Titles

[Vintage Windmills]

Ive seen 3 trucks recently that the seller has the original title from the previous owner and has not filled it out and sent it in. I was told in all instances that I would just fill in and send in as new owner. It seems like there would be no issue because states do not have you submit a copy of payment reciept and verify names match at that point. is it true, not an issue? Thinking back to my past dealings with MN registrar, there would be no problem that I can see.

Also, while we're on the title subject, I see online that companies can get a title for you if a vehicle is over a certain age. It cost like $400 dollars and they get one for you. Anyone had this done? In one instance, A guy bought a bunch of old cars, retitled them all and then sold them. So, theoretically, you could put a parts truck w/o title back on the road?

[too much stuff]

For a truck worth that kind of money, wouldn't you want a CLEAR title? For a $500 or $1000 truck you could take a chance on a skipped title. That still doesn't mean it is good.

To part 2 of your question, In MN you can get a non titled vehicle re-titled. Sometimes it is smooth, sometimes not. You will need to run old plates, find the last registered owner and have them do some paperwork for you. Otherwise take a chance on a reconstruction title.

[JCD]

When a vehicle owner sells the vehicle and has not transferred title to their name, the only issue it creates is for the IRS.

No paper trail and a cash sale means no record of income, and nothing for the IRS to Tax.

At that point it's up to the honesty of the individual to declare what they've taken in.

As to Non Titled vehicles..
I'm always wary of them.. Years ago my friend bought a 68 Chevelle without a title.

The "Owner" told us he couldn't find it, and everything was okay.

When he went to title it, he found out the car actually belonged to someone else, and the man he bought it from had himself been a buyer, but hadn't paid the balance owing on the car.

DMV officials, sheriffs and police all had a say, and he ended up getting his money back because the "owner" didn't want charges filed against him.

The car was returned to the original owner.

As I said, I'm wary, but it can happen that a title is lost..
If I'm to buy a car untitled, I now insist of going to the DMV WITH the owner, and complete the transaction there.

It just makes sense.

J.

[70chevytruck]

In Texas...my $500 truck costs $300 more for a bonded title. Price was based on 1 1/2 time NADA average sale price...$17,000. Ridiculous.....

Just look at having to spend some extra money and take the vin down to the local DMV and make sure it is not stolen. Assuming it was last registered in the state you are trying to get it registered in....My Cali truck did not show up at all in Texas at the DMV. Could have been reported stolen in Cali.

Checked it out and it everything was kosher.

[Longhorn Man]

You need to pay the most attention to people responding from YOUR state on this. Contact your DMV. Cali has some stupid crazy laws on this stuff that are not the same as every other state. Most states have small details that differ from each other.

Generally speaking, if the seller has an open title from the original owner, then YOU won't get in any trouble. Again, this is a generic statement, not MN specific. Talk to your BMV. PA will fine the crap out of anyone cought with an open title, if memory serves, it's like 500 bucks to everyone in the chain of events (seller, buyer, and any middleman)

Some states do not require a title at all on old vehicles. If you get one from one of those states, then insist on a notorized bill of sale, and a copy of the registration.

If something seems wrong, then cover your ass. Get paperwork, get things notorized, get names... if the BMV is not satisfied with your documentation, then you will be treated like a criminal untill you prove you are not. Bass Ackwards, but that's just how it is.

[1956cameo]

I agree with Longhornman, every state is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT! I have gone bonded title route before, I know other states besides Texas do bonded titles as well but I dont know which ones. In Texas if you have an unsigned title and dont want to forge the signature you can turn it in along with some state forms and get a bonded title. The bonded title works just like a normal title and then after 2 years you can trade the bonded title in on a regular title. The bonded title on my 72 burb is almost two years old so in 2-3 months I can mail it in and they will send me a regular title. It costs a little because you have to buy the bond, but if your state offers this it is the correct legal way to get the title in your name. Good luck!

[kcsa75]

When I bought my truck, the title had been signed over by the previous owner three years ago. There was no problem other than I had to pay addition fees because the state of Kansas said I owned the truck for the last three years and hadn't registered it. I had a bill of sale dated the previous week, but that was no help.

I was told there was a procedure that I could initiate, but it was going to take time and wasn't worth the additional $75 or so to me.

[leddzepp]

I am in Calif. If a vehicle does not have a title, I run away unless its a "parts" truck.

[Vintage Windmills]

Originally Posted by kcsa75

When I bought my truck, the title had been signed over by the previous owner three years ago. There was no problem other than I had to pay addition fees because the state of Kansas said I owned the truck for the last three years and hadn't registered it. I had a bill of sale dated the previous week, but that was no help.

I was told there was a procedure that I could initiate, but it was going to take time and wasn't worth the additional $75 or so to me.

Yes, this is the case with these, the previous owner has signed so it would just look like I took a long time to send in the title.

Was the title a KS title? According to some KS guys, an out of state vehicle is subject to additional scrutiny including inspection of all vins on truck.

MN is pretty relaxed on titles and such, when I've bought out of state vehicles before, there is no inspection and you just send the title in and they don't even need to see you. I tried going to the website and there isn't much info on title replacement in MN.

Too much stuff: The other half of my question was for parts trucks that have sat forever out of state so long that the previous owner is probably in a better place now! It looks like this will need more research. Maybe I will just try it sometime but just make sure the price is still appropriate for a parts truck.

