Say a person bought a beautiful 1950 olds rocket 88 4 door out of a impound lot for a ungodly cheap price $1000. But the impound lot had the car for so long they lost all the paperwork on the impound (9 years ago). Now this person has tried to go the legal way thru the state but they still show a registered owner for the vehicle on microfish not computer. But that record is on the edge of being taken off there records do to the age of the last registration. This is a state (lets call it minnesnowta) that clears its dmv files after 10 years of inactivity. Hypothetically it there a way to purchase a new title or a vin plate and title for this car? Or what about some of these places that can title any car. The hypothetical owner would like to get ths car on the road but will wait 1 more year if he has to, but doesnt want to. Anyone have any hypothetical answers or suggestions?
you're talking about historical documents, not titles right? Historical documents, ie titles for cars that have been crushed, etc., are good for collecting, but you hypothetically can't use those on your car to title it. No company can legally produce a title for a car that it never came with. The title services simply "replace" a title for a lost one, help title a car that never had a title, etc. They sometimes research past owners and get paperwork normal people don't have access to. But, swapping a title onto a car that never had that VIN # doesn't fly. The VIN plates they provide are toys from what I understand, and DMV inspection officials can spot them a mile away. Many states won't accept their paperwork for that reason. Your best option is to wait for the car to clear and be "ownerless", many states have a time period, at which point they will allow a new owner to apply for a title in their name if they can prove ownership, like a receipt from the junkyard.
just find another car with a clean title thats to rough to do anything with and switch the vins Hypothetically speaking that is.
have the registered owner apply for a new title and then transfer it to you. minnesota does not like bought titles from alabama , new york and nevada if you wait for a year , how will you get a title in minnesota with no paperwork?
Country Classic Cars might actuallly be useful for something in this regard, wonder if they have any of those around. Still it might be cheaper to just wait.
Go back to the impound folks and have them contact the registered owner. The impound folks have a responsibilty to provide you with the paperwork that you need.
Alabama does't require titles for cars older then 1975. 1975 and back do not require titles I sold a 55 ford to a guy in N.C had to provide him with a letter from the probate judge notorized to that effect. He had no problem getting a N.C title.
Lost...is the office a jungle of wadded paper or is it surgically neat, like the lost paper would have been tossed as soon as the file overflowed?? If the former, suggest to the brightest youngster in there that FOUND paperwork might net the finder a nice new hundred dollar bill slid right under the table...any other route is going to be a lot more than a hundred worth of trouble. AND, if no luck on that, waiting for the state to obliterate the existing record might make applying for a legit state-issued number and title much easier.
I inquired about this a while back and got a lot of "I don't know how they do it in Texas, but here in_____". Not much help! As many members as it seems live in MN, SOMEBODY must have actually BUILT AND REGISTERED an old car...
Like they are going to contact the owner etc. They sold it for a grand because there was no paperwork, I bet. You should be able to find a historical document. (don't call it a title)
The impound yard should keep records. If they can't produce paperwork to prove the prior owner released the title, I'm guessing the prior owner would still own it according to the law. If the prior owner can be contacted, getting them to apply for title may be the way to go, BUT dragging them into may make them wnat the car back and fight you for ownership... happened to me on a '64 Riviera deal. F'ing crackheads.
do a title company deal on it.$150 and it's done.use the vin on the car.you will sell the car to the title company and they put it in thier name then send you the paper work back in thier name ,signed over to you.take the paper work to the DMV and get your tags and go.most states don't send the titles back to the state they bought it from for some time. 4-6 months.sometime maybe more.your DMV won't worry about the one they have on file because they figure it was sold out of state and is coming back in to thier state when you transfer it.
i'll say it again , Minnesota DOES NOT LIKE those purchased titles from some states....any title/registration coming from Alabama , New York , Nevada will be trouble if you want to buy a title , get an old registration from Illionois , Ohio , Indianana. i've had good luck with them . i see old registrations on ebay all the time i still think you would be better off resurecting the existing title. you say it's still on file in minnesota , so you must now know who "owns" it. go to them and say "i have the car , i'm gonna drive it , it is in your best interest to sign it over to me" it has worked for me a couple times
Ive still yet to figure out exactly how I have a tag, insurance, and registration without ever even producing a title or bill of sale.
