So today I bought a 63 Galaxie and when I went to a title and license place they told me I had to go through this whole list stuff to transfer the title because the previous owner didnt get the title put in his name but did sign it when he bought it. The lady told me I have to fill out all these forms, get the car appraised, and have my insurance co. fill out some type of form also. I have the car, title and bill of sale. Im going to go to the regular DMV Tue morning cause this just doesnt make sense to me. She has to be wrong.
Whos ever had a title problem?
- Thread starter LilD
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dmw56
Busted and Rusted on Route 66
Every state is different but having troubles getting titles is pretty universal. I'd take the title back to guy you bought from and have him do his paper work first. If you have problems with him I'm sure the DMV can pressure him for not doing it.
Gastrick
One of the Dirty Dozen!
I had a similar problem years ago. I bought a car with the title but the car had been a dedicated drag race car most of it's life so several of the previous owners never bothered to transfer the title properly. DMV told me I needed to hunt down all the listed previous owners and get a signed affidavit from each in order for me to license and register the car. This was basically an impossible task at the time. It was pre-internet and the car was originally from another state. I ended up going an entirely different route to circumvent the system. When I bought the car, I didn't think there would be a problem because I had the car and the title. Boy was I wrong.
She told me it was either try to get ahold of the guy whos name was on it (not the guy I bought it from, but the guy before him)and have the title put in his name and then in mine which would cost double and take twice as long if the guy even can be reached or go the other way which involves a butt load of paper work and running around. My main issue with the later is that I have to drive this thing to get it appraised and to my insurer with no plates, insurance and a signed bill of sale dated 2 days after the legal limit. IF I get an understanding cop I suppose all the paper work would suffice but it still makes me nervous.
I'd take the title back to guy you bought from and have him do his paper work first. If you have problems with him I'm sure the DMV can pressure him for not doing it.[/QUOTE]
Id actualy have to skip him and go to the guy he bought it from according to the title lady.
You obviously dont live in Illinois. The DMV here could give a crap about him or me as long as they get their money for the fees.
Id actualy have to skip him and go to the guy he bought it from according to the title lady.
You obviously dont live in Illinois. The DMV here could give a crap about him or me as long as they get their money for the fees.
Ratcrazy
Well-known member
One more route you may try is to file for a lost title and destroy the original one. Just a thought. Get all the numbers and send them to the DMV. I know its a crocked way to do things but it may be the only way from what I have read in the thread. Good luck.
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donsrods
Well-known member
The way it is supposed to work is that you show up at the tag office with a "clean" title and preferably a bill of sale too. Some States want both you and the seller to appear together. By "clean" title I mean it must be in the name of the guy you are actually buying it from, not the name of the guy your seller bought it from. He was supposed to go through the motions of transferring it into his name and paying all taxes and fees when he did it. That gives him the right to be able to then sell it to you.
My Son Don just went through this with a '63 T Bird he bought, the guy he was buying it from never transferred it into his name, but simply had the guy he bought it from sign it. Don picked up the seller and dragged him to the tag office with him so that they could first have him put it properly into his name, and then he could legally sell it to my Son. The seller wasn't real happy about having to pay a few bucks to do it that way, but oh well.........
Every State is getting more sticky because they are missing out on a lot of revenue and also car theft is becoming such a problem. If you simply buy a car and stick the title in a drawer for a few years without transferring it to your name, you very well might have a problem after you have spent thousands of dollars fixing it up.
Don
My Son Don just went through this with a '63 T Bird he bought, the guy he was buying it from never transferred it into his name, but simply had the guy he bought it from sign it. Don picked up the seller and dragged him to the tag office with him so that they could first have him put it properly into his name, and then he could legally sell it to my Son. The seller wasn't real happy about having to pay a few bucks to do it that way, but oh well.........
Every State is getting more sticky because they are missing out on a lot of revenue and also car theft is becoming such a problem. If you simply buy a car and stick the title in a drawer for a few years without transferring it to your name, you very well might have a problem after you have spent thousands of dollars fixing it up.
Don
I went through the exact same problem with my '63 F100. Must be the year. I wound up sending the title back to the guy I bought it from to straighten it out. NE isn't as picky as IA, and the IL DMV is about as Gestapo as it gets! (I grew up in IL.)
Had that thought.
Thunder1
Well-known member
The situation sounds familiar! Something very similiar happened to me a couple of years ago. Fortunately I was able to put the whole mess off on my Uncle who actually gave me the car. He never did get the previous owners (seller's) signature on the title before passing on the car to me. My Uncle is a used car dealer in another state. No wonder huh?? It got worked out eventually. Now the car is dead and I'm waiting on someone to buy it as salvage in the next couple of days.
