ca title (newer vehicle) question?

ok... i'm in a bit of a predicament, and could use some help and advise... (im in California)

i bought a 1992 dodge dakota, from craig'slist for $300... i knew that the person that i bought it from didn't physically have the title... not a problem -- found a form application for transfer with duplicate... but as i was leaving the guy i bought it from told me hey, i never actually signed the title over to my name...

me being stupid, i didn't think it would be that big of a deal, that i could find something to do to fix it...

the guy i bought it from is in the coast guard, and not from ca originally, and i dont believe he was trying to screw me over, and i would like to try to title this thing, and use it... this situation just has an absence of paperwork

the only possible course of action that i can think of now, is doing a lein action, after the vehicle "mysteriously" shows up in my driveway...i put a lien on in, cause its in my parking spot...

basically, does anybody know if this could conceivably work? as long a i didnt myself park it there could i put a lein on it for storage? (i know the registered owner isnt going to want it back) {i have been reading this website... http://www.wikihow.com/Get-a-Title-to-an-Aba ndoned-Vehicle }

OR is there anybody who could legally/morally offer / help me find the name of the last registered owner or give me a way to find it?


keith

 

If you go to DMV and tell them you need to transfer it.. They will give you the info and person to contact(last title holder) Then you have to attempt to contact them within 30 days... After the wait period you can transfer it... Jason.

 

Find out who it was registered to and contact the guy. If hes not around... get a bill of sale from and go to the DMV. Simple as that?

 

It not so simple..... basically the guy you bought it from never had the signed off title from the lienholder handed over and then sent off to the DMV to have the entire title be in his name. You'll haver to check with the lienholder to see if the title is even clear. I know of people buying newer cars and boats without titles, and it turns out they were never fully paid for....they are still owned by the lienholder. The buyer just wants some quick cash and then bail.... I hope it all works out for you.......what a nightmare!

 

i was told that there was no way that they would just give out that information.... due to privacy concerns... so if i go in, and tell them that i need to transfer the title, and they will give me the name of the last person that they have on record?

if i contact him, and here nothing back in 30 days, how would i go about transfering it?

thanks...

keith

 

Nope. They will NOT give you the name sorry. Call DMV and find out the last time it was even registered.

Hopefully its out of the register. Next thing is.....was it EVER registered in Cali??? If not, it just got easier.

Then go from there.

 

When I walked in with a bill of sale from the guy I got the car from and told them he lost the title. They looked it up and said he never had it registered to him. Then they gave me name and address of the last registered owner. I had to contact him by mail... After 30 days I was able to register it...It has been a year since I did this but this was my experience.. Jason

 

Then the She Bear behind the desk must have thought you would make a good daddy provider for her hoard of filthy children.

 

it was registered up untill today -- the reg expired jan 2008 in ca...

i tried at aaa, and they would tell me that the bill of sale wasnt the name on the registration, but i couldnt get what the name was...

 

Fuckin YUCK.

My next step to find the original owner would be one of two choices because unless your as good looking as Bear Metal, ain't no fat momma gunna tell you at the DMV:

1. Ask law enforcement to help....ala the CHP is where I'd go.

2. Give the plate number to a private eye. It's like 35 bux and if you swear not to hurt anyone, they will usually tell you who and where. Give them your story and be sincere. Let them know the score. Works for me.

 

Basically what you did was perform a lien sale. If you fill out the proper paperwork, they will give you the guy's info because you have to mail him notification.
After 30 days it is yours.
Maybe your deal was different.. maybe you got a noob, or what Brandy said..
Strange things do happen sometimes at the DMV..

 

i pretty much came to the conclusion, that my last resort is going to be a lein sale... i can technically do this over storage fees , if it ends up parked in my spot -- right?

even as a renter... ok ... the truck might magically end up off the street, but parked in my spot ... then i can and will "lein" it...

thanks... let me know if anybody else has any ideas/input....

 

I think you are playing with fire here. Usually with a lien sale, they wan't proof that you had an agreement. ESP with such a new vehicle. On a figurative level, lets say the thing is stolen and you lien it..........makes you look kind of guilty for saying Oh it just SHOWED up.

Sure and you didn't notify the authorities immediately?

Got to look at it from the safest view possible. $300 bux for a 90's vehicle that had registration til NOW and the cat who owned it never rego'd it???

Would sound more plausible with an old car that wasn't running then with what you're playing with. I'd try a PI and keep my ass out of a crack you can't climb back out of.

 

THIS IS KIND OF A FUDGE...BUT... GET A LEIN SALE PACKET FROM THE D.M.V. (VALUE $4,000 OR LESS) FILL OUT THE REG. OWNER / LEGAL OWNER REQUEST. GO TO D.M.V. PAY THE 5 BUCKS.. THEY GIVE YOU THE OWNER INFO SO YOU CAN SEND OUT THE NOTICES.. IT HAS THE OWNER INFO ON IT.. IT WILL SHOW A LEGAL OWNER IF THE TITLE IS NOT CLEAR. CONTACT THE OWNER AND SEE IF HE/SHE WILL SIGN A DUPLICATE TITLE / TRANSFER FORM.. IF NOT.. FINISH THE LEIN SALE. IT TAKES ABOUT 40 DAYS TO COMPLETE.. A.A.A. DOESN'T HANDLE LEIN SALES AT ALL.

 

i was debating doing that, but...
the fine print on that form says...$5000/ one year in jail for using it other then to contact with the lein paperwork sale... with my lick i would rather not chance that ...

 

Don't you have a bonded title procedure?

I had a tenant leave a car behind (that didn't belong to her).

I had to tow it to the MVD, they checked the serial #, took the form in, and told me I needed to send a certified letter to the last owner, and to the lienholder. Luckily the car had been paid off, so I just had to get a lien release.

Once I did that and waited 30 days, they told me to buy a surety bond (about $250), and gave me a title.

 

Hey pretty hard to do a lien sale as a private party unless you can prove the circumstances I would go to a registration site and give the paperwork to them and see what they can do dont do any phoney baloney on the paperwork as it is a felony if caught aint worth it
Hope this helps
Ken
did lots of lien sales when I owned wrecking yard

 

Looks like the Question is answered as much as its going to be.

Closed because its a new, O/T Vehicle.