Title problems, please help!

[racerman85]

Hey guys. First off this is me and my dads first "real" project truck to restore, and we have never had problems with titles (most of the stuff we do is race car related)

What our problem is the guy we bought the truck from bought it at a swap meet for just the bed, and he didnt need/want the title because he was going to junk the rest of the truck. He decided not to use the bed because he found another one.

My dilemma is, the original owner is being non-responsive and we arent able to contact him to transfer the title from him. We are, however, still in touch with the guy we bought the truck from.

What do you think I should do? Buy another truck that has a title and vin plate and do a switch-up on the plates? OR maybe just switch up cabs if worse comes to worse? I looked into buying a new title, but its at least $500 and they arent doing any vehicles newer than 64' for right now. I'M SUNK!

Can anyone help me out? were willing to buy a 67' for just the vin plate and title, anywhere within 6 hours of south central PA. Short of doing that, does anyone have any other suggestions? We dont want to cheat the system, and I dont want to lose my truck.

This is pretty frustrating... Ideas?

[bobthecop]

i know here in Oklahoma you can apply for whats called a title 42 (Okla Statute) however you can talk to someone who has a shop and find out how they get a title for a vehicle that has a mechanics lein and has been abandoned. Here you fill out an affidavit stating you have a lien ie storage, repairs, and what you paid for it, it lists in the local paper (make the money you have in it far more than it is worth, storage at $10.00 a day adds up,) and if no one shows an interest a title can be issued in your name, here it costs $60.00 plus the tags and title fee. If someone has an interest they have to settle your lien to get it.

[racerman85]

I wonder if they have anything in my area like that?

By the way-I got a PM asking if I stole the truck and what i'm doing is wrong. The truck IS NOT stolen, and i'm not trying to find a way around the law.

[Longhorn Man]

leave a message to the legal owner (name on title) letting him know that an open title is highly illegal in PA. If I remember right, it's like a 500 dollar fine for all invovled... that's be the owner, the buyer.... who then sold it , and then you. Offer him 50 bucks for his time...but he IS the legal owner, and therefore responsible for that vehicle.

[PanelDeland]

Maybe you just need to point out to him that if the vehicle is involved in an accident he is responsible since he is the registered owner.That is how the law reads in most states.Since he wont bother to transfer title he is still the registered owner.That way you can suggest you might take it out on the freeway to play bumper cars with it.If he was at a swap meet you would think he was an enthusiast and would want someone to tke care of him if he was in the same position.

[e rock]

First of all, I'm guessing that the intention of the PM you got was to say that switching VIN plates is highly illegal. Please don't do it, and certainly don't post in a public forum about it.

Call your local State Patrol/Police office and ask them what to do.

The basics go something like this:
- The guy you bought the truck from is going to be on the hook for never transferring the title into his name. The fine varies by state, but it can be steep.
- The guy who sold the truck to him should have filed a "Report of Sale" (or something similar) when he sold it, which legally releases him from liability related to the vehicle, but if nobody else claims ownership of the truck (transferring title), he still retains some rights as legal owner. For instance, if the truck had been impounded, he would have legal right to pay the impound fee and recover the truck since, according to the state, he's still the legal owner even though they have a report of sale.
- If you have a paper-trail of sales dating back to the current legal owner, you can file for a lost title. If you don't have any paperwork showing a sale from the legal owner, you're probably out of luck until you get in touch with him. The state patrol may have other options as well. Perhaps you can file for a lost title based on possession contingent on an attempt on their part to contact the legal owner? I'm not sure, but it doesn't hurt to call them.

It sucks to hear, but you really should have checked all this out before paying for the truck in the first place.

Good luck,
Eric

[68GMC454]

out here in utah we just file for a lost title...here we go to the tag office get a stack of papers,,have the cops come look at it to run the vin to make sure its not stolen,,if everyting is ok,,they will fill out the paper work..then take papers and pics of truck to tag office get title in your name..here it cost 6.00 to get a title in your name,,i didnt tag it due to not running..bit o dodmt want to be pulling it on the chain wiht no title...never talk about swapping vin numbers..really illegal..also do not do anything to truck until you have a title..that way you dont loose alot of money if you have to give truck back...yuou might have to take the guy you bought it off of to small claims court to get your money back if you cant get a title..
billy

[Longhorn Man]

most states only let the actiual owner file for lost title

[WyoRoadDog]

I know Wyoming only let's the owner on the title file for lost title. I had to go through this with my '67, Guy I bought from had bought it from a friend, never got the title, but they were buddies... blah blah blah.
You can contact your (usually) sheriff's office at look at doing a lien sale of the vehicle. Here we needed to have the vehicle for 30 days, place a lien for the amount of "storage and repairs", run an ad in the paper advertising the sale, then show up to the sale and hope no one else wants it for more than the lien. Also, you are not supposed to do this for a lost title, but it's an option.
I would suggest exhausting all options with the owner(s) before going this route.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by PanelDeland

Maybe you just need to point out to him that if the vehicle is involved in an accident he is responsible since he is the registered owner.That is how the law reads in most states.Since he wont bother to transfer title he is still the registered owner.That way you can suggest you might take it out on the freeway to play bumper cars with it.If he was at a swap meet you would think he was an enthusiast and would want someone to tke care of him if he was in the same position.

