Jeremy:
This hasn't been a good month for you car wise. On the plus side, there are some life lessons of value that may come from this. For example:
1. Put the money (at least a deposit) in the seller's hand when they offer up a car you want at an attractive price, don't wait.
2. If you told your potential future MIL that she should consider the car sold at $1500 and she agreed then apparently she does not have a strong sense of personal integrity and her word really means nothing. This may be a very significant piece of information that may come into focus in the future.
3. Assuming she isn't desparate for money to live on, apparently that car and the notion of keeping it in the family means far less to her than the inflated money she hopes to net from its sale. The logical conclusion I draw from that is the car is just another "thing" that can be sold and it really has no sentimental value to her.
4. When the car doesn't sell at $12K and she comes back to you with hopes of selling it to you, tell her you've reconsidered and you aren't really interested at $1500, but at $1000 you might be willing to take it off her hands. Then put 10-$100 dollar bills on the table and stare at her. At the end of a minute, pick up the money and go home!!!
Feel free to disregard any or all of this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :hmm