obtaining title 1950/51 chevy

[Guest cjstephmom]

I purchased a 1950 Chevy at the swap meet at the last Hunnert Car Pile Up in Illinois a few years ago. The title for the vehicle was destroyed in our garage fire before I could transfer it into my name. I have no idea what state the title was issued in and don't know the seller's contact info. What do I need to do to obtain a title? I live in Missouri and had DMV run a check on the VIN with no luck. Please help!!

[Guest Bob Call]

The moral of this story, NEVER buy a car that you hope to put on the street WITHOUT A VALID CERTIFICATE OF TITLE signed by and notarized by the owner named on the certificate.

I almost got burned in a transfer. The person from whom I bought the car lived in Wisconsin and had a California title certificate signed and notarized by the previous owner but he had never gotten a new title in his name. I took the title certificate and a notorized bill of sale from the seller and his wife. When I went to the local tag agent to register the car and get a new title and a license plate, the agent told me that they could not issue a new title because the name on the title was a junior and the signature on the back was not a junior. Oh, they registered the car, collected the taxes and issued a plate in the name of the owner on the title; get that money. I contacted the man I bought the car from and he told me he had bought it from a man in Dallas, TX. I contacted the man in Dallas and he told me he had purchased the car 5 years earlier from an elderly man in California and gave me a California address. With some searching I got in touch with the resident at the address. She was the daughter of the car owner and told me her father was 90 but she remembered when he sold the car. I explained the problem and overnighted the title to her. She had her father to sign the title as junior and got the signature notorized at her bank.

Thank God the old gentlemen was still alive and his daughter so nice. Otherwise I would of had an old car I would never own legally.

No matter how much you want a car, without the proper paperwork pass on the deal. If you are looking at a car from out of state, check your local DMV office as to what is required to register and title the car in your state. If the seller can not provide the paperwork to meet your state's requirements, pass on the deal.

[CarlLaFong]

^^^^^Uhhhhh............in the second sentence, he said he had a title but lost it when his garage burned^^^^^^

[39BuickEight]

Here in Kentucky, with a car that old, they just run the VIN, if nothing comes up, you just have to show them the VIN , either in person or you can use a crayon/chalk and rub it on a sheet of paper, and, unless you want to pay taxes on the NADA value, a completed and notarized bill of sale from the seller. It doesn't matter whether it was from out of state.

In this case, in KY anyway, and states are all over the board of course, you could get a title just fine after the VIN check and paying sales tax on the NADA value. Even if the car is a rusted out piece of parts, without a bill of sale document, you have to pay the full amount rather than the amount the car may actually be worth.

With my car, I originally paid $1800. It had no title. I completed and had notarized a bill of sale for $1800. With that, running the VIN, and a chalk rub of the vin, I got a title after paying a title fee and taxes on $1800. Without it, I would have had to pay taxes on $20,000 or whatever NADA said.

Hopefully your state will be easy to work with. Just tell them what you have and what you need.

Edited March 27, 2015 by 39BuickEight (see edit history)

[John348]

I purchased a 1950 Chevy at the swap meet at the last Hunnert Car Pile Up in Illinois a few years ago. The title for the vehicle was destroyed in our garage fire before I could transfer it into my name. I have no idea what state the title was issued in and don't know the seller's contact info. What do I need to do to obtain a title? I live in Missouri and had DMV run a check on the VIN with no luck. Please help!!

Read the next line...........If it were in his name there would be no problem

[Guest cjstephmom]

39Buickeight, thank you so much for the information. I had the DMV run the VIN and there was no information on the vehicle so I am assuming it hasn't been registered in over 10 years. I will contact the MO DMV on Monday and ask what their guidelines are. I appreciate your reply!

[Guest cjstephmom]

Thanks for the info. But if you would have really read my post you would have noticed that I purchased it with a title that burned up in my garage fire. Even though I am a female I have been in the hot rod world for 30 years so I know how it all works. But maybe your post will help someone else.

[Harold]

My takeaway form this thread is that it is a good idea to scan important documents into your computer (or take a picture and keep in your phone) for reference in case there is a catastrophe like the OP experienced.

[capngrog]

Over the years, I've encountered many folks who think that they are saving money (?) by not transferring a title to their name. God bless 'em if that's what they want to do, but whenever I buy a vehicle, I go to the local tag agency and transfer the title to MY NAME as soon as I conveniently can. I don't understand folks who buy a vehicle and don't get around to titling it in their name until a "few years" have gone by. Also, if in negotiation to buy a car and the seller says: "The title is not in my name, but you can easily transfer it to your name", I tell him to "easily transfer it to his name" and then we'll talk. I don't know about other states, but in Florida, if one buys a car from a seller who doesn't have the title in his name, some degree of dishonesty is required to consummate the deal.

If you own a vehicle, why not legally transfer the title to your name? I just don't understand why anyone would own a vehicle for several years and never have the title transferred to his/her name.

Just sayin',

Grog

[CarlLaFong]

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda...................anyone who can address her real problem????