I'v come across a old truck that was left at a house I'm working on. The owner of the house says that a former tennant left the truck there. What is the prosses of registering a vehicle in California when you don't have a title?
You'll need to either get a title or registration from a state that doesn't require a title. You could go with a title agency but freinds have had mixed results. Your best bet it to contact kxmotox247 . He helps alot of hambers find documents.. good luck
quick google search finds a california government site that says the property owner can do this: What to do if a vehicle is abandoned on my property? You may conduct a lien sale. Lien sale instruction and forms are available by calling the department's Lien Sale Unite at (916) 657-7617 or visiting any DMV field office. See "Definition of a lien sale for additional information.
Write down the plate # if it has one or the vin# and go into the DMV or AAA if you have it, and tell them you are looking to buy this truck, how much $$ is it to register it. If you are lucky, they will say the vehicle is not on file. That means you WILL tell them it was in your name but you lost the papers, and need a title so you can sell it. This is because the county is on your ass to clean up your yard. You will need a vin verification. AAA is not as hard on you for this as the DMV. Its best to locate the #'s yourself so you can show the verifier where they are. Some are puzzled by Vin #'s with 8 or 10 characters. BTW, if you are not in your late 20's or older, the lost paper story doesnt hold water. It takes around 7-10 years for them to fall off record, so if you are 18, say it was your dads truck. Also, they dont fall off anymore. The cars that were on file 10 or so years ago will forever be on, due to technology advances.. Fill out a form for a title only and non-op, and its about 40-50 bucks. You dont need plates for a project. Easy as pie. IF the car is on record, then you will have to do a lein sale as instructed above. Again, not a big deal. In Ca, there is no reason at all to spend the money for a title service. I have done this MANY times. If you have any ?? feel free to ask.
Thanks this realy helps. IDon't know if I will make a efort to use this on this truck but atleast now I know what to do.
FYI, desertratrodders advice also works in Michigan, except that your local police come out to inspect the vehicle after you have acquired the paperwork from the Secretary of State (Michigan's DMV). A friend of mine wanted to buy an old Chevy from a family where they had lost the title. They had owned it for years - long enough that it was off the records. He went to the SoS, explained the situation to them, got the forms, had the car inspected (basically checking the VINs), then got a title for it. Easy. Some of my friends in Ohio have done this as well, but I think the process was a little more complex. Not impossible, though.
You can email the DMV online and have them run the vin. I had to do that for my 56' Olds that I bought from Wa. You can always have an officer run the vin as well.
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