BUYING A NON-TITLE CAR

Reposting as it was accidentally removed.

A friend of mine wants to buy a car w/o the title ( being lost ). It is out of state. I know there used to be places that would take care of that, for a fee of course.

Also, a couple replied but I thought I'd repost since it got removed ( mod approved ).

What are his options?

I would talk to somebody at the state. My state has a process to get a title for a car without one.

If Ohio doesn't have a process there used to be a process through Alabama which is a registration only state after XXX years old.

Another option is to get a mechanic to get a repair lean on it and title it through the mechanic. Most states have that process. In TN the process for a mechanic or an individual is pretty much the same.

Hope it was some help.

Generally speaking, the registered owner can request a replacement title. I'm guessing the seller isn't the registered owner.

I'm not positive but I'm thinking Ohio has a version of a bonded title.

As noted, depending on the state the vehicle is coming from, they may not have required a title, just registered. Ohio "should " accept the registration and a bill of sale due to reciprocity laws.

Problem here now, there are a few ways around it but all take a long time and kind of risky , I tried to get one for a car for over a year at one point gave up

He better hope it doesn't show up as stolen.

Don't do it. Make the SELLER get the title. I once bought an abandoned 2000 LHS that had a mechanics lien. Dealing with the DMV was a time consuming frustrating nightmare and in the end, wasn't worth it.

No title...no DEAL Howie

Enter the VIN here to see if it's been reported stolen or salvaged.

https://www.nicb.org/vincheck

Depending on the state you're in, tow companies usually have a process to tow it, put a lien on it, then sell it at auction. The paperwork you get from the auction can then be used to get a title. The tow company might not actually "tow" or "auction" it either.

Best is if the seller can get a title. Otherwise it had better be cheap.

edit: The Vermont loophole has now been closed, so that won't work.

How do you even know the person that is selling the car actually owns it?

If the car is still in the state's system (been registered in the last 7-10 years), the owner can get a lost title from the state. You are way ahead to pay the extra fees and have the owner get a replacement title and have them sign that over.

I would run that vin through the web sight listed earlier before anything else happens. If it comes back as stolen, be prepared to tell the police where the car is currently located, you don't want it sitting on your property. If it comes back as salvaged, it is a parts car. If its not listed as stolen or salvaged, your state may have a process to get a bonded title. Expect to jump through the hoops, its generally not easy, and it probably should not be.

Think of it from the other foot, if your beloved car turns up missing, would you really want to know someone can get it titled in their name easily?

No title means it is a parts car and the price would reflect the value of the parts on it, and it would still have to pass the vin test before I bought it as a parts car.

nothing stopping him from buying it. Getting it titled in his state is the issue. Best thing to to is get the legal owner to get a replacement title.

Thanks folks. I'll pass this along.

Getting a title for a car that has been off the grid SHOULD be considered nearly impossible. Vermont eliminated their sweet loophole they were proud of due to fraud. Most sellers of cars and motorcycles proclaim "Needs a title - not hard to get one." If its not difficult to get a title reissued then why don't they do it?

This post makes me nervous. I just bought a project with no title and bill of sale.It was cheapish. I spoke with my BMV here about getting a title and they explained the process. Hopefully, I can get one somewhat easy otherwise may just cut my losses. I already ran the VIN and it didn't show stolen or salvaged. For your friend he could see what the process is on the car. Every state is going to be different with the process from what I understand.

You did the right thing. You talked to the state. Being overly cautious myself I would wait until I had title in hand before I put lots of time/money into it.

I bought a 66 Charger that didn't run from a business. I bought the car on Friday and the guy said come back Monday he would have the title ready. I figured he is a business so it's legit. I swapped the transmission and radiator and got it running real sweet over the weekend. I went to get the title on Monday and he said he couldn't find it but would give me my money back after I fixed it.

Needless to say his business went under in a couple years, I wonder why.

I ended up getting a registration & bill of sale from New York Title Co, ironically out of Alabama. My state at the time gave me a title without problems.

I found out that title companies usually just do what ordinary people can do with a little time and a conversation with the state.

Always start at the state and follow the laws they have in place.

I ran into title issues some years ago thanks to a flipper. TX title requires a signature front and rear, it was only signed in one place. So I went back to him to get the second signature and he signed it, except the title wasn't in his name and that caused the DMV to have issues. So I ended up umping thru the bonded title hoops. After that rigamarole I don't have anything to do with anything that has title issues.

I would find out what your state requires to get a title in this case and if it is worth the hoop jumping.

I believe I still have to go through the court or have a judge grant the title if I remember correctly. The BMV pointed me to all the forms.I have a bill sale, the original ad from the seller, and will save our messages. It's a 4x4 Dakota Convertible that was abandoned due to an engine issue. Truck came from California then went to Washington and bought from seller who has residence in both California and family in Washington. Truck was cheap enough I paid for the truck with a Postal Money Order just to play safe on my end as well. I'm still on the fence if I'll keep it but, worse case I use a title service. I ran the VIN through Bumper, I think the state of California, and the link above. The story/history of the truck seems to check out.

It will depend on what type of vehicle it is and if it's something that kind of rare as well. If it's rare and in decent shape it might be worth the risk dependent upon the price as mentioned here. I'd say if it was a T-Top or Sunroof Magnum/Cordoba it might be worth it. I spent a year searching those a long time ago and only found a hand full for sale in various states of condition all over the country.

Like I said, it's up to you to decide if the hoops are worth jumping through. For me? I can't think of anything rare enough for me to go through that again.