Yours alone?

If you hold a joint title, you're hosed. It's his car too and you're tied to it by your credit. There's no theft.

If it's your, it's yours. You don't need an attorney, you need law enforcement. Worst case, you need a PI to track this idiot down and just take the car back. The only way the thief is responsible for the payments is if they agree to that, for some unknown reason.

If it's insured and your alone, take the police report to your insurance company. If they can't find it, they have to pay for it, but that car will stay listed as stolen and once they pay, you can never have it back. It would basically belong to them in that case.

Why would someone who stole a car make payments on it? If your room mate actually "stole" it you could report it to police in both states and have it confiscated and sent back to you...IF you were both on the loan or title, then you will need an attorney to sue for whatever your stake is in the vehicle. IF your room mate is not making payments and is on the loan, just report him to the finance company and they can just go repossess it.

Contact the police both where you live and in Phoenix...the locals where he is may be able to help more than the ones near you. This is a police matter as it is a stolen car unless you both have your name on the car.

Call the police station back and ask to talk to a supervisor or detective. Ask them what to do. This IS a police matter, and you shouldn't have to hire an attorney. Perhaps you need to call the police in Arizona and report it there. Call and ask a police supervisor what to do.

You don't need any lawyer. This is a law enforcement issue.

By any and all definition... he STOLE your car. Call the police, and have them prosecute him. Your stolen property will be returned to you.

The police can't pursue charges on Grand Theft Auto? What did you tell them that you aren't telling us? Clearly you gave them a different story. Anyway it would be a CIVIL matter if it's not a CRIMINAL matter(although it's a criminal matter based on him stealing it according to you).

General practice will do.

But there is obviously more to the story because what you describe is auto theft and the police should be treating it as such.

I'd try the police first, assuming you have proof of title/registration.