I'd have to agree with 36-3window. Keep it legit, even if you have to wait a year. In the end it will be muich better than creating a big mess.
[FONT="]First I do not know how it works in Michigan, but in Washington when cars are sold at an impound auction (Sheriffs sale or police auction) you get all of the paperwork to go transfer it at your local DMV. That is why I suggested going back to the impound folks, if they are authorized to sell the car they must be able to help you get the paperwork to get it licensed. The question that I have is how could they sell it if they are not legally allowed to.[/FONT]
I wondered that too? I thought they only used that for motorcycle and snowmobile parts Kinda in the out back id say...... Dave
Since it seems the local advice is saying the title companies papers are not accepted .... I would consider this... Here in Missouri and I am sure many other states,anyJudge[some sherrifs and Marshalls] can issue a title to a vacant/Vagrant vehicle....check it out.... anothe outlet is this..rack up a bill for storeage and or repair...that will not insure a shoe in on your title,BUT it will give you a method of making it harder for the "last one in the chain" to take it back...he will have to first satisfy that bill. Here a Mechanics lein has to be prefaced with a SIGNED and dated work order [from the party in charge of car] that included details of job and serial number of vehicle too.....
Don't know how things are done in minasnowta, but here if you abandon your car at my place of business I can start the paper work to get a title after 10 days! It involves sending out registered leters and posting ads in the legal section of the paper, but after 30 days I can have a good title issued in my name for the said abandoned vehical. The process costs about $125 but then you will have to trabnsfer it into your name and pay whatever fees are involved with that. Sounds like the place your car came from already did that but lost the paper work and they don't want to straighten out their mess. Maybe you can have them start the process all over again? It could be a "fresh toe in". Gene
does your state allow mechanics liens? these can be place upon the car in question for fees due to the repair shop/ towing co. usually a 60 day process. look into it. the towing company might be able to do this. If this fails take out the running rear and put it in a coupe..
Got my Lincoln from Utah, no paper to speak of. 3 weeks later I have title, plates and registration. Take a road trip with it, I'll help you out.
WTF kind of impound lot was this? it's been there for 9 years? a legitimate tow service would have needed to do a lein sale on the car a long time ago and the paperwork would be in thier name. sure the name of this business isn't "uncle lennys back yard?"
ok..i'll let you in to a little secret..you have to do what it takes to get a title in YOUR state ....in minnesota there some titles that don't work , i have already described them if you get one of THOSE titles..clean it up in a state that will get one of those Alabama titles...but get a buddy in illionois to put it in his name first..then transfer it to you in minnesota new hampshire works good too or get cornernfool to title it in califronia..and then he will "sell" it to you old minnesota registations can work good too..if you can find one to match your car. minnesota did not have titles until 1973 , so if you get one older than that , and the VIN number is not one file..the state will give you a title whatever you do for paperwork..DO NOT request "street rod" or "collector" plates when you transfer title..THAT IS A RED FLAG!!!! you will get a close and personal examination! just ask for regular plates..then wait at least one year before appling for any special plates you do not want to apply for a new construction title if the vin number on whatever paperwork you use is on file at the minnesota DMV you will have problems..have the local licnese bureau run it first before you submit any paperwork the last resort would be to go to the local license bureau..get the form the registered owner would need to sign to transfer title to you..go out to the parking lot....AND LOOK REAL HARD FOR THE REGISTERED OWNER out there... i'm sure he will sign it
Just for the record, Illinois does not like those "title company" titles either. If you show up at the DMV with one of those you will get the third degree. They are red flagged in the IL system. Gene
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