Titles

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Dan the man

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Has anyone bought a car here in Missouri without a title? I asked the DMV about it and they said that it's illegal to do so. I asked again a few days later and I was told that the seller would have to be willing to get a bill of sale notarized. Also they preferred the seller have proof of registration. Is it more hassle than it's worth? I found a couple of decent cars but no title
 
Just buy a decent car with title. unless it is from state that does not issue one. it is the seller's problem if they have no title, or other buyers not yours RUN Dan Run. this will now turn into a 10-page Dan Da Man thread.
No title no deal! Just tell the seller he needs one to sell to you period!
Why the hell did I post to this thread? As this is just going to be thread #5001 of another reason Dan can't buy the car. Look at me I am Dan and I am buying a car or building a pretend engine
Remember Tune in next week for another episode of Dan is buying a car. Same Bat Channel, Same Bat Time
 
Dan, no you do not get a Bonded Title from the DMV. You get one from a title company. they look into cars history, if clean they issue a bonded title. For Fee! Google Bonded Title
 
Dan, you're gonna get a whole grip of advice here and most all of it is going to be somewhere between less than accurate and flat out wrong.

unless the person giving you advice is from missouri, has actually done the process recently and knows the intricate details of the DMV and state laws then most of their information is going to be of no use to you.

for instance, getting a bonded title in Mizery. sure that's fine if your car is worth less than $3,000 (although they issue bonds on more expensive vehicles, it's at their discretion and there's more hoops to jump thru).

at any rate, a bond only exists to protect the state and future owners from financial damages, and even if you have and have paid for a bond someone can lay claim or place a lien on it preventing you from getting a full title.

again, this varies WILDLY from state to state so do your due diligence.

that being said, i don't buy cars without titles. namely because getting a car titled here in CA is a pain in all nine assholes, but also because i don't want to get burned with backfees or a car that comes up as stolen from 1984.

the last three cars i bought, all were original ca black plate cars and were currently tagged or PNO with all the paperwork dress-right-dress. did i maybe pay a little more for that? you betcha. was it worth it? to me, it always is.
 
340six said:
Dan, no you do not get a Bonded Title from the DMV. You get one from a title company. they look into cars history, if clean they issue a bonded title. For Fee! Google Bonded Title
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Thanks for the information. I'm glad you let me know how it works
 
abodyjoe said:
not sure about ther but in nj its a real pain in the *** to get a title.. i won't even consider a car with no title here...
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This!
or a skipped title, to find out later the old seller has a duplicate and you don't own the car.
 
This varies state by state, in Idaho is a giant PITA. I would see if you can CALL your state central DMV, AKA at the capitol or wherever, not local, and get the straight story. Others have pointed out to me that some states NEVER ISSUED actual titles in older times, and the registration acted as the title so to speak. So it also depends on what state it came FROM. You might also contact THAT state's DMV and see what you are up against.

Shitheads here in ID, WA, and MT are fond of advertising "lost title" cars and claiming, I, the buyer can file for a lost title. Uh, no I can't. ONLY THE OWNER who OWNS THE CAR AKA name on the title can file for a lost title. That is the purpose of a title--to make sure ONLY the real owner can sell it and allow it's transfer
 
AAA

IMG_2165.jpeg
 
Dan you can get on the Missouri DMV website. They have all sorts of information on getting a notorized bill of sale, applying for a title, how to apply for a lost title, etc.

Do a little research on your own. Unless a member on here has gone through the title process in Missouri or works for the Missouri DMV, they’re not going to have the information. Just look it up!

I thought you were looking for a running driving, turn-key vehicle not a project. My guess is most running, ready-to-drive cars already have license plates and therefore titles that could be signed over to you…… IF you ever decide to purchase a car.
 