If you do that he may just go & get a duplicate title and turn it in as junked, then you could never title it again. (In Iowa anyway)

LockDoc

[gmcman7202]

so the title was regestered in owner #1 name, which transfered title to owner # 2, with their name on it? which then sold it to owner #3 at the swap meet, now you are owner # 4, but cant tag or title it becaus of this correct? now i am just using the #'s as refrence, not actuall # of owners of the vehicle

[High Speed low Drag]

Send the owner a notarized, registered letter with a return receipt. In it, demand storage charges of _____ per day payable in full within 14 days. If no response at that point, take the receipt to your DMV and ask them how you get the title. Usually you have to have an auction. You can post details of the auction in any public place like a library, a firestation, a school, etc...

When the auction day comes and goes because you posted your notice at the county baseball field in December and no one saw it, then take your paperwork to DMV and get your title.

[BarryB]

Check out Staab Agency in Maine.I don't have there # available. What they do is register you truck in Maine they send you a registration and tag. When it expires go to your local DMV and do a state transfer. It's already in your name. It's perfectlly legal seeing you can get a BIll of Sale.(doesn't have to be from the original owner) And proof that you carry insurance. My Dad has done this several times and it works. Depending on what they charge now but it is in the $100 up range. Do a google search and contact them. They'll be able to tell you what exactlly to do.

[BarryB]

Staabagency.com

[racerman85]

thanks for all the suggestions. The reason the "switch vin plates" came up was because our neighbor down the street does it with some of his vehicles. I didnt think it was legal, but hes been doing it for a couple years and he hasnt had a problem. Guess he's just gotten lucky? I wasnt positive, but I didnt know if i was crazy or if it was him?

Once again guys, thanks for all of the suggestions. Keep them coming. Thanks again.

Ryan

[72freak]

Originally Posted by racerman85

thanks for all the suggestions. The reason the "switch vin plates" came up was because our neighbor down the street does it with some of his vehicles. I didnt think it was legal, but hes been doing it for a couple years and he hasnt had a problem. Guess he's just gotten lucky? I wasnt positive, but I didnt know if i was crazy or if it was him?

Once again guys, thanks for all of the suggestions. Keep them coming. Thanks again.

Ryan

Its better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission....... If you dont mind risking jail time.

Oh yea.....speeding is illegal also!?!?!?!?!

It is definatly against the law.....ask Boyd Coddington.......but I bet 80% of serious car guys have done it. Its really not too different from just swaping a titled cab over to a non-titled frame and running gear and I know probably 90% of truck guys have done that!!!! We are lucky and unlucky at the same time here in Georgia.......This is one of the "no title states" so we dont have to deal with all that and they have finally come up with some form that is legal in all states so we can now sell vehicles to other states without a title and the buyers state will issue them a title.

[centsless]

I would go with the Staab Agency option. I have three trailers registered through them and they are the absolute best to deal with. I bought a 16 ft landscape trailer from my neighbor. He could not find the title, and went to the MVA to get a duplicate, and they had no record of him owning it. I sent staab the bill of sale, and a scale slip to show it was under 3000 lbs and got my tags. Now to get it back into MD, I have a ME registration to transfer. I switched my other two trailers to ME because of the cost. I get 5 yr tags for what it cost for 1 yr in MD.

[racerman85]

Originally Posted by 72freak

Its better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission....... If you dont mind risking jail time.

Oh yea.....speeding is illegal also!?!?!?!?!

It is definatly against the law.....ask Boyd Coddington.......but I bet 80% of serious car guys have done it. Its really not too different from just swaping a titled cab over to a non-titled frame and running gear and I know probably 90% of truck guys have done that!!!! We are lucky and unlucky at the same time here in Georgia.......This is one of the "no title states" so we dont have to deal with all that and they have finally come up with some form that is legal in all states so we can now sell vehicles to other states without a title and the buyers state will issue them a title.

Hey thanks for the heads up! Last thing I would want to happen is to lose my truck...

I think I might try the agency idea if I cant get ahold of the other one.

[el curioso]

Theres other legal ways to do this rather than swithing vin plates. I heard from some places that get lost title that they go through a car dealer, shop who get a lein and there for the vehicle is theirs then they just transfer it over to the new owner, you. They some times give you a purchase reciept and in many states thats enough aslong as it comes from a licensed dealer. I went to a local dealer and he maneged to get my lost title. If the truck was ever in the auction system they can also get you a copy of the title.

P.S. Just shooting options..

[BUDDY]

Have you tried just getting a replacement (duplicate) title?

HTH,

Buddy

[Chris4x4Gill2]

I have not read all the replys so I hope I dont completely repeat someone..

I am going through a similair situation in which the title was lost. For a duplicate/replacement title you need to go to you states DMV dept website and download the Replacement Title Request form. This has to be submitted by the owner stated on the current title. here its a $15 processing fee.

That being said....what year is the truck? Pre 75 trucks dont have a title. All you need is a Bill of Sale or a Bill of Transferal from the PO to register the truck in your name.

[Chris4x4Gill2]

there is also a mechanics lean that can be aplied for. Generally done by a shop where a vehicle was never picked up after work was done. But can be done by shade tree's as well.

basically requesting a title so the car can be sold to recover lost labor charges that were never paid. that costs around $150 here