Buying an MJ with no title?

[yungupgrade]

Looking at an MJ with no title that I would use for parts, but may want to retitle it in the future. I was always told to stay away from things like that but it seems like most parts cars are sold with bill of sale/no title simply because the owners just had them sitting on the property forever and just lost the title somewhere in their house, not that the vehicle was stolen.

 

Has anyone ever bought a vehicle with no title and is it difficult to retitle? Should I just steer clear of this offering?

[zomeizter]

I have bought plenty of untitled vehicles and successfully got them registered. Usually if the vehicle was last registered in the state you live in, the process is very easy, your local DMV/MVD can give you all the guidance. A VIN check by the local PD and a surety bond may have to be filed as well and will bring up all history/discrepancies with the vehicle...

[75sv1]

I bought two with the tittle but they were sold to someone else. So, the one, I over wrote the names etc. and they accepted it. The other, I over wrote the names ect. and they didn't. The DMV gave me papers to send to the "owner', or who held the tittle. He filled them out, sent them back. So, now I have the tittle. They can also request a duplicate tittle.

[ratrapp]

its a real pain in the state of va.i know every state has different guidelines.

[zomeizter]

3 minutes ago, ratrapp said:

its a real pain in the state of va.i know every state has different guidelines.

^^this right here^^

 

[Pete M]

my buddy misplaced the title of his truck and went to the DMV and had a new one printed out in 5 minutes.  it's super easy for the owner on the title to get a new piece of paper.  I'm always suspicious of when they make excuses as to why someone can't get one.    but if you can get the VIN, you can usually just have your local cops run it to see if it's stolen.  

[Eagle]

6 hours ago, Pete M said:

my buddy misplaced the title of his truck and went to the DMV and had a new one printed out in 5 minutes.  it's super easy for the owner on the title to get a new piece of paper.  I'm always suspicious of when they make excuses as to why someone can't get one.    but if you can get the VIN, you can usually just have your local cops run it to see if it's stolen.  

 

^^^ This.

 

As of fifteen years ago, Rhode Island didn't issue new titles when vehicles more than (10? 15?) years old were sold. That's fine if both the buyer and seller happen to live in Rhode Island, but it was a major problem when I bought an MJ out of Rhode Island. I went through some complicated bureaucratic wrangling to obtain a valid title. And the process I used probably isn't available now.

[zomeizter]

Ima be in trouble if and when I move to TX from AL since no titles are issued for my old crap in 'bama, I hope I saved the previous ones from when I moved there...

[Pete M]

can't AL issue some now?

[zomeizter]

On 9/26/2022 at 7:20 PM, Pete M said:

can't AL issue some now?

I think the limit is 25 years, no title is issued just registration IAW their website. If work sweetens it up with the move package I will have to deal with it then, we shall see...

[89eliminator]

i had to go through the process of getting a title in IN.  it was about a 3 month process and i had to go to court as well.  

[89eliminator]

1 hour ago, saveevryjp1998 said:

Can you elaborate the situation and the route you took for Indiana? I know it's next to impossible depending on where it was last registered or titled or at least in my township from what I was informed at the office. I have a friend who is going through this currently in Indiana but his situation was much different than mine when I tried. Having an in state title on file with a long lapsed registration can make a huge difference for your case. I wish everyone here could elaborate for each state and their situation since it would be beneficial to the o.p. and everyone since every state and situation can be drastically different. 

 

i bought a rig out of GA that (long story short) had no title.  I lived in Carroll County at the time but i would assume its the same for any county in IN.  You have to file for a court ordered title.  There are are a few forms to fill out, with one needing a visual VIN inspection buy an authorized person (the office in my neighborhood was able to do it).  I had to have a public notification in the local paper that I was attempting to file for a new title, and then I had to go in front of a judge for it.  I had to describe how I purchased the vehicle, with proof, along with what measures I took to try and get the title from the PO.  Every one of these items costs various amounts of money.  After you do all of this, you can then officially submit for a new title that they will send in the mail.  

 

Knowing what I know, I would never buy a rig without a title.  It was way too much of a hassle and many trips to the BMV/city hall.

[watchamakalit]

That's not good news for us hoosiers wishing to obtain a title to save a MJ.

[GrandBoost98]

FWIW, I just registered my MJ yesterday with just a bill of sale from the previous owner

[watchamakalit]

16 hours ago, GrandBoost98 said:

FWIW, I just registered my MJ yesterday with just a bill of sale from the previous owner

Forgive me for my ignorance, but in Indiana we have "registration" (the process of obtaining a plate and paying taxes) and we also have "title" (documentation showing ownership).  Registration may not be done without a valid title in your name.  Do you not have titles where you are?

 

I am particularly interested but extremely ignorant on the process here in Indiana.  I have registered a homemade boat before, however I believe that it is more difficult to obtain a title for a manufactured and serialized vehicle than some scraps of plywood you glued together in the shop......

[dasbulliwagen]

Go to Youtube and search for Vermont title loophole. You don't have to be a Vermont resident, but the vehicle has to be more than 20 years old. Price didnt seem outrageous either. 

[watchamakalit]

On 10/3/2022 at 4:09 PM, dasbulliwagen said:

Go to Youtube and search for Vermont title loophole. You don't have to be a Vermont resident, but the vehicle has to be more than 20 years old. Price didnt seem outrageous either. 

