Selling a car without a title?? Connecticut, argh!

I am trying to sell of a couple of the older cars I have. One, a street rod, the other a 55 Chevy. My problem is Connecticut does not title cars 30 years old or more. So what is a guy to do? I have CT. issued bills of sale, signed over registrations as well as a letter from CT. DMV stating they do not issue titles to cars this old.

What are some of you fellow CT. residents doing when selling your car? Am I missing something here?

For you out of staters, what does that mean to you? Would you buy a car from CT. knowing I can't supply a title, but have everything else to prove ownership? I have been told all states know that CT. does not give titles and accepts this as fact, but is that true?

What to do.......

 

I've used title service companies to get me proper paperwork for some purchased vehicles that came without titles. I'm not scared of that process. I'm in NYS, have not had an issue yet.

 

Been through it many times. Some states will take a Ct oldie without a current registration and many won't. If your cars have current registration, you are fine. If someone does not want to go with that, find another buyer...that's what I always do.

Ct never had titles on new car until 1959, but I sure do remember when we had to have a title on any used car that we tried to register. Then at some point 20? or so years ago, titles were no longer needed on oldies. The DMV would issue you a new title then, if you had an old one, and wanted a new one for some reason, but the fee was $25 extra...so most people threw the old titles away!

In CT, you cannot get a new title on a oldie, unless you have a old title, or have a prior CT title number.

If you read Ct state statutes, it says the Commisioner on DMV has the right to not save records beyond 3 years. So, that adds to the grief.

 

South Carolina had to be convinced that our neighbor Georgia didn't issue titles for cars earlier than 1984. it took me ten months to do it. kinda stupid if you ask me. seems like they can sure find out if you got a damn speeding ticket in another state.

50 states and 50 different ways of doing things. no consistency.

 

I bought my 61 Lincoln convertible from Connecticut. I flew out from here (Washington state) to check it out. I brought the funds to purchase it with me. I said, I like it, Ill take it. Here is the money, Ill take the title and contact a shipper to pick up the car.

He tells me they dont have titles for old cars there. Just bill of sales, signed registrations. He shows me the DMV info you are talking about. I was totally unsure of what to do. I wanted that car, but no title?

I wanted that car badly so I took a chance, he was a lawyer and a lawyer wouldn't lie to me would he? (lol)

I got home and took all the info with me to the local licensing place. The young girl behind the counter said she thought I was screwed. But luckily one of the experienced ladies came over. Pulled out the books and showed her how it worked. Was just a matter of a few weeks and I had a clear Washington State title for the car in my name. No muss no fuss. Didn't even have to have an inspection.

 

On both of these cars I had a title to hand in and they would not give me one in return! twelve years ago they took the one for the 47, and like an idiot I let them do it. The 55 on the other hand, when I went last year to register it they didn't want, or even look at the New Jersey title from the previous owner. At least I still have that one.

 

Yes, I forgot to add the confiscation issue. Word spread fast back when the titles were no longer needed, and we heard that if you did not want to pay the extra $25 title fee, they would take your old title without your permission.

I did pay the fee on a couple that I knew I would sell later, but most times, I kept the old title and did not apply for a new one.

When I sell a no title oldie, I always say in my ad, that "this car needs to go to a non-titled state, or stay in CT". That way I don't need to hear all the stories that I am selling an illegal car.

 

I went down to Georgia and picked up a later than allowed here nova, guy gave me some paper and said Georgia didn't have titles. I had already paid for the car figured if I couldn't register it I would part it out. Went to dmv no problem, that's NY so it just depends on where it's going.

 

I believe the DMVs in most states have a big book that details the titling requirements for other states. I bought a motorcycle from CT once and brought it back to Minnesota, and the DMV here had the book; after they looked in it and figured out that CT didn't have titles for old vehicles they were okay with a bill of sale.

 

I think 74 and older only need a registration in NY.

 

it would be fine here in NH. I think 15 years and older is no title needed. we have to get the vin verified or have a previous reg.

 

CA. has books on all states and titled vehicles requirements.

 

I can't speak for CT directly, but I just bought my Ford out of NY without a title. New Jersey needed a transferrable reg, signed off by the PO, a notarized bill of sale and a pencil tracing of the VIN

 

Sorry but i wouldn't touch it.... Damn DMV gives you too much S$%T.....

 

I'd buy it.

 

I've bought a crapload of cars from CT and have never had a problem registering them in NY with the CT blue bill of sale.

 

ive bought quite a few, without issue, and like said, ny doesnt use titles on older cars either.

 

In R.I., an old car needed to have only a registration from the previous owner, to show that the taxes (Sales & Property) were paid....to register it.
I was lucky, because I thought I'd have the same problem when I recently moved to Florida from R.I.
I showed up at the DMV with a Tn. title dated 1954, (From the guy that sold it to me in 88') for my 39' Ford.
They let me keep the title and registered my car but wouldn't issue me a Fl. title. If I move to another state, I hope the Tn. title will "Do it" again.

 

Hi all, I just bought an old triumph out of CT with no reg or title. I had all kinds of trouble in Mass trying to get her registered. If I had an old reg or the title it would have been OK, without either they wanted previous two owners. Massholes, thank god for RI.

 

I have the same problem selling a boat,some states want titles for boats. try using a Q-1 form the DMV

 

We could use some nice cars here in Maine.Maine does,nt have titles either.I sold few cars out of state and what they wanted was a currect reg,bill of sale,and They must know you can,t give them a title.

 

Copy of the previous registration and a notarized bill of sale should slide it thru.

 

Our tag agents in OK have a list of every state's title/registration procedures, and they KNOW which states do not issue titles. So, assuming all else is in line with the vehicle (proper registration, BoS, etc), getting a no-title state vehicle tagged and titled here is no big deal.

 

Thanks for all the responses folks. You have all made me feel better about this issue. Hopefully whoever wants to buy either car will feel the same way.

 

Be carefull with the title companies, In one of the magazines there was a story about the Ca. att. generals office going after these title companies that issue titles. Ca. is upset about not getting propper tax revenue. Sure is hard to be honest about what they want to charge us for taxes these days.

 

Alot of states will not accept any paperwork from a title company . I bought a Model A from Conn. ,all I had to have was last registration,bill of sale .DMV gave me a form to fill out and have a cop inspect the car,sign stating it was the same car as paperwork stated. Was issued a title,not a pain in the ass at all . Luckily the A had the original 4-banger in it and the nos. matched the registration so didn't have to try and get access to the frame nos,under the cowl.

 

No reason to use a title company for our cars in New York, 1972 and older don't use titles and the process to register one without any paperwork at all is very easy. So, I'd buy your car even if you had no paperwork on it.

Some states don't like the no title thing, but almost every time there's a way around it, sometimes it helps to omit to your state DMV where the car came from, they'll be less fussy if they think it's your car and the title lost than if they know you bought it from someplace else.

 

It all depends where you live. There are a couple states & growing that will no longer accept transferrable registrations even if it is the legal means of paperwork like CT & NY have. Just went thru this will someone from OH. They only want a title so my car with trans. reg. I had was a no sale. I believe MI is also that way. Other states you can still just walk in with info written on a paper bag, so go figure.

 

Ohio is a state where you say you lost the title and don't mention where the car came from. If you do that, it's relatively easy to get a new one. I checked into it because I did sell a car to a guy in Ohio last year. They do a VIN inspection like a lot of other states do and check their records for any stolen flags on that number, and that's basically it.

 

There was a car in Florida I wanted to buy but Florida didn't have a title for a '27 Ford, so I passed. I won't buy a car without a clear title and matching vin numbers on the car and title.