Update: Civic Purchased For $3,700 With Voided Title. Seller Has Now Stopped Contacting Me

Location: Las Vegas, NV

Previous post can be found here

TL;DR: I bought a used for, 2006 Honda Civic, for $3700. Seller gave me a title that had a clear issue date of 2023. Signed and everything, turned out to be voided because, allegedly, "his son" took out an application for a new title in September. Car was purchased in cash in October.

I have been regularly asking for updates about this new title, and receiving mixed responses. The seller initially told me he'd give it to me in person once it arrived in his mail but after a few weeks I gave up. We planned to meet at the DMV office but as of today, he has stopped contacting me and never arrived.

I'm not sure how it's possible the seller's son took out the application without his dad knowing, since the now voided title I had was in the seller's name. My guess is he just forged his dad's signature. Regardless, I now have an insurance policy on the car and it's sitting without plates or any documents in my apartment parking lot.

I'm not entirely sure what route to take. I've heard several different options, being:

1. That I can offer for him to buy the car back at the same price (skeptical that he'll reply to this one)

2. I can go to small claims court either suing him for the money back.

3. Attempting to get a court order for him to give me the title.

4. Give up and pursue a bonded title through the DMV (Can take up to 3 months in NV)

I don't really like any of these options because it's a lot more paperwork and stuff than I want to do, or results in me being back to square 1 in finding a car. I guess they're all better than where I currently sit but I'm not sure what the most realistic or best option is and I could really use some help deciding.

I'm also not totally sure what actual laws have been broken, if any. I'd assume the seller is guilty of fraud, selling me a title under the guise that it was valid when it wasn't. Is that worth suing over?

I also would like to mention I'm in the military, active duty, so there's legal counseling available on my base. I'd just kind of like to avoid it since it seems like a bit much for a stolen car.

Any help is very much appreciated. Thank you.