You can always just go the title company route. Sounds like that would be easier than having to chase a bunch of people around depending on the state you live in.
Thunder1
You can always just go the title company route. Sounds like that would be easier than having to chase a bunch of people around depending on the state you live in.
Thunder1
Willowbilly3
A *real* tin magnet
Here is a sit e with some fairly accurate info
http://www.dmv.org/vehicle-registration.php
If you have a titled signed by the last owner before the person you got it from you basically have a piece of paper, especially if any of the other information is filled in like buyer and date. If it is just a signed but open title you can use some creativity to come up with a bill of sale from that person.
This subject comes up a lot on car forums and is always a warning but most of the people already on a forum already know it. A car without a clean open title in the sellers name should generally be avoided.
Another thing I have done is let a wrecker buddy impound it and "sell" it on an impound auction, they will get the paperwork done a lot easier than you can.
http://www.dmv.org/vehicle-registration.php
If you have a titled signed by the last owner before the person you got it from you basically have a piece of paper, especially if any of the other information is filled in like buyer and date. If it is just a signed but open title you can use some creativity to come up with a bill of sale from that person.
This subject comes up a lot on car forums and is always a warning but most of the people already on a forum already know it. A car without a clean open title in the sellers name should generally be avoided.
Another thing I have done is let a wrecker buddy impound it and "sell" it on an impound auction, they will get the paperwork done a lot easier than you can.
Rev Tex Devlle
He's workin' 4 da Lord, in a '46 Ford!
title problems
hey i have seen this al and alot,, i got freinds in diffeent state i have helped,,, here you dont need a title for anything older than 74, so when they would buy a car , with no title, i would buy it from them for a small amount, title here. and send then info and paper work to them there, and when they got ready to put the car on the road, they would write in the date of the premade bill of sell from then go get it titled there, they would have the paper work from my state, and a tag,bill of sell which matched, everyone s happy, a tag for old cars here is only about 40.00,, i dont recommend this to folks you dont know, so if ya know someone in another state you trust,, it might work for ya,, it a good thing also to let a little time laps before you tag the car,,
hey i have seen this al and alot,, i got freinds in diffeent state i have helped,,, here you dont need a title for anything older than 74, so when they would buy a car , with no title, i would buy it from them for a small amount, title here. and send then info and paper work to them there, and when they got ready to put the car on the road, they would write in the date of the premade bill of sell from then go get it titled there, they would have the paper work from my state, and a tag,bill of sell which matched, everyone s happy, a tag for old cars here is only about 40.00,, i dont recommend this to folks you dont know, so if ya know someone in another state you trust,, it might work for ya,, it a good thing also to let a little time laps before you tag the car,,
Rev Tex Devlle
He's workin' 4 da Lord, in a '46 Ford!
i agree, i use to work for a wrecker service
Gearhead10
Well-known member
When I licenced my IH pickup,the treasurer office lady told me they had to recreate the title cuz it had been in storage since 1968. I would think you could apply for a duplicate title and try that? There is a place in alot of magazines where you can have a title created.Thats what my dad did to get a title for our model A.
Coffinmaker
Banned
Keep us informed.
I hope everything works out..let us all know what they say.I have the original title for 1 truck but just a bill of sale for the second truck I bought.But I did open the glove box and the Vin.tag is on the glove box door.Guess I better start calling here in Michigan to see how much of a pain this is going to be.
I HATE this state...fricking cold azz weather SUXS..!!!!!
I hope everything works out..let us all know what they say.I have the original title for 1 truck but just a bill of sale for the second truck I bought.But I did open the glove box and the Vin.tag is on the glove box door.Guess I better start calling here in Michigan to see how much of a pain this is going to be.
I HATE this state...fricking cold azz weather SUXS..!!!!!
Old Gold
Can't leave well enough alone!
Coffin, as long as you have a bill of sale and a vin, just go down and tell them you need to apply for a title. Takes about 45 mins. for them to search the national database on the vin. You should walk out with a temp title. Do it now while the laws are relaxed.
Inked Monkey
Tarzan's tatted best friend
Broadway title
Thunder1
Well-known member
That's what I said too (Broadway Title) but I don't think anybody heard me!!
Thunder1
Willowbilly3
A *real* tin magnet
This subject comes up a lot on all the car forums. Once I heard a story about the dude who built the car, then went to title it and found it was still in someone elses name. contacted then to get it transferred and the next day a slide back shows up and the title holder takes away a $30,000 car, legally.
On cars built up from parts you may have to wait until it is a complete car to get it titled.
On cars built up from parts you may have to wait until it is a complete car to get it titled.
