What should I do about a title?

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by f18delta

Was it ever titled in OK? If so, they should have a record of it.

He doesn't know & the guy who possibly does is deceased.

[mr48chev]

A few avenues might be if there is an old license plate still on the truck and go though every paper in the glove box and every other hiding place in the truck looking for old registration or insurance slips that give a name for the last registered owner.

Here in Washington we have a three year registration without title that we can do on trucks or vehicles like that by taking them to the state patrol and having them inspected and then registering them http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.a...te=308-56A-210
If no one comes forward with a title to claim the vehicle in three years you can apply for a regular title. I built my sailboat trailer out of the frame from a travel trailer that my buddy had that didn't have a title and although I built the trailer ten years ago I only registered it three years ago so this time around I can apply for a title or just keep registering it the way it is.
A lot of states are on to this "title company" thing and it is one way to get a big red flag popping up with your dmv in a lot of cases plus they can't do a thing that you can actually do yourself if you set your mind to it and apply a bit of effort. Plus a bond on the title on a project truck should be less than the fees for one of those companies. A guy is nuts to put a ton of money in a truck with no title and no idea of how he is going to get one when it's done though. You have to have your ducks lined up in a nice military row and have your homework done.

[Mark3100]

In Texas you simply go to the DMV and get a Bonded Title. This will require you to get a bond (about $100 depending on the value of the vehicle) to protect the state and after about a year you can get a clear title. It is pretty easy but not well known! I had to do the same thing.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Mark3100

In Texas you simply go to the DMV and get a Bonded Title. This will require you to get a bond (about $100 depending on the value of the vehicle) to protect the state and after about a year you can get a clear title. It is pretty easy but not well known! I had to do the same thing.

Yes, I told him about the bonded title deal. From what he was told, it's 2yrs until a clear title in your name that cannot be challanged. This may or may-not be correct depending on the info source. Another buddy spent over 9 trips to the tax office trying to do a similar thing. Each trip he was told he needed something different (that wasn't previously mentioned). After over a year of trying, he gave up & abandoned the vehicle for the same reasons (at any point before the bonding period is up, it can possibly be re-claimed & why it doesn't make sense to invest $$).

This is why I'm helping w/some of the info research. More info = better decisions.

[Tx Firefighter]

Scot, I have a girl at my local DMV. She's a doll and walked me completely through a bonded title process.

-You buy a bond for 1.5 times the vehicle's value
-The state issue you a bonded title. It looks like a normal title but says "Bonded" on it
-The title is absolutely fully negotiable as any other title. You can buy and sell exactly the same as any other titled vehicle.
-If, within 3 years, a person makes a claim against the vehicle, they get the bond money. You do not lose the vehicle or any of that. It is still yours free and clear. The bonding company researches the title before they issue the bond and when they front the bond, it's their assurance that they are now confident in the vehicle's integrity and are now obligated to pay the bond value if that winds up being incorrect.
-After 3 years, you can walk into the DMV and surrender the bonded title and they will issue a normal title if you wish. You do not have to do this if you don't want to go to the hassle. After 3 years, the next time the title changes hands, it will revert to a normal title anyway.

This entire process on a late 70s Dodge truck was 350 dollars total for me. That includes the bond and all paperwork fee.

Again, when they issue the bonded title to you, the vehicle is yours no matter what. No matter who were to ever come forward with any claim against your ownership, the bond company pays 1.5 times the vehicle value to that person if their claim has legitimacy. You cannot lose the vehicle no matter what. Further, the bonding company aren't fools either. If they issue a bond for you, they're quite confident the vehicle is free of any holdings. It's exactly like a title insurance policy when you buy a house. If some person came forward and claimed you owed money to them because the home, the title company handles it. When they issue the title paperwork at closing, they're putting their neck out there for any future disputes.

[Mark3100]

That is exactly what I was told (just couldn't remember the timeframe for the clear title). It took me two trips to the DMV to get mine only because the first person I talked to disn't know what she was doing or simply wanted to get rid of me. There was actually a bonding company in the same building as the DMV so I was able to do it all at once. Good luck!

[Tx Firefighter]

I'm so lucky that I have a good woman at my local small town courthouse.

She's walked me through both a bonded title process and a storage lien title process in the last 3 years. Both are easy if the person behind the counter feels like holding you hand and leading you through it.

[SCOTI]

Here's the info listed for a bonded title in TX. I highlighted in RED where he'll possibly run into issues & why I'm helping him investigate:

Bonded Title Procedure
If you do not have acceptable evidence of ownership for a vehicle you own, you may have the option of applying for a bonded title.

