title problems

[rjn72]

i bought a truck the other day and it has been sold a few times without title transfer. Along the way someone lost the title. I now have a truck with no title and not sure whose name the truck is in. I do know that the last person to register it was in california. Is there a way to get a title for this truck? It is an 87 chevy. I looked on the california dmv website and i think if i lived in california i could look it up. Not sure though, it stops me before I get that far. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[old Rusty C10]

there are companies that will get you a title but its pretty costly....

[RandyP]

The last title I had to track down and get, I went through a title service here in OK. Since the truck was registered in CO, it cost me extra to get the title 42 completed. $150 for the title service, $50 for a VIN inspection and 4 months later, I had a title in my name.

I found the service I used on craigslist and they actually had a very good reputation once I checked them out. You just can not be in a hurry. Best thing is to start with your local tag agency/DMV. They can point you in the right direction if they can not do it for you.

[njlimbaugh]

First,make sure you need a title in your state. Here in GA nothing older than (I think) twenty years gets titled. Old cars are sold with a bill of sale only.

[softballnrd27]

I am going through the same ordeal. I bought my 85 in GA and now it is taking an act of congress to get a title for it. I am a resident of TX currently stationed in NC. I can register the truck in TX, but the title is going to be a little bit harder.

[Cherub]

See if your state lets you get a bonded title. I have one on my truck now. I lost the title and couldnt get ahold of the previous owner. I took the truck to a dealer that gave me a value of the truck then took that and got a bond from my insurance agent. Then took all the paperwork back to the state office and they registered it to me.

[softballnrd27]

how much did you have to pay for the bond

[rayfinseats]

Call the dmv !

[softballnrd27]

I have and they don't know how much the bond costs.

[hugger6933]

I am a used car dealer in the great state of Arkansas. I have been into the ordeal of getting a bonded title a couple of times. The first thing you have to do is go on the AR dfa website it is something like ardfa easy to find. Then print off a bonded title application. This is a paper to fill out and send in to little rock [or take it up there it's not too far for you] to the main dfa office [Leddbetter building] acroos 630 from childrens hospital. They will take the app then search it out to make sure there are no liens if so you good to go. That will be when you get a bond about 75 bucks. You will take the bond and the approval letter that you get from the dfa when they clear it back to the dfa they will print the title and mail it to you. It is a lot of leg work but it is worth it on something pretty nice that needs paper. Also ar is not like some other state that don't ask for titles after a certian age. If you plan on putting a tag on it it has to have a title. Also on this bonded title deal you won't have to spend money on this till you get approval for the bonded title and if it does have a lein on it somewhere wheter it is paid out or not you will have to get them to fill out a lien release before your back in it. Good luck

[1LowToy]

Here's the California website to see if there are any back fees in it. It may have fallen off of California's system if it's been over 7 years, uless it comes up stolen. Then it stays on as stolen forever or until recovered.

http://dmv.ca.gov/FeeCalculatorWeb/index.jsp

[Cherub]

Originally Posted by softballnrd27

how much did you have to pay for the bond

the bonded title is directly related to the cost of the car. the more the car cost the more the bond will be. The dealer said my truck was worth 500 and the bond was something like 50 buck.

[rayfinseats]

"I have and they don't know how much the bond costs." That's odd. The gov. is pretty screwed up these days.

[76stepsidechevy]

Originally Posted by njlimbaugh

First,make sure you need a title in your state. Here in GA nothing older than (I think) twenty years gets titled. Old cars are sold with a bill of sale only.

Thats how it is here in CT too, kinda scares me as I don't really have anything to prove my truck is mine were something to happen.

[softballnrd27]

Thanks Cherub.

[meter swinger]

if you can track down the owner listed on the california title ( last known address), you can send him a release or intrest form from the DOL via certified mail. if he signs it and sends it back to you, then you can subit that to your DOL to apply for a title. if the letter comes back to you unopened then do not open it. take it to the DMV unopened and they should be able to apply for a title.
i went through this same ordeal myself, ecxept the titled owner was deceased made it a real pain in the a-- moral of the story is change over you titles. and don't by from folks without a title or an affidavit in lieu of title. good luck! hopefully they are more forgiving than WA.

[rjn72]

I am not even sure of the original owners name. The guy I bought it from said he thought it was Danny something. His words not mine. It doesn't seem like it will be to hard, but we will see.

[meter swinger]

CA DOL should be able to come up with the name on the title by runing the VIN. Also get the title number from them if they will give it to you.
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[RandyP]

Here in OK anyone can walk in to a tag office with $2 and a VIN and get a copy of the registration showing the legal owner, or last known owner when it was tagged. That also shows if the title has any liens on it. Granted that is if it was registered in OK.

Other option is to take a box of donuts to the local PD and see if they will run the VIN for you. That will make sure it is not in NCIC and they can give you a name.

[hugger6933]

The DFA will have no idea of what the bond will cost that is for the bonding or insurance company to decide. It will no be that much the bond is 10% so most are uder 100 bucks. The last one I did was 75 and the one before that was 50 from the same place. If you have trouble finding a company to write the bond I can give tyou the name of the company that writes my dealers bond and has bonded the cars that I have gotten a bonded title on. Jim

[72lb4x4]

You might consider a mechanic's lien if you know a friendly shop owner. I've been told its faster and easier than a bonded title in Texas.

I've done a bonded title in Texas and it wasn't difficult. An hour or so searching the internet, and a few hours getting estimates of value, title search, buying the bond and presenting all the stuff at the tax office.

You get the bonded title in the usual period of time and wait a few years for the bond to fall off. You can sell the car, register it, drive it, or whatever just like a car with a regular title in the interim.

[hugger6933]

Not to rain on the parade but AR does not recognize labor liensas a means to get a title. They do however have a system in place that will allow for a court ordered title ,but that would not apply in this case. Jim

[Doug_J]

I know here in Oklahoma if you tell the dmv the truck was left at your property for lets just say a couple of years they will just file a lost title on it. I know that its not expensive. So if it was me I'd just call the dmv tell them it was left at your house by a friend you've tried calling him it's been a couple years now and you would like to file for a lost title, they will try contacting the registered owner and they have I think 30 days to respond. Now don't worry because if the the person does respond all you gotta do is write up a thing saying it was left at your house from such and such date till now and your charging storage fees of so much per day or month.

[ozark]

You don't have to have a title in Ar. if it is 25 years old, it is considered an antique. Looks like you may have to wait to next year to go this route though. You will need a bill of sale and get the antique tags, you will get a title. I just did it on a old trans am that had beed sitting for years. It cost me $14

[LONGHAIR]

I'm sure that the states make this difficult for a reason. They want everyone to transfer the title properly. This not only gets them their tax/fee money, it keeps things more "above board". "Shakey" things start happening when vehicles pass through several hands....

Personally, I think that the states should "standardize" this to make things easier for people trying to do things legally. Why on Earth would some states stop requiring titles after a certain time? It had one to begin with, why not stick with it?