Title problem

D

Daba

Member
Several years ago I purchased a 1930 model a Ford tutor I was given the title, I have since repaired and registered the vehicle and I am currently driving it ,however I did not receive the title from the registry and it’s been a few months when I called the registry they said they would not issue a new title because a title that was dated after mine had been received and a new title was issued in the state of North Carolina not sure what to do now I have vested almost $10,000 into this car any suggestions would be great.
thanks Daba
 
might want to think starting all over..........

could take much time effort and $ to fight it out with the guy that has "your" title.


think using a diff title. does your motor match the title you had?

similar thread on early v-8s....... I have many titles and can give plenty of advice, if you need to talk to someone privately. rdz69@aol.com
 
Did you register it several years ago when you purchased it? That should be square one.

Regards
Bill
 
I did not register it when I bought it because it was a non-runner and needed extensive work after I got it drivable I registered it this year. So the vehicle is currently registered and I drive it however they will not issue me a title??? The motor has been rebuilt and replaced so the motor does not match the title number I really do not want to remove the body from the chassis to see if there is a number.
 
Daba said:
I did not register it when I bought it because it was a non-runner and needed extensive work after I got it drivable I registered it this year. So the vehicle is currently registered and I drive it however they will not issue me a title??? The motor has been rebuilt and replaced so the motor does not match the title number I really do not want to remove the body from the chassis to see if there is a number.
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Where you given a title (pink slip) from the buyer when you bought it?

Regards
Bill
 
Yes I was given a clean and clear title ? Not sure how someone can get another title in another State without a title to start with.
 
Lets say someone along the life of the car lost their title. They went to the county they live in, and got a duplicate. Usually just about $5, and 10 minutes at the courthouse. Then the car gets sold after the old guy dies. In his collectables which get sold later, to a differnt person...that title happens to be stuck in something else...tool box, a manual, etc. That person sells the title on e-bay. That person made that title over for their car. Then you come along later, and because he was first you appear to be out.

See if you can find out what the process is in your state to get a title to a car if you want them to assign a VIN. Just tell them you have a car that the engine was changed in. Sometimes they will send a highway partol officer out to look at the serial number, and you will have to take the coach up, and block it out of the way so you can wire brush the area, and he can see it. In my county if you need a VIN assigned you have to file a court case ($250) and meet with the judge before the officer will even come out. Now days I hear they make you tow the car to them. If you still have your bill of sale, canceld check, whatever, that helps a lot.
 
Daba said:
I did not register it when I bought it because it was a non-runner and needed extensive work after I got it drivable I registered it this year. So the vehicle is currently registered and I drive it however they will not issue me a title??? The motor has been rebuilt and replaced so the motor does not match the title number I really do not want to remove the body from the chassis to see if there is a number.
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You don't have to remove the body. You need to remove the left front fender, the running board and side splash pan, unbolt the steering column and loosen the body bolts. You can then jack the body up enough to expose the frame VIN number. Some work but easier than removing the whole body. Worked for me.
 
As the saying goes “ drive it like you stole it”, you have it registered and your driving it legally! a title is needed for transferring ownership!? It sounds to me like it’s a MA problem, going up the chain of command my be your only option
 
Is the title using the engine number? If so that could be the problem. Spend a day raising the body far enough to expose the serial number on the frame. You will most likely find that number will be different than your engine number.

In CA all you need to do is fill out an application for title. I tell then that the car was on my property when I bought it. Have the number verified. Pay some money and walk out with your title. Sometimes our DMV will refer us the the Highway Patrol for serial number verification. This is not a problem. One thing to remember is NEVER TELL THEM THE CAR WAS ASSEMBLED FROM PARTS. That will open a can of worms.
 
and for only 70. Chris, you can hand all of your paperwork to AAA

and not spend 5 hours in dmv to get processed.

one of the "nice" things about Cali
 
Your title is probably been used on a Rat Rod. Some folks buy an A and only want the body and the title. Lot's of rolling chassis for sale on the internet WITHOUT titles. Those are the folks who are using the titles inappropriately in my opinion. They only want that title to avoid SMOG equipment and fees.

My personal feeling, if the car isn't 5/8 original, then they are the ones who need to get the assigned VIN.

Regards
Bill
 
I bought a car in California. The woman that sold the car for her deceased brother also died soon after. The transfer was improperly signed, and the AAA wanted a death certificate. In California such a document is not available to a non-relative. Even worse, the woman died in Oregon. I have put a lot of work into the restoration of the car. Still working on the issue. If I win the battle, I'll post the results. Fred A
 
I don't know the state or district court procedures for every state since they differ somewhat. I would contact the clerk of the county or district court and tell them your problem. They would likely want to see any documentation and perhaps a pencil rubbing of the frame or engine number or maybe a visual verification by an officer of the state law enforcement agency. A judge could then make a ruling on ownership and the state would have to abide by it if evidence backs up the ownership claim. At worst, a new state issued VIN would have to be applied as directed by the applicable state's automobile identification rules or regulations.

I had a casual friend who bought a motorcycle from a guy but he never got the title. When he tried to title it later, the same thing happened. There was already a title with that VIN registered in the state. It turns out that the guy he bought it from stamped his number crudely onto another bike frame and was using the title for it. My friends bike obviously has the original factory stamping. In the end, he got caught riding the bike with no legal registration and it was confiscated by the local law enforcement. They eventually auctioned that bike with a new state issued VIN and title. The court could easily do that in Texas. If he had taken my advice on getting a legal VIN for it then he wouldn't have had it confiscated and impounded in the first place. With no legal ownership documentation, he couldn't claim it as his so to the auction block it went.
 
Always a good idea to get a clear title AND register the car BEFORE spending money it.

There was a fellow who bought an old "run down" VW bus and spent thousands of dollars restoring it.

Then he tried to get it registered.

Guess what? The bus came up as stolen. The State gave the car to the insurance Company that paid out the orginal stolen claim.

Really sad!
 
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In SC if no VIN number is available or not found, a new one can be obtained through the state. The numbers are five zeros followed by 5 numbers in consecutive order which will never have two numbers the same again. My VIN inspector only verified that my new VIN matched the number that I had made at a trophy shop and installed on the firewall. He wasn't interested in anything like lights, horn etc. With the VIN number it was clear sailing through title and registration. My vehicle is a collection of parts from various 28 -31 models and I guess it would be a speedster.

John
 
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A lot of title states have an off road title for cars that don't run or are incomplete. A person should get some form of title asap in these states before spending a lot of time and resources on it. This will at least save some grief & heart ache.
 
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