Technical Buying out of state car help

Hey guys Im looking at possibly buying a car thats out of state and too far to drive to. Id have it shipped.

The original owner apparently passed away 5 years ago, and the current owner bought it 1 year ago. He never filed for the title because the car isnt road worthy yet.

My state (NC) are real sticklers when it comes to having legit and correct paperwork for title transfers. I went through it when I bought my 1950 cadillac.

Ive never bought a car out of state but this is a seemingly good deal.

Any suggestions for safe ways of payment, shipping, etc?

Thanks in advance

 

This is when you find out who your friends are! Have someone act on your behalf and look at the car, paperwork etc. Arrange shipping through a noted and dependable referenced shipper. Paperwork from the estate of a person after it's gone through a few people can be a nightmare find out exactly what NC will accept. That's all I can suggest and if the car is in my area of NY I'd be happy to help you out.

Pat

 

I appreciate it - the car is a 56 cadillac sedan deville located in grand prairie TX

 

If you don't know anyone near the car, see if there are HAMB members that are willing to check it out, crawl under it and get a lot of pics, some form of compensation would be good.
If not look for a classic car dealer appraiser that will do the same, they may buy it out from under you.

Have you checked flight prices? I'd think you could do it for $200 flight, $60 rental car, whatever lunch costs.

Sure beats getting a shiny old resto with 10 lbs of filler, needing $10k in body and paint work.

I'd set up a flight, check out the car, go to the DMV with the owner and have him do a title transfer to himself. Go to the bank and set up an account with a deposit, that can be released by you to the buyer with written documentation, the remainder of the funds can be wired to that account before the car is shipped and you have a title. When title is in your hand, wire the funds, buyer picks them up, car gets loaded on a hauler.

 

The owner should have transferred the title to himself even if the car wasn't yet roadworthy. Why would anyone delay doing this as it proves who owns the car? No need to register or tag it until it's ready for the road.

 

Most States require Sales/Excise tax when you apply for clear title.
That's why you don't apply for a new title when you buy a car to flip!
It's done all the time, and I'd give the seller the benefit-of-the-doubt.
As long as the title is not filled out and signed in the seller's name, you can simply fill it out in your name, so your state assumes you bought it directly from the dead guy.
I ALWAYS REQUIRE THE TITLE SENT OVERNIGHT BEFORE PAYING FOR THE CAR IN FULL.
You can then have the car added to your insurance policy even though it's not registered.

 

..........................................That's called selling a car on an open title, and yes it's done all the time but, in most states it's illegal.

 

The safest way to transfer funds is a bank transfer,as for the title,South Carolina is also sticklers for proper paper work.

Is there a title for this car? HRP

 

He told me he has a signed title that was never filed in his name. He's owned it for a year. All complete, doesnt run, needs floors and he's asking 2800.

Id never have the budget for a full on restoration. The plan would be all work done myself and make it a reliable driver.

 

If you can wait, I will be in Grand Prairie, Tx on Oct 21 for the day.
I inspect vehicles for pre-purchase and extended warranty companies.
PM me....if I can help

 

Will do thanks Rick!

 

FENDER1235: Since you already know NC is a stickler for correct paper work, go to the NC DMV and find out EXACTLY what documents you will need to obtain a valid NC TITLE. Also, find out if any of those documents must be notorized.
Be very careful about "Jumping Title"as it could cause unforseen problems as you will be buying a car that is still owned by the fellow who passed away - not the fellow who sold it to you.

 

Agreed

 

Sounds like you got some good options here. Didn't realize it was a project, I was thinking it was a done car. Little different than having $20k or more on the line.

What kind of transport costs are you looking at? I haven't had a car shipped for over 10 years.

 

Roughly $800

 

you have back up if you need it......I cruise GP most days of the week.....PM me as needed.....

 

You got some of the best advice I have seen on here on this subject in the previous posts.
Texas has form VTR-131 which is for title purposes only. I'd think that it is primarily intended for project cars that won't get registered for a time. They used to have an "instant title" deal where for a fee you could get a title in one working day. You had to go to the dmv office rather than the courthouse for that. That was 40 years ago when I lived there though so I don't know if they still do it.
Anyhow with form VTR-131 he can get a clear title in his name that he can transfer to you and there won't be The hassle of screwing with an old title that may have changed hands several times without being transferred.

