Okay,first (second) post,and I thought I'd come pick some of your savvy experienced brains here first,guys.I hope this type of question is not violating any rules right off the bat? Okay,I'm thinking of buying an old non-op Packard as a 'training car' and parts car that I found on Craigslist a few hours away.Here's what I'm facing: All the seller has is a 'bill of sale',no title. We, both seller and buyer, are all located here inside California.Seller's in Bakersfield and I'm in San Diego.My brother resides in Bakersfield and has agreed to hold it a few days until I can transport it down here fwiw. Question: Since the car is non operational and it will be used strictly as a parts and training car,will a 'Bill of Sale' be legal enough to tow it and transport it? I bought a Packard from Indiana and it had to be registered before it could touch a public road inside California.It had to go straight on my property.Does the same apply here? Will a transport company pick up and deliver a car with just a bill of sale? What should I require of the seller,if anything? Not experience at such things. Thank you.
I am not in calif but I would think that a quick phone call to the transport company would get you the information on if they will pick it up and haul it for you. As far as bill of sale goes when i was in Calif or any other place I have lived and bought on a bill of sale only I always required that the bill of sale be notorized and that it had something on it clearly identifying the vehicle in question, either some sort of numbers or description. I would guess that if I was going to use the car as a parts car that maybe the bill of sale may say something along the lines of Salvage some where in the wording. Now this is not legal advice, it is advice from experience and just general advice.
You could also pose your question to the BMV, if you plan to use any of the serialized parts on your ride, they are the ones you will have to answer to...
I've been in CA my whole life and bought a few cars with bill of sale only. It has been a major hassle if you're trying to get it registered. CA DMV does not recognize that as a legal document. If you have any intention to register it you need a title. However, if you're just going to strip it for parts, etc, and have no intent of registering it, it really doesn't matter. I've had transport companies pick up a few vehicles I've sold over the years and as long as both parties, buyer and seller were in agreement, they just loaded and left. Paperwork was left up to myself and the buyer. Devin
If its tires roll on public roads you need current registration and insurance, or a one way or one day permit. On a trailer there wont be any problems. I dont know about a transport company though. Yah a bill of sale dont mean anything to the dmv unless it comes up stolen and you can show it and they can contact the guy you got it from to keep your ass out of the fryer. The best way to title a car with no title and a vin is a lien sale. Registration places can do it, its a hundred bucks.
If there is no intention of it being on the road it is then deemed parts , should not be a problem. If some day this changes there may be a small hassle but still will be achievable to get registered with a bit of patience.
if you are not towing it yourself on a trailer you need to talk to the guy who will be doing the towing. what we think has nothing to do with it.
I'd have to think what Junkyard Kid posted in 5 holds sway in many states. If it's on a trailer it doesn't much matter but if the tires are on the pavement it might be prudent to get a trip permit. http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/reg_hdbk/ch25/ch25_3.htm It's best to just ask the dmv and be done with it though.
Back her is they want to they can pull you over and make you show proof of ownership. Maybe in Calif they need to have probable cause to ask you but you just never know when you tail light is going to flicker. Sometimes a bill of sale scrawled in crayon on a candy wrapper will not satisfy them. Never hurts to have a good solid bill of sale.
If you tow it on a highway you need, as has been said insurance and a one day. Easily obtained. If its on a trailer, no problem. Registering on a bill of sale is possible. CHP verifies numbers and you'll be good to go. Registering the car is not the you vs. Godzilla that so many love to make it out to be.
it can be flat beded or trailered. For registration you would use a vin verifier and he will give you what you need to register. Generally a simple thing
Yep, it's usually not too bad if you play by the rules, have the proper forms filled out, and go in with a smile on your face instead of an attitude right off the bat. If you have a bill of sale or lien, VIN verification and it doesn't come up in the computer as belonging to someone else, stolen, tickets or fees due, you do the application for registration, fill out a Statement of Facts, and write a check. I was kinda waiting to get pulled over for this load a couple weeks ago, as I happen to have clean recent pinks and non-ops for both of them. Went past and had to stop in front of a CHP waiting for a light about two miles out, and after looking over my (many) tie-downs and chains, he just smiled and waved- I was almost looking forward to showing my clean paperwork
Well I just went thru this, bought a 30 roadster in California with Bill of Sale only. Trailered it 500+ miles all in California plus passing over 2 CHP Scales, no problems at all. Went to AAA local office with only Bill of Sale, they verified VIN # gave me new title right there with plates.
Forgot one thing though, word of mouth on DMV branches is very valuable. Never, ever go the the branch in a certain NorCal city with the initials S.R., where resides a little 5-foot nothing manager known as "Napoleon". Went in with one just because I bought it from a friend who has a dealership about 6 blocks away, and silly me, thought that would help- he even went with me. I had a VIN verification that was done for me by a friend who is a CHP Captain, and had trained other CHP verifiers. So I'm doing good, gal at the counter's husband had a similar but not as rare vehicle and chatted me up about it, think I'm in like Flint- then the smile goes off her face. She says our manager insists on personally reviewing all transactions like this, and she won't look me in the eye. So Napoleon struts out with a chip on his shoulder (probably doesn't help that I'm 6'2"), takes a look and rejects the VIN verification- he says now you have to go get the VIN verified. I say I already did, by a CHP Captain, it's right there in your hand with his card attached. So Napoleon says you can't go get a verification on your own, you have to come and see me first, and then I DIRECT you to get a verification.. So since the little prick had all my paperwork in his hand for my very rare vehicle from the '20's, I resisted the temptation to call him a few choice ones as he smirked at me, and the counter people on both sides of my girl looked down and blushed. After the little prick swaggered off, the gal started apologizing, I need my job etc.- told her no problem, not your fault and I feel sorry for you having to work for that jerkoff. Took it and two others with verifications by the same guy to another branch, ten minutes later I wrote a check and had titles for all three
Thank you ALL for taking the time to respond and for your spot-on answers and advice.I'm overwhelmed with gratitude.All I have to do is find out if a transport company will transfer it with just a Bill of Sale. It looks like I'll be heading to Bakersfield tomorrow.Thanks for the tip and picture,MeanGene.I think just about every government branch has a clown like that.Luckily,guys like him are the exception.And I love how Lochop doesn't beat around the bush.He's a man of few words it seems.LOL! ...BTW,when I ask the seller if the tires have been inflated since the pics were taken,he claimed they could not because they didn't could not remove the fender skirts.They didn't know how.
A transport compahy could care less if you have a title, a bill of sale or a roll of toilet paper. Just tell them what you want picked up, where to get it and where to drop it off.......done........
All the car haulers, any car hauler that I have ever dealt with, wants to know is if it runs or if it rolls
Make sure the transporter KNOWS the tires may, or will, go flat. It will probably make a difference in how or where he attaches the tie downs at!!!!!!
I never heard that if the tires touch the road it has to be registered and insured. When i bought my 1947 chevy truck out of apple valley ca i used a uhaul one way trailer. Never got hassled but the truck was on the trailer not the road which was a good thing because in my excitment of acquiring the truck i forgot to get a bill of sale.
All of the advice is good assuming the vehicle is not stolen and the VIN listed in the stolen vehicle database. As several of the posters indicate, it the tires touch the pavement, it needs to be licensed and insured or have a DMV moving permit.
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