I'm from Missouri, in Missouri, and I can tell you this right now: any suggestion of a title through another state is now outdated BS. The last state in the Union that allowed that was Vermont, which I used on a couple motorcycles three years ago, and they've closed that loophole. You can get license plates in several other states but NOT TITLES.
Every state is in NMVTIS now and there's no pulling that wool over the states' eyes. The feds put an end to that. It is actually against the law to purchase a vehicle with NO title, in Missouri.

A bill of sale doesn't mean squat in this state, unless you're filing for "gift" status to avoid paying taxes. Those have to be notarized.

That said, you have a couple options for title. A dealer can buy a vehicle with no title IF that dealer can prove that the person selling is the last registered owner. They then file for lost title and apply for new title when it comes in. You MUST be a dealer to do this.

Or....
Missouri itself finally started to offer bonded titles, but you've got to have a solid body of evidence or they're going to laugh you out of the courtroom: 301.192
Basically, it can NEVER have been titled or have a legit messed up title, not just a missing title.

Or....
You can go through the courts and basically sue the Missouri Dept of revenue to prove that you DON'T own the vehicle. I have a friend that's done this on several motorcycle titles. If you buy one and the title is in someone else's name, your money is gone and you have zero recourse.

And to be clear, Missouri has four title types. Regular green titles are just that, good to go. Prior salvage is branded as such and means "rebuilt", so forget about ever getting full coverage insurance. Salvage title means it CAN be rebuilt but isn't legal for road use as-is, and you have to have it inspected by Missouri Highway Patrol before they will sign off on it.
"Junk" titles are branded, and there's NOTHING you can do with that VIN ever again except sell the vehicle for parts. No state in the Union will help you and there's nothing you can do. Once it's in NMVTIS as junk, it's marked for life.
 
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mopardude62 said:
Dan you can get on the Missouri DMV website. They have all sorts of information on getting a notorized bill of sale, applying for a title, how to apply for a lost title, etc.
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Missouri does not require notarized bills of sale or notarized titles, and hasn't since '89.

Applying for a lost title only sends a new title to the last registered owner. They cannot tell you who that is (privacy laws) and unless you know who it is, it goes off into the ether.

This suing for title business isn't new, I did it in 2009, but it is gaining traction. It takes work and the hard part: getting a cop to run the vin for you. If it comes up stolen, they HAVE to seize it, whether you paid for it or not. Just getting a cop to do this can be tricky. My buddy that does the bike titles.... Happens to be a cop. They have to SEE and be able to locate the vehicle. If you give them a VIN and the vehicle magically disappears, put some grease on your butthole, because the state is going to dig in there looking for it, too. Your lawyer will love you.

In the old days when you could file for a Kentucky title or whatever, I called and asked, and the guy said the only state worse than Missouri is Californistan. I've been fighting this crap since '93.
 
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plumkrazee70 said:
There's no way. All the cars I've ever seen without a title are garbage. If they weren't the seller would be filing for a lost title himself and paying whatever it costs to get one.

How about some listings?
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They needed work but not rust buckets, maybe the owners need the money
 
mopardude62 said:
Dan you can get on the Missouri DMV website. They have all sorts of information on getting a notorized bill of sale, applying for a title, how to apply for a lost title, etc.

Do a little research on your own. Unless a member on here has gone through the title process in Missouri or works for the Missouri DMV, they’re not going to have the information. Just look it up!

I thought you were looking for a running driving, turn-key vehicle not a project. My guess is most running, ready-to-drive cars already have license plates and therefore titles that could be signed over to you…… IF you ever decide to purchase a car.
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It could've been a scam too. The one's that I saw needed some work but not rust buckets, one guy said that he lost interest. I think that it's something to stay away from
 
Dan, don't fall fir the nomtitle scams. Stop looking and all the worry about the no title junkers. Just not worth. I may be able to assist you with funds fur an car you desire. My father was a King in Sumunda. He recently passed and left a sizeable portion of his estate to me. I can not deposit it to my account, as his loyal subject's would not allow it. But could have my family attorney forward it to your account and for doing so would gladly pay you 40%
Please contact ASAP
BTW) dids I gets enough moss speeled words andvgramers in their?
 
