OK, Heres the deal. I sell my T Bucket to a guy about a year ago. He calls me last night saying that he never registered the car and now he cant find the title. I signed the title over to him and my dad and his son witnessed it. Done deal! Now he says he cant find the title anywhere and he wants me to apply for a lost title so he can get the car registered. He says that he will pay for whatever it cost. Whats envolved in fileing for a lost title? Im guessing since he never registered the car its still in my name. Should I even do this for the guy? Just puttin this out there cause Im not sure what to do. Thanks
Yes, you should do it. It would be better to take him down to the courthouse so you can be sure your name is off the title. Otherwise you can download the lost title application form from the TxDMV Of course, I sold a motorcycle that the title was never transferred. Several years later it was recovered in some kind of drug raid and the police gave it back to me.
In Tx, its less than 10.00 to file for the title being lost! Do not tell them at the dmv that you sold it! Just tell them you lost it ! Then when you get the title in the mail ,sign it over to the old[ ie,,new owner] as the date of sale being when you actually see him again , but if you have to mail it to the person include that fact that there negligence does incorporate a nuisance fee due to their negligence! By the way, you can after you get the title or give it back to the new[old] owner you yourself can go online or back to your tax office and inform them that you have now sold the vehicle and be sure you have the new persons name and address . In the state of Tx you can tell them anytime you sell a vehicle for free ,it used to cost 5.00 and mail in the top tear off portion of the title to austin to do the same thing . That tells the state you no longer own the vehicle regardless of when or how the buyer ever registers it! Releasing you from liabilities,tickets,old registrations,bank robbery involvement! One more thing,, you can now keep your plates and registration sticker on the windshield any time you sell a vehicle . and reregister those plates to your newer to you vehicle ,,another reason for the purchaser to register it ! The real hassle[pisser] is transporting it to where they reside ,due to the fact that most yearn to drive there new vehicle home ,unless like alot of us where it comes home in parts in the first place ! Hope this helps to clear it up some ? Sounds like a hassle, but truly it is not! Aside for the waiting for the title in the mail ! I recently went thru this on a little daily driver i rescued from the scrap yard ! C.D.
Looks like the lost title has been covered, but I'll add a little to it. My daughter sold an OT beater and the new owner never transfered the title or got insurance. They got into a wreck and guess who it was gonna come back on-my daughter. Luckly, I had picked up a form from the tag office that they both signed when the car changed hands (I kinda had an idea this might happen) and that cleared her of liability. When you sell a car, make sure the state knows you sold it. Larry T
The hoops you have to jump through are shown here http://www.txdmv.gov/vehicles/titles/lost_title.htm Not a real big deal on your part but It will cost him waiting for a few weeks. Any old paperwork on the car that you might have stashed away would probably help. I agree with making sure that the state knows you sold a running vehicle in any state. I had pretty close to the same thing that Larry T had, happen with me on an ot rig a few years ago. It was still in my name and the plates had to be at least two years out of date when it was wrecked and the tow company that hauled it in was trying to hit me for the tow bill. I had turned in the info that it had been sold though.
Thanks Guys! This really helps. Just 1 question. What would happen if I told the DMV that I had sold the car but the new owner never registered it and HE had lost the title?
You should help the guy out. Yes, he was irresponsible but you all made the deal and he is still willing to pay for the hassle you will go through. My experience with this is with out T Bucket. Dad sold the car to a guy in Arkansas in 1973, (we live in Missouri). The guy never titled it in his name because he never planned to license it and drive it (personal collection only). I find the son that now owns it and he has no title...I even had them do a search in Arkansas, nothing! So, I went back to Missouri for my dad and requested a lost title here (never letting on that the car was ever sold). It took them a while since it was so old but eventually got it and then dad was able to transfer it over to me. So, technically speaking my dad still owned the car he thought he sold 36 years ago! Regards, Bill Wilson Lee's Summit, MO 'The Turnover T'
If you go into the DMV and tell them what happened it will just cause the process to be more of a hasslel.The best thing to do is apply for the lost title,with the dude paying for everything and after you receive it tell the dude he will have to be present with you at the DMV to do the deal because as far as you know he might have already sold the car to somebody else and it will still be in your name and the next owner might just be a trader too.I have seen cars at swapmeets change hands 5 to 6 hands over a period of time and never be put in anyone of their names.Cover your own ass.Remember he has the problem that is giving you a problem.
If you tell them that, they will wonder why you didn't report the sale, and the guy will have a VERY hard time proving he owns it. In other words, it would not be a good idea. The guy messed up, you now have the info to help him out and it will be a lot easier for you to do it than for him. Go ahead and help the guy out, but protect your backside as mentioned.
I went through this years ago in NJ. The DMV would only issue a title/lost bill of sale to the last person of record in DMV archives. Rich
If it were me, I'd go ahead and help him get the title. File the paperwork like you never sold it. THEN, get the paperwork that says you sold it to him. If it happened again, he'd be on his own. Larry T
Sounds good guys! I guess Ill go ahead and use the Mail in form thats on line. The guy that bought it actually got it for his son and his son is the one that lost the title. HAMBers RULE! Thanks again!
Thought Id give an update on my lost title sitchuation. I printed out the Lost Title form from the TxDMV web sight. Mailed it in with a 2 dollar check. Got my new copy in the mail two days later! Easy, Peasy, lemon squeezy! Going to meet the guy I sold it to and sign over the title (again) this weekend. After the sale I will be sure and let the DMV know the car was sold so I wont have to go through this again. Thanks again for all the good advice. Not the first time the HAMB has helped me out and Im sure it wont be the last. Hambers are the best!
Damn shame. But, what I have done since selling my first car, many years ago.....I photocopy three copies of the title and bill of sale after the buyer signs them. Then I head to the DMV or registry (Massachusetts) and file the paperwork. So they have a copy and also know it is sold. Another copy goes to my insurance company. Third copy is for my files. Whether the buyer does the title thing, or registration, doesn't matter. I am off the hook.
In Washington State, you can go to the state website, report a vehicle sale instantly, and print it out for your own records. I do it immediately, whenever I sell a vehicle. My ex-wife almost went to jail once, over a car she sold and forgot to report. The buyer never registered the car and racked up a whole bunch of parking tickets. A parking ticket doesn't sound like a big deal, but if you get enough of them, apparently they are.
First of all I believe you covered your ass with the bill of sale even if he never titled it in his name, you would have been covered here in Maryland. Second, I would tell him that you want him to also pay for a title search before you get a duplicate. Let me explain why the title search, you need to make sure it's still showing up in your name (again this applies to Maryland), if you get him a new title and he has already sold the car to person #3 but guy #3 never titled it in his name and the guy you sold it to knows this and wants to be underhanded, you just gave him a title for a car that he sold to someone else. You don't want to get involved in anything like that I'm sure, this happened to someone I know and here in Maryland when a duplicate title is issued, the original becomes void. I would get him a title, just check it out.
You dont have to go and do it yourself just sign a bill of sale and a duplicate title and give it back to him and thats all you have to do. He can do the rest oh and just for safty fill out a release of liability on the car.
You can down load a form and fill it out take it the DMV and should be done in 10 minutes. A license recp. are a title number will speed it up.
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