Step 1: Determine your eligibility

•In order to qualify, you must be a Texas resident or military personnel stationed in Texas; or
•Have a vehicle that was last titled in Texas (not sure where it was last titled)
•The vehicle must be in your possession and cannot be considered abandoned, junked, stolen, or in any other pending lawsuits. Although not required to be operational, it must be a complete vehicle including a frame, body and motor or if a motorcycle, a frame and motor. (no motor/drivetrain)

If you meet the above eligibility requirements, you may take or mail the following documents to your nearest TxDMV Regional Service Center:

•A Statement of Fact for Bonded Title (VTR-130-SOF);
•A Statement of Physical Inspection (VTR-270);
•All supporting evidence of ownership (Bill of Sale, Invoice, Cancelled Check, etc.); (it was a gift from a now deceased member of his family)
•$15.00 Bonded Title Application Fee; and
•Acceptable Photo ID which must include a photograph, unique identification number, birth date, and expiration date.

If your documents are approved, you will be issued a letter stating the amount of the required bond, equal to 1½ times the value of the vehicle. The department will determine the value of the vehicle using one of the sources below:

For vehicles newer than 25 years old in order of preference:

•The Standard Presumptive Value (SPV) from our web site (www.TxDMV.gov) as the primary source;
•If a SPV is not available, the National Auto Dealers Association (NADA) reference guide will be used; or
•If a value is not available either through SPV or NADA, a licensed motor vehicle dealer or insurance adjuster may appraise the vehicle on a form provided by VTR;
•For vehicles 25 years old or older, TxDMV staff will use the greater of:
•A set value of $4,000.00 multiplied by 1.5 will be assigned to the vehicle;
•If the applicant has a bill of sale over $4,000.00, that amount will be multiplied by 1.5 and assigned to the vehicle;
•The applicant must sign a certification attesting the vehicle value does not exceed the amount of the bond.

Step 2: Purchase a surety bond

Take the letter and other documents given to you by the TxDMV Regional Service Center to an auto insurance agency or any agency that is licensed to sell vehicle Surety Bonds in Texas. The letter from the TxDMV Regional Service Center is valid for only one year based on the vehicle value.

Step 3: Apply for a bonded title

Within 30 days of obtaining the bond, take the original letter given to you by the TxDMV Regional Service Center and the documents listed above, to your county tax office, in addition to:

•a completed Form 130-U including any additional documents required by this form;
•Acceptable Photo ID which includes a photograph, unique identification number, birth date, and expiration date;
•weight certificate (if a commercial vehicle or a truck);
•a Vehicle Identification Certificate (Form VI-30), completed by an authorized Safety Inspection Station (if previously titled out-of-state) (truck is & has been in pieces for years. Not sure how to go about the authorized inspection station trip)
•an (HS 7) Customs Document or other U.S. Customs declarations (if the vehicle is imported from another country).



This statement is also vague:

Take the letter and other documents given to you by the TxDMV Regional Service Center to an auto insurance agency or any agency that is licensed to sell vehicle Surety Bonds in Texas. The letter from the TxDMV Regional Service Center is valid for only one year based on the vehicle value.

Does this mean you need to get it done within the year or you'll have to restart the process or does it mean the process takes a year to complete or it expires after a year & possibly requires repeating?????


*EDIT*
I was typing all this while you guys were posting your info. I'll show this to my buddy tomorrow. Looks to be the way to go as the main concern was someone possibly reclaiming the vehicle. Thanks guys!

[Mark3100]

You are right. A woman at the tax office walked me through the entire process and said if the DMV said something different, call her and she would talk to the DMV and get it done. There are people that want to help - you just need to find them!!!

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

.......snip.....


This statement is also vague:

Take the letter and other documents given to you by the TxDMV Regional Service Center to an auto insurance agency or any agency that is licensed to sell vehicle Surety Bonds in Texas. The letter from the TxDMV Regional Service Center is valid for only one year based on the vehicle value.

Does this mean you need to get it done within the year or you'll have to restart the process or does it mean the process takes a year to complete or it expires after a year & possibly requires repeating?????

You're over thinking it Scot. It means that they set a value (as stated above) and that value is valid for one year during which you must buy a bond for that value. If you wait longer than a year, the process must be repeated so they can reassess the vehicle's value (in case it changed within the last 12 months).

[Mark3100]

You can skip the inspection until it is operational - they mark that on the title and you need to get it inspected before they will license the vehicle. You will also need to pay for another title to get the "no inspection" removed.

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by Mark3100

You are right. A woman at the tax office walked me through the entire process and said if the DMV said something different, call her and she would talk to the DMV and get it done. There are people that want to help - you just need to find them!!!

You're not from Parker County are you ? Sounds like we have similar experiences with our DMVs.

[_Ogre]

the dmv around here is worthless
it's like they're doing you a favor just being there

[Mark3100]

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