George Jets said:
No Title > No Car


☆☆☆☆☆
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^^^^^^^
What he said. I would probably NEVER buy a car without a title.
The only exception would be that I might if I could find one of my dream cars at such an amazing price that I could afford to hire a professional to help me get a title. Even then I would have to think about it. Dream cars are 64 Sport Fury convertible with a 383, Automatic with console, PS, PB, PW and AC; and another 65 Corvette Convertible. I had one with Factory AC about 40 years ago, and I'm still kicking myself for selling it.
 
junkyardhero said:
Dan, you're gonna get a whole grip of advice here and most all of it is going to be somewhere between less than accurate and flat out wrong.

unless the person giving you advice is from missouri, has actually done the process recently and knows the intricate details of the DMV and state laws then most of their information is going to be of no use to you.

for instance, getting a bonded title in Mizery. sure that's fine if your car is worth less than $3,000 (although they issue bonds on more expensive vehicles, it's at their discretion and there's more hoops to jump thru).

at any rate, a bond only exists to protect the state and future owners from financial damages, and even if you have and have paid for a bond someone can lay claim or place a lien on it preventing you from getting a full title.

again, this varies WILDLY from state to state so do your due diligence.

that being said, i don't buy cars without titles. namely because getting a car titled here in CA is a pain in all nine assholes, but also because i don't want to get burned with backfees or a car that comes up as stolen from 1984.

the last three cars i bought, all were original ca black plate cars and were currently tagged or PNO with all the paperwork dress-right-dress. did i maybe pay a little more for that? you betcha. was it worth it? to me, it always is.
Click to expand...

California is actually pretty easy for getting a car titled from a bill of sale, as long as the car 1. Isn't in the system or 2. Is in the system but the name on the bill of sale matches the last owner of record.

If either of those things is true, a "quick" VIN number inspection at the DMV and you get a title. Nothing at the DMV is quick! :rofl:

Now, if you end up with a bill of sale from someone who is not the last owner of record, things get more complicated. But, I might add, not insurmountably so. Been there, done that, own the car with a clean title.

No clue what the situation is in Missouri, don't care, doesn't matter, that would require Dan to buy a car and that's never gonna happen with or without a title.
 
Suffice it to say the process varies from state to state and depending on the condition of the last registered owner to the title and the current sale, can have alternate processes within that state to obtain title. Best thing to do is check with your state DMV and the State Police to get specifics to the car you are interested in based on the info you can get on it. If it's illegal to buy a car in Missouri without a title, then I'd avoid it all together.

In CO, the most basic is a title that matches the car, signed by the last owner, within a few months of the sale, with a bill of sale and the DMV will issue a new title to you in your name in exchange of the old title and bill of sale.

If vehicle is from out of state, the above applies but you also need a VIN inspection from a licenses dealer or State Patrol.

If the car has no title or a bad title (old title signed by the previous owner but never registered by the latest or selling owner, or a title that is old and from out of state with or without signatures, or one that is lost) then a certified VIN inspection by State Patrol is required. Contingent upon if the vehicle is road worthy or not, the path diverges. If roadworthy, SP will note that on the vin inspection and you can take all this paperwork to the DMV and get a new title. Roadworthy means it has all operating systems in place, battery, wipers, horn, and seats and appears that it could start and run with minimal work.

If it is not road worthy, then you have to bond the title which includes the vin inspection from the State Patrol, an appraisal from a dealership or online source that includes the vin association, completing a couple of affidavits on origin, and obtaining a bond for 50% of its value.

So four different paths of getting a title in one state. Other states may be similar, some may be more complicated, some may be easier. Even within a state, you can sometimes get conflicting information from clerk to clerk within the DMV and that could conflict with the State Police information. Most of these people never deal with these unique situations as 99% of all their transactions are pretty standard.
 
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