Track/project Car Was “stolen”, I Have A Signed Title Just Not In My Name, Can I Retrieve It.

Long story short I have a Nissan 350z that was a track car, being that it’s a track car I never registered it and just kept the signed open title since it never saw the road. We rented a house from my father in law for a little over 2 years and he told me when we moved out I could leave the car there while we settled in our new house (house needs a lot of work and gravel to not put things in a mud pit) and I offered to pay rent on it while it sat there and he said no it’s fine. I come back in town 3 weeks ago and my mother in law lets me know he wants it moved and I said ok I’m going back out of town for a week but I’ll see if I can get someone to move it to my house. Nobody could move it and I came back during the ice storm so it was muddy for a week, then the snow storm the week after and his yards been a mud pit and I really didn’t want to get stuck or tear up his yard to get it, well he sold it to someone a week ago (I found out yesterday) to part out and I finally just found it on marketplace. What are the legalities if I go to the guy’s house and show the signed title and try to get it back, can I just call the sheriff and have them make him give the car back. I’d report the car stolen but that’s a last resort since my FIL is not legal here and if he gets deported I’m sure that’d be great for my marriage. He didn’t file for an abandoned vehicle title or anything he just sold it to a guy that parts cars out and my other worry is this guy is going to rip this car apart if I wait till Monday to put it in my name legally.

Sorry for word salad and thanks in advance

Location: North Carolina