What you don’t say is whether you are actually the person on the loan. If the loan is in Grandma’s name, but you are the one making the payments, the finance company has no obligation to assist you. In fact, they may be doing the right thing by being cautious and contacting the person who is actually on the loan, to prevent identity theft and car theft.

If you are not on the account, you probably have zero rights and cannot sue them for anything. To avoid problems in the future, arrange with the finance company to “assume” the loan, putting your name on it, or refinance the balance with another lender, in your own name.

If you don’t have the credit to do this, don’t want to pay higher finance charges because of bad credit, or are hiding your assets for some reason, then you will have to live with the aggravation.

If you are the account holder, it’s a different story. You may be able to use your state’s or California’s unfair business practice laws in addition to suing them for breach of contract (their obligation to assist you in renewing registration). See a lawyer.

Very weird. Call a consumer advocacy organization and explain to them what happened. I hate dealing with boneheads who think that they can get away with stupidity.

Not really sure about the laws in California but usually you just need your previous registration and proof of insurance (if required) to renew registration. About the payment thing and their call you can report them to the Better Business Bureau in your state.