I looked into that a little while back.  Do people just put the vermont plates on it or is there a way to later convert the vermont registration into an indiana title?

[dasbulliwagen]

Vermont doesnt require titles on vehicle more than 20 years old. They will send you a registration. You take that Registration to your local state DMV, they will issue you a title based on the vermont registration. 

[gogmorgo]

Nah, you wouldn’t want to make it more difficult for states to discriminate against poor people. 
 

Like, I get back in the day it was probably useful for preventing people from selling or registering stolen vehicles, but since computer databases started being a thing it’s one heck of a lot less work to make a quick database search and see if a vehicle has been reported stolen. 
I know I’ve mentioned it before, but here in Alberta, all you need to register a vehicle is a bill of sale. When you register it they run the VIN. If it’s not in the provincial database due to either not having been registered in Alberta, or the last registration predates the computerization of said database, there’s a couple federal databases they check, they make you do a basic safety inspection, and that’s it, and it goes into the database.

There’s also a basic process anyone can run (for a fee of course) that allows you to check any vehicle’s status in the database so you can be sure you’ll be in the clear and not just have to trust a seller. I did it with the last two vehicles I bought. One was located in Saskatchewan and had sask plates in the photos but the seller claimed it was last registered in Alberta so I wanted to make sure, and the one before it I got with minimal paperwork from the last registered owner from a guy who hauls away scrap cars, and it had clearly been sitting unused a LONG time so the vehicle’s status was a question mark. Both registered no issues. And that’s the way things should be. If the vehicles haven’t been reported stolen, don’t treat the person in possession like a criminal. 
I’m not going to say Alberta’s vehicle regulations are the perfect model to be imitated on everything, but there are definitely some things it gets right. 

[GrandBoost98]

On 10/1/2022 at 7:04 AM, watchamakalit said:

Forgive me for my ignorance, but in Indiana we have "registration" (the process of obtaining a plate and paying taxes) and we also have "title" (documentation showing ownership).  Registration may not be done without a valid title in your name.  Do you not have titles where you are?

 

I am particularly interested but extremely ignorant on the process here in Indiana.  I have registered a homemade boat before, however I believe that it is more difficult to obtain a title for a manufactured and serialized vehicle than some scraps of plywood you glued together in the shop......

In CT they don't issue titles for vehicles 20 years or older

[Spinnakerblue89]

Wow I thought my predicament was lame enough. I'm also an Indiana resident, and the seller of my MJ lived in central Michigan. He mistakenly put his info in the wrong "purchaser" segment of his title, and I had him fill out the "seller" portion. That was not good enough according to my state, so I had to have him sign and date an affidavit certifying that no fraud was intended and that he indeed sold it to me.

 

The BMV filled out the necessary parts of the form, I took a picture of it, sent it to the PO, he signed and dated it on his phone, sent it back to me, and now I go back tomorrow to hope that it is acceptable.

[ratrapp]

va is the same way.i bought a f150 about 8 years  ago and the seller{an older woman}put her name on a line that it didnt belong.the lady at the dmv went nuclear and i had to drive 50 miles back to where i bought the truck and have the woman fill out an affidavit to make it right.i won't put all dmv's in this catergory because i have been a few really helpful dmv's in my state but my local dmv is one of the worst.

[watchamakalit]

Indiana does not view a clerical error the same as an absent title. 

 

[Dzimm]

Each state has their own process so it varies but ill give my insight.  I went through the process here in Iowa last year to title street MJ #96. 

 

There's a form to fill out and turn into the DOT that includes as much proof as you can provide that you own the truck and pictures of the door jamb sticker and VIN number.  You pay a small fee to submit this form.  Then wait for an eternity while they do checks to make sure it's not stolen, attempt to contact the last titled owner, and then value the vehicle.

 

If it's approved to move forward they will send you a form stating the assessed value of the vehicle and you are required to buy a bond for 1.5 times the assessed value.  You only pay the bond fee which in my case I believe I paid $100 to the bond company.  The bond company then gives you a form to send to the DOT.  Once the DOT gets the form and assuming it's filled out correctly and satisfies the DOT, you will then be issued a bonded title.  

 

With a bonded title the vehicle can be registered, driven, sold, ECT just like any other vehicle.  Really it's like a regular title at this point but notes that it is under bond at the top.  The bond is timed and I think mine lasts 2 years.  After it expires the owner can go in and get a regular title printed and is the true rightful owner of the truck no matter what at that point.   The bond also does not transfer to a new buyer, so in the case of #96 I sold the truck however the bond is still over my head, the new owner is in the clear.  The bond basically means if the last titled owner comes forward with a title for it in their name, they can claim it as theirs and you either have to give up the vehicle or the bond company will pay out for the value of it then you pay back the bond company.

 

Getting a bonded title is a risky thing especially on a higher value vehicle.  It should really only be done if you are the rightful owner and lost the title, it's being passed down from a deceased family member who can't sign it over or you know and understand that you are responsible and will lose money if the old owner comes back after it.  In the case of #96 I was confident the previous titled owner was deceased and it's value was low enough I was willing to risk losing that money to save the truck.

 

Overall the process cost me iirc $200-$300 just in the bond and DOT fees and took 8-10 months.  It's a lot of work and takes a lot of time but can be done.