#1. Was the truck registered & titled in your name? If so, unless N.M. is different from Texas there are a whole lot of regulations to comply with to get legal title, even if it was "abandoned" on his property. Usually one of the first things is to notify the last registered owner by either certified or registered (can't remember which) mail. Then if there is no response from that person, you can proceed with the rest of the red tape to get title. If he did not follow the legal procedures, then you have a case & should contact your local D.A. who can advise you on how to proceed.

If the truck was not registered in your name, it is not hopeless but it will be much harder to prove your claim. To start with, you will need to contact the person you bought it from & get a statement from them verifying your purchase. That statement will probably have to be notarized to be valid. You may be able to get legal aid to help you.
Not to sure where to go from there but it's a start.

I am not a lawyer, my mother was the accountant for a car dealership for years & I've owned an auto repair business for over 25 years. In that time, I have on several occasions had to file paperwork to get title to vehicles & even with a mechanics lean it has been a PITA to get a legal title.

Good luck, but unless you can put legal pressure on your friend to force him to relinquish his claim, it may take a while.

Wonder if Yonuh got his truck back? ..........been a couple of days now..........

Yeah, I know. I posted all that legal crap I had to learn because my first instinct is to grab my tire thumper & go explain things in terms such people can understand, using the thumper to emphacize the points I feel they are having the most trouble with.

I'm hoping he did nothing to cause himself trouble......

dirty deeds done, done dirt cheep

Apparently you can legally steal a truck here in New Mexico. I talked to the cops and they say they can't do anything about it. Since he has a title in his name it is legally his. So I am stuck with no truck to move with. And no money to even get a cheap pickup bed trailer.

You dont have a title in your name?

destroy the truck.  Any way you can think of. You turned to the law and that didnt work. A screwdriver and small hammer can smash out lights with fairly little noise with a tap. You got the keys? pop the hood. Sand or metal filing in the oil filler, tranny filler, gas tank, master cylinder. Disconnect the battery terminals and reverse. Hole in the tank maybe? Old brake fliud all over the paint.

why would they look at him? Its not his truck, remember? Why would he destroy his buddies truck? clearly it was those dam teenagers.