[kcsa75]

Originally Posted by Vintage Windmills

Yes, this is the case with these, the previous owner has signed so it would just look like I took a long time to send in the title.

Was the title a KS title? According to some KS guys, an out of state vehicle is subject to additional scrutiny including inspection of all vins on truck.

MN is pretty relaxed on titles and such, when I've bought out of state vehicles before, there is no inspection and you just send the title in and they don't even need to see you. I tried going to the website and there isn't much info on title replacement in MN.

Too much stuff: The other half of my question was for parts trucks that have sat forever out of state so long that the previous owner is probably in a better place now! It looks like this will need more research. Maybe I will just try it sometime but just make sure the price is still appropriate for a parts truck.

It was a Kansas title, which saved me a bunch of hassle. When I bought it I scoured the DMV website as I wanted to register it as an antique. I don't remember all the details regarding an out of state title, but I know an inspection by the Highway Patrol was part of the program.

I seem to remember that if you didn't have a title, there was some paperwork to complete, but otherwise the process seemed fairly straightforward.

Having said all that, you might want to give a call to the department in Minnesota that handles this. I did that before I actually went to the DMV and
was able to get a lot of questions answered.

Good luck!

[Hottrucks]

here in NH all you need is a bill of sale on anything older than 10 years...then you take it to the town clerk she will run the VIN and out the door you go with a clean VIN and your reg for about $35...on the back of he reg is a transfer ...all the seller does is sign it and its good in any state.....I have done this just to clear the title ...I know in Conn. its like pulling teeth without this

[Beelzeburb]

My dad did this a number of times to avoid having to get a dealership license (he wasn't by any means a car dealer) He owned a repair shop and occasionally people would bail on a car because repairs were prohibitively expensive for them. He'd have them sign the title and he'd take responsability for the vehicle. Then he'd either scrap it or fix the car, vacuum it and put it up on Craigslist. He never got the vehicles titled in his name because it was usually a short period of time that the car would be "his" and the state would have wanted him to have a dealership license no matter what the reason for his owning / selling above a certain number of cars a year. Once sold he'd hand over the title with the previous owner's signature and the new owner would go and get the new title in their name. Made sense to me, he just owned a repair shop, not a used car lot.

Speaking of untitled vehicles though, like has been said, every state is different. Check with your local DMV and find out just what it will entail. I just went though getting the title for a car I acquired that didn't have one. In the state of Utah I had to fill out 4-5 sheets of information, including the application for a new title. I had to provide explanations as to how it came to be in my posession, provide an address and name for the last known owner, submit pictures to prove that the car was worth less than $1000 (elsewise I'd have needed a bond), contact a DMV employee or Officer of the Peace to perform a VIN inspection and check to make sure the vehicle hadn't been reported stolen. Then I sent in all my paperwork, photos, copies of documents and appropriate signatures. A few weeks later I got a notice to pay $18 dollars to the state. Apparently no individual or financial institution still laid any claim to my car. Shortly thereafter I had a fresh, clean title in my hands with my name on it.

Your mileage may vary. Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.

[swamp rat]

I my area we have independant licensing agents authorised be the state, i can call one of these places on the spot and they will run a vin to check if its stolen before i decide to buy, this comes in handy if the seller has a title that he didn't put in his/her name.

[Longhorn Man]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

I my area we have independant licensing agents authorised be the state, i can call one of these places on the spot and they will run a vin to check if its stolen before i decide to buy, this comes in handy if the seller has a title that he didn't put in his/her name.

what state are you in? ?spanaway?

[special-K]

Each state is different. Here in MD we get taxed when we transfer the title. So,we just get the title signed by the seller. No one titles them until they go to register. Often a vehicle will change hands a few times before getting registered. As long as the title is clear in the name in which it's titled there's no problem transferring. It's easy to have a VIN & title# checked. We are allowed 10 a year w/o a dealer's license. I just titled a truck I've owned for 10 years. It had a California title.
In PA,you both have to sign and transfer the title when vehicle is sold. The seller and buyer have to meet at a notary public,pay,sign,and transfer. I get taxed there "and" when I transfer to Maryland. Double taxation.

[dixietruck71]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

I my area we have independant licensing agents authorised be the state, i can call one of these places on the spot and they will run a vin to check if its stolen before i decide to buy, this comes in handy if the seller has a title that he didn't put in his/her name.

Thats why washington is great for licensing vehicles. No out of state inspection either. i bought a 38 chevy truck for $500.00 then bought a title from a guy in florida for $100.00. then went to my local dol. and what do ya know with out any question the state gave me a title in my name. This is easy to do just make sure the car/truck your purchasing is not stolen first.

[LilD]

I will never buy another car/truck without the person I buy it froms name officialy printed on the title.

[Vintage Windmills]

Originally Posted by LilD

I will never buy another car/truck without the person I buy it froms name officialy printed on the title.

What happened?

[russgt]

In Wisconsin, reselling a car with out putting the title in your name is called title jumping and is illegal. It happens alot though and I havent heard of anyone getting caught yet. The state doesnt charge you for the time lapse between the date sign and the date of transfer. The title of the last truck that I bought had been signed 7 years before I bought it. My wife is a cop and I had her run the vin which came back clean. I'm sure that the truck had been title jumped a few times as it was a project that seemed to pick up odd year parts from a few different trucks.

As far as parts trucks are concerned, around here, if you take a vehicle to be scraped, you must turn in the title with it or atleast sign paperwork that states that you own it and its not stolen.