Author Topic: Yes, by all means, sell that vehicle with an illegal title (Read 5435 times)

chornbe · « **on:** June 05, 2014, 05:28:51 AM »

I went to look at a vehicle for my son last evening. He had to work, so I went and looked at it for him, and had his money with me. He OK'd me to make the deal if it looked ok. I look it over, we talk a bit, back and forth, and decided that I would make the deal. Dude had a few boxes of items to go with it. While I'm putting all that in the trunk and getting ready to hand over the money, dude pulls out a weird looking title...

Now, keep in mind, here in Delaware if you're buying a vehicle from someone, they can basically wave a pen somewhere near a Delaware title and you're golden. But if it's an out of state title, then the DMV makes you get blood samples, a note from the seller's mother, 10 years of documentation on every toll booth the car passed, oh and the title has to be notarized that the seller's info is correct (ok, just that last part is true).

Not only was the title a New Jersey title ("oh, yeah, I used to live in Jersey"), but I look closer and bammo... dude's name isn't even on the title. "oh, that's the guy I bought it from a couple years ago."

Ok, so it's been sitting about six months (had to be towed because of known problems in the ignition system), and that means the dude was driving it illegally previous to that.

If he's not being up front about that, then what else is he lying about?

Screw it. I walked away. My son was bummer, but hey.... it's a $500 vehicle with shady legality and no way to get it corrected.

(sigh) People!

chornbe · « **Reply #1 on:** June 05, 2014, 05:31:09 AM »

Also, please move this to Off Topic... it's early. Sorry.

FJR1300 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 05, 2014, 07:11:21 AM »

As a cop in Missouri - I see that stuff ALL the time. I stop someone because the plates don't match the vehicle. I ask for proof of ownership and they produce a title that's not filled out and doesn't even have their name on it anywhere. Add to that - the person they say they bought the vehicle from isn't even listed anywhere.

HipGnosis · « **Reply #3 on:** June 05, 2014, 07:39:46 AM »

Feckin self-quoters

chornbe · « **Reply #4 on:** June 05, 2014, 08:05:44 AM »

Quote from: HipGnosis on June 05, 2014, 07:39:46 AM

Feckin self-quoters

It's a cop thing. You wouldn't understand.

mxvet57 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 05, 2014, 08:50:48 AM »

Pissst. Have i got a deal for you.

Mr. Whippy · « **Reply #6 on:** June 05, 2014, 08:59:55 AM »

I was nearly F'd up with a motorcycle purchase over a title. The guy said he paid off the lien but never bothered to get the documentation. It took me 4 months and numerous registered letters to the bank of record AND the previous owner to get it straightened out. And that was with a title in the owner's name. My policy now: If the title isn't free and clear, I ain't buying the vehicle.

chornbe · « **Reply #7 on:** June 05, 2014, 09:05:46 AM »

Quote from: Mr. Whippy on June 05, 2014, 08:59:55 AM

I was nearly F'd up with a motorcycle purchase over a title. The guy said he paid off the lien but never bothered to get the documentation. It took me 4 months and numerous registered letters to the bank of record AND the previous owner to get it straightened out. And that was with a title in the owner's name. My policy now: If the title isn't free and clear, I ain't buying the vehicle.

Bingo, hence my walking. I told him if he could get it worked out at the DMV and IN HIS NAME with a clear delaware title this week, deal was still on. I'm sure, given his dejected nature, he knew this was an impossibility as I'm sure he has no way of getting hold of the previous owner.

miles · « **Reply #8 on:** June 05, 2014, 09:20:26 AM »

Hey- whaddaya expect for $500? A legally acquired vehicle? Yer outta yer mind.

Bounce · « **Reply #9 on:** June 05, 2014, 09:42:36 AM »

Chris,

Glad you caught it and your son didn't get burned.

giaka · « **Reply #10 on:** June 05, 2014, 11:25:37 AM »

In California you could make that transaction but as the new owner you are responsible to bringing the vehicle up to date in all fees, taxes and penalties (as long as its not reported as stolen). Your $500 vehicle would have cost you an extra $1000 over here on the left.

chornbe · « **Reply #11 on:** June 05, 2014, 12:10:17 PM »

Quote from: Bounce on June 05, 2014, 09:42:36 AM

Chris,

Glad you caught it and your son didn't get burned.

Yeah, been through that mill before. I'm done with questionable stuff like that.

Quote from: giaka on June 05, 2014, 11:25:37 AM

In California you could make that transaction but as the new owner you are responsible to bringing the vehicle up to date in all fees, taxes and penalties (as long as its not reported as stolen). Your $500 vehicle would have cost you an extra $1000 over here on the left.

Wow. No, thank you.

cultureslayer · « **Reply #12 on:** June 05, 2014, 12:20:38 PM »

I tried to buy a car once and the guy said there was nothing wrong with the title, get there and it's a salvage title! In NC you can only get liability insurance on a car with a rebuilt title, so I was pretty pissed at that (he also didn't want to hand over both keys to it, which I wasn't agreeing to either). Had to drive 40 minutes across town in the middle of a Monday after looking at the car that weekend only to find out this guy was full of BS, and to make it worse he claimed my husband said it was fine which really pissed me off and made it worse. Thankfully there was a branch of my bank right around the corner, so I could deposit the cash quickly because he wanted to meet in a sketchy part of town at his uncle's used car lot to sign the paperwork.

ixxion · « **Reply #13 on:** June 05, 2014, 12:42:35 PM »

Quote from: Mr. Whippy on June 05, 2014, 08:59:55 AM

I was nearly F'd up with a motorcycle purchase over a title. The guy said he paid off the lien but never bothered to get the documentation. It took me 4 months and numerous registered letters to the bank of record AND the previous owner to get it straightened out. And that was with a title in the owner's name. My policy now: If the title isn't free and clear, I ain't buying the vehicle.