Side note, I have an OT rig out at my place that now serves as a storage unit for my flathead and Model A parts that has a similar handed around title that someone signed and dated and the penalty fees for transfer are more than I paid for it. Right now it's a cheap storage shed on wheels but will probably get the one way ride to the wrecking yard one of these days because the cost of the paper work is almost as much as it is worth.

 

Wow guys thanks so much I really appreciate that.

I had him send me pictures of the title and I spoke with him on the phone last night.

The original owner passed, and his wife then transferred it into her name. She signed it on the back as seller, and never dated it. So I think thats probably workable.

What I need to find out is if when I sign it as buyer if it needs to be notarized by a notary in NC or if Id have to mail it back and have it notarized by someone in TX.

People buy cars all the time from far away so Im assuming I can sign the TX title and have it notarized here in NC.

I'll call the DMV to be sure. Boy I hate calling them....always takes forever to get through and they rarely have any answers when it comes to non-ordinary type situations.

 

My 55 came from Dallas, and I did everything via e-mail, FedEx, wire transfers, and over the phone. Let me check the list of documents I gathered for the NC DMV and I can help you at least a little. I went to the NC DMV with two signed original items from the seller:

• TX Title
• Signed and dated Bill of Sale

It's important to note the Bill of Sale clearly documented the following items:

• Seller's full name
• Model Year
• Make
• Model
• Body Style
  
• Paint color
• Mileage/odometer
  
• VIN
• Buyer's full name
• Transaction date
• Purchase price

Finally, the Bill of Sale stated the car was being sold completely "as is" and entirely free of any known liens or encumbrances. At the very bottom the Bill of Sale documented:

• Seller's signature
• Seller's address
• Buyer's signature
• Buyer's address

The NC DMV charged me a $5 cash notary fee to witness my signature on the TX Title and required my NC Drivers License as proof of identity.

Here's where it got interesting/difficult. The NC DMV registration software insists on interpreting certain portions of the VIN as indicating 2-door coupe or 4-door sedan. Older vehicles didn't necessarily follow this convention. Despite all physical evidence to the contrary, the NC DMV registered/titled my 4-door sedan as a 2-door coupe. It took two more attempts at the local DMV office (Arrowwood Rd) and finally a business letter to the DMV in Raleigh with eight pages of supporting documentation to get my title issued correctly.

 

Wow. Thankyou! Arrowwood is where I had to get my 50 titled. It was a problem as well. I got it from SC and they had documented title transfers of every owner except 1 from another state decades ago and dead for all I knew, and they wanted a hand written letter from him directly. I thought the deal was dead but luckily the small dealer in SC just wrote up a document and signed it and NC let me have the title.

 

55caddy62 by the way did you get your engine sorted out?

 

If U have an open title for an out of state car in NC & present it for DMV inspection, they will confiscate it & the car!! Talk to the local DMV theft & recovery inspectors before U complete the transaction.

 

Nope. I'm holding off on that very expensive valve job for a while. Meanwhile, I'm sorting out a bunch of minor things I want done.

 

They dont come out for inspection until you have filed the correct paperwork

I know bc I bought a 50 caddy from just over the border in SC.

 

Shame to hear its really pricey for the valve job, I figured with these engines its pretty basic and straight forward. What kind of cost are you looking at?

I'll be honest, these caddy engines are so pricey on parts. My 50 I plan to leave alone bc its all original and runs decent, but if I get the 56 I want to use it as a driver and want something reliable and powerful as well as the trans. If it just needs a tune up and carb rebuild, fuel pump rebuild then I'll drive it as is, otherwise Im yanking it out and dropping in something else like a 454 or 396 or something maybe. Or build a 350 for it.

 

I need to find a local mechanic who's not as pricy as my earlier guy, honestly. He estimated for the worst, which is probably smart on his part. Either that, or go the whole nine yards and pull the heads off myself and take them to a machine shop for new valve guides and seats. I'm capable, but completely inexperienced and somewhat leery of doing the work myself.

 

I'll be happy to bring some tools and lend a hand if you like. Id say what we have going against us most is the risk of snapping any bolts, in which case the whole engine might have to come out. Maybe you could start soaking them all with a penetrating oil.

 

I am not a big fan of 'open titles', but have had occasion to deal with them. I would NEVER present an open title to the DMV.

Ray

 

Yeah, i wouldnt bring it to the dmv until I had it signed and filled out and notarized

 

I will add that apparently the lady who's name is on the title, lives about 3 miles down the road from its current owner apparently. Or so Ive been told. So hopefully if I ran into an issue, she'd help me.