Tracking down old owners?

[giantpune]

but for $500 dollars we were able to "buy" the car again from the original victim's insurance company

Money is money to the insurance guys. When mine was wrecked and the other drivers' insurance company decided it was totalled, they offered to let me buy my car back from them for like $1200 and they wouldn't report it as being totalled. So I get screwed but at least I got to keep my car and the title is clean.