Would you buy a car W/O a title?

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gliderider06

gliderider06

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So, I have been looking for a Ramcharger for some time and I found one a few hours away. I borrow a trailer to make the trip to get it and the guy just called and said that he forgot that the title to the truck was burned in a house fire 10 years ago. He can most likely get a duplicate made, but it will be a few days/weeks however long it takes to get it made. Should I wait to get the truck after he gets the title, or still go tomorrow and get the truck and have him mail it to me? I feel that I can trust him, he is an older farmer that likes to talk, A LOT and I feel that he can be trusted.
I was also wondering if I got a few bills of sale for it, that I could go to my Delaware dmv and get one made without the original one from Maryland. I tried looking at the DMV website and found nothing on the matter. Does anyone have any experiences on purchasing a vehicle w/o a title and got it titled in your name and state?
Thanks
 
A lost title has to be dealt with by the person that lost it.

If you pay him now, he has no motivation to get it.

Ask him to call you once he has it.
 
Thanks, just what I thought too. Guess I only lost a few hours getting and returning my buddies trailer. I'll call him back and tell him to get the title first.
 
Get the title first! Many years ago, I bought a Suzuki DR250 off a guy who said he would get the title from his sister. Guess what? That dual sport motorcycle turned into a motocross bike!!
 
I buy cars without titles all the time.. But of course we don't have any in Vermont anyway for cars 15 years and older ..
 
only if i'm parting it out. even then its iffy because the scrap wants a title a lot of the time...
 
Like others have said. GET A TITLE!!! Also make sure they signed it right!!!!! That's what happened to me. I have a title, but it is signed by the owners spouse, and both are deceased........ More to it than that, but make sure you have a title.
 
I bought a 67 Dart without getting the title. It was the guys deceased father that name was on the title. Also an old man who lived on the family farm.

I tried for years to get the title from him. Then I decided to try and get lost title with my bill of sale. Needed his signature to get it. Well when I was going to go have him sign the paperwork he looked in a box on a desk and there was the title from 1969 when they bought the car.

Bought a Kawasaki 350 triple in Hawaii at a Honda dealer. They had the bike in the back and I bought it for $100 in 1980, wish I still had it. Well in the 2 months I had it before I came home was never able to get a title. Left it with my brother to deal with, he sold it for $75 and I didn't get a dime...... LOL oh well it was worth the $100 for the fun I had on it.

No I would not buy it without a title. If it burnt in a fire he should be able to get a lost title real easy and in a few weeks you can pick it up. Leave him a small deposit so he knows you want it and pay in full when he gets the title
 
GET the title. Or more accurately, make it clear you won't buy it until the SELLER gets the title. Here, in Idaho, you MUST have it. On the other hand, a legit lost title is easy to get from them BY THE OWNER, not the buyer
 
First thing I do when I buy a car is go down to DMV and put the car in my name. Even if i loose a title to one of my cars, I can get one on the spot. The only way I would buy a car from somebody without a title is if it was from a state that doesn't have them on old cars and comes with supporting docs. Just me.
 
If it has been registered without a title, it becomes difficult. If not, then all you have to do is apply for a replacement title if the person you bought it from was the last titled owner. Salvage yards do it everyday.
 
IF the car is valuable enough to warrant it and IF you have a bill of sale from the previous seller, IF the car is legit, and IF the car hasn't been registered in the last 10 years, you should be able to get a clean Florida title for just about anything through Hollywood Title & Lien (CarTitleUSA). Takes 30 days, as they do a mechanics' lien on it through their storage company.

A Florida title in my name on my ex-NY (renewable reg, deceased original owner, bought from son) '72 Mustang cost me $470 through them; would have been in the $350 range had I wanted a title from the storage company (which I could then transfer to any state I wish).

It's essentially the same service Broadway/GNT does, for half the price. Each car is thoroughly checked beforehand, and enough proof has to be shown to ensure that the car is, in fact, what it claims to be.

-Kurt
 
RustyRatRod said:
If it has been registered without a title, it becomes difficult. .
Click to expand...

In Idaho state you cannot register without a title. Many C/L zchitheads try to say things like "apply for lost title" but the OWNER has to do so, not the buyer
 
I'll pay scrap price to negate my risks in a no title transaction.

I've seen a half a dozen times where/when the title "surfaced" eventually or lost title process was initiated only to discover there was still a lien on vehicle from a bank long time ago!
 
In PA you can apply for an abandon vehicle title...a few trips to the court house, a few bucks and some PITA paper work, but for the right car well worth your time.
 
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