Around 2007 I purchased a 1976 model motorcycle from the original owner. He had lost the title, so applied for a replacement title. When it came, it remarked that there was a lien on the title from thus and such a bank. We both chuckled, because we knew that had he not paid for it, he'd have been relieved of it a long time ago. I mean, the guy still lived at the same address.

The bank had gone out of business (actually purchased and renamed) and a branch was just around the corner from my house. I said I'd just run in there and verify that the lien had been released. Of course they wouldn't do that, had to get in touch with the manager, who had to get in touch with the main office, blah, blah, blah. They had no record of such a transaction, but still wouldn't release the lien from the title. Apparently if the bank has no record of a transaction, you may still owe them money. They eventually gave me a release form after a month or so but I had to sign papers that I would be responsible if they somehow coughed up some documentation that supported their lien as unpaid. Yawn. The hardest part of that was waiting, but man...what a cluster.

I wouldn't normally under any circumstance accept a title with a lien, but this was just a silly situation.

Jay547 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 08, 2014, 10:37:25 AM »

I sold a bike once to an acquaintance. He then moved away. A couple years later, I got a call from the Houston PD - I live in Oklahoma. They said they had my bike, that I could come get it. I told them I had sold it. They said it was still in my name, so I was the legal owner. The guy had never registered it...

bluepoof · « **Reply #15 on:** June 08, 2014, 11:31:11 AM »

Quote from: Jay547 on June 08, 2014, 10:37:25 AM

I sold a bike once to an acquaintance. He then moved away. A couple years later, I got a call from the Houston PD - I live in Oklahoma. They said they had my bike, that I could come get it. I told them I had sold it. They said it was still in my name, so I was the legal owner. The guy had never registered it...

This happened to Peter recently too. He sold a dual sport to a guy who worked at the ice rink to take to his farm. Turned out the guy never registered it because -- he said -- he didn't expect to use it off of the farm. In reality he turned out to have a secret heroin problem and did all sorts of screwed up stuff. Anyway, he died and left his son and Peter to work out the tickets and fees on the dual sport.

Fortunately the son was very reasonable and understanding and was well aware (after the fact) of his father's problems.

Veefer800canuck · « **Reply #16 on:** June 08, 2014, 07:29:40 PM »

I find this whole "title" thing bemusing.

It seems like a lot of paperwork for nothing.

Here in Canada, you own the vehicle outright with a bill of sale. Like a pack of gum.

I just sold my 1994 ford ranger for 3 grand. Downloaded an official bill of sale from the dmv website, filled it out on the hood of the truck, cash changed hands, and that's it. That all the documentation he or I ever need.

Take the bill of sale to the insurance company, get a policy and go to the dmv for plates.

No title BS necessary. It seems like such a huge hassle. I don't get it.

rgbeard · « **Reply #17 on:** June 08, 2014, 07:44:13 PM »

From 2008-2011 I flipped a lot of Goldwings to make some spare coin.

I just had the owner sign the title, and leave the buyer's info blank.

Never had a problem with a buyer taking one of those titles.

open sore · « **Reply #18 on:** June 09, 2014, 02:28:09 PM »

Quote from: rgbeard on June 08, 2014, 07:44:13 PM

From 2008-2011 I flipped a lot of Goldwings to make some spare coin.

I just had the owner sign the title, and leave the buyer's info blank.

Never had a problem with a buyer taking one of those titles.

I don't know about other states, but here in NY that is illegal. They call it "jumping title". It is not allowed because the state loses out on the sales tax for one of the transactions.

chornbe · « **Reply #19 on:** June 09, 2014, 03:27:31 PM »

Quote from: open sore on June 09, 2014, 02:28:09 PM

Quote from: rgbeard on June 08, 2014, 07:44:13 PM
From 2008-2011 I flipped a lot of Goldwings to make some spare coin.

I just had the owner sign the title, and leave the buyer's info blank.

Never had a problem with a buyer taking one of those titles.

I don't know about other states, but here in NY that is illegal. They call it "jumping title". It is not allowed because the state loses out on the sales tax for one of the transactions.

Likewise many states.

Here in Delaware, most out-of-state titles need to be notarized that the seller is the one signing the title, etc. Big pain in the ass, especially if you just want to flip a vehicle with some repairs or something.

Mr. Whippy · « **Reply #20 on:** June 09, 2014, 03:35:57 PM »

Quote from: chornbe on June 09, 2014, 03:27:31 PM

Quote from: open sore on June 09, 2014, 02:28:09 PM
Quote from: rgbeard on June 08, 2014, 07:44:13 PM
From 2008-2011 I flipped a lot of Goldwings to make some spare coin.

I just had the owner sign the title, and leave the buyer's info blank.

Never had a problem with a buyer taking one of those titles.

I don't know about other states, but here in NY that is illegal. They call it "jumping title". It is not allowed because the state loses out on the sales tax for one of the transactions.

Likewise many states.

Here in Delaware, most out-of-state titles need to be notarized that the seller is the one signing the title, etc. Big pain in the ass, especially if you just want to flip a vehicle with some repairs or something.

Bazowah!

This is one instance where Maryland doesn't rape the state resident! Jumping titles seems to be fine here.