Buying corvette with no title???

[Erv M.]

Re: Buying corvette with no title???

Remember this old saying; "you can only con a greedy man". If it smells like a pig and smells like a pig it is probably a pig.

[Tom L.]

Re: Buying corvette with no title???

In an earlier thread I told the story of a friend of mine...
He bought the car, had it for a few years, applied for vanity plates only to find that the vin did not match the year or descriptoin of the car (poor planning). A red flag went up at DMV, the car was impounded until the investigation found that there was no valid claim on the vehicle. After 6 months sitting in an impound yard it was returned with a newly issued "State VIN #". 20 years have passed and he still enjoys the car. It was just a a really stressfull time in his life! Always be carefull!

[David K.]

Re: Buying corvette with no title???

Bruce, I know I one time you could do that in Ohio, but the rules have changed. As a realtor, it is not unusual for me to have access to abandoned vehicles. 3 yrs. ago in a foreclosed house they left behind one. I contacted the sherrif dept. that also had the foreclosure auction and was awarded the motorcycle. Because the vehicle did have a title in Ohio, the sherrif dept. sent a registered letter to the title holder of the vehicle. The title holder chose to ignore the letter and I was given the vehicle by the sherrif with a salvage title. At the time that seemed easy enough.

Move forward to this Dec. 2008 and I am trying to buy the motorcycle I talked of in the previous post. This M/C was bought by the person I was trying to buy it from at a puplic auction in Tenn. to settle an estate. He was given a bill of sale. I took the bill of sale to the Ohio BMV and they told me all the things I mentioned in the previous post. I still wanted the M/C so I tried all the angles, but I was not going to have a vehicle that would make me illegal. I contacted the seller I was trying to buy the bike from and explained my problem. He contacted the estate in Tenn. to apply for a lost title and since there was no title registered anywhere or any state they could find under the name of the deceased, they would not issue a lost title. A bill of sale in Tenn. will not work to get a title at this time either. The seller I was buying it from lived in Ky. He tried to get a salvage title from Ky.on the bill of sale and they would not issue a title on this either, with the same langauge that Ohio was giving me. There is a title somewhere and a bill of sale does not constitute ownership, that entitles you to possess it or sell it. He then has a dealer friend in Ind. The dealer friend says, I can get a title or at least a salvage title. We do it all the time. Now this time, Ind. told him the same thing, you have to have a title to get a title and a bill of sale now means nothing. So the rules have changed. I guess it is like having a bill of sale to the Brooklyn Bridge. I can get one, but it does not prove ownership anymore at least. If I were buying a vehicle, it better come with a title transferring the legal ownership to me from that state. No bill of sale is going to work in the states I mentioned or Ohio, anymore or at least in Dec. 2008

I remember I told the Ohio BMV about the M/C I got 3 yrs. ago, and so why can't I get a title now. They said that yes, it was done back then, but it shouldn't have and it will not happen anymore. I even went out of county and tried talking directly to the state. The answer was the same. I asked in all cases, what does a person do in the case of an estate or an abandonment. The words were, it is the sellers problem, don't make it your problem and make you illegal and suitable for jail time. I asked about salvage titles, which were not uncommon at one time. They said,even when a scrap a titled vehicle, you must have the title to surrender it to the scrap yard. It is illegal for the scrap yard to accept it without a title or for you to have it without a title. A salvage title can be issued on a vehicle, but it will becoming from the scrap yard who has possession of the title to begin with. Again it shows that there is a title on record somewhere. Hope my long story makes sense.

[Jay G.]

Re: Buying corvette with no title???

Had a similar experience. About 4 yrs ago looked at a CLONE 67 Vette Was a 66 but body panels to appear like a 67. Car was in Conn. Non-title State. Spoke w/ owner who had it on e-Bay. Black /red stinger. Sm Block. Said had bill of sale only. No reg. Got the car outa Carlise. Had org. come from Calif. After speaking w/ Colorado DMV they stated that a Title exists "Somewhere". Would be extremley diffcult to reg. title etc. State police Colo. stated a visual inspection. out of state purchase would be necessary. Too much baggage. Plus a clone. Owner lacked info on the car. As Dave Letterman said "This startin to Smell." Grateful I waited. Got the No excuse car I have. Plus it was a clone who needs it. Good deals may be had but w/ funny lack of docs, title, number questions, Vin plate off car. Who need the headaches. Keep looking theres other cars to be found.

[Bruce B.]

Re: Buying corvette with no title???

Dave,
Your posting is interesting..
I believe the problem you had was due to the fact that the vehicle was registered in Ohio at one time.
I just called the local Ohio Title Office and asked the following question: If I buy a 1955 car in Connecticut , what do I need to get an Ohio title?
The answer is, a notorized bill of sale and an out of state inspection.
Thats it.
So if any of your vehicles were from Connecticut (each state is different) and you had a notorized bill of sale and got a inspection you could get a Ohio title. Connecticut did not issue titles prior to 1981.
Sounds simple , doesn't it?
Bruce B

[David K.]

Re: Buying corvette with no title???

Bruce,I am sure you are right, for a vehicle coming from a state that does not have titles for cars before a certain date. I will say also, it depends on the people at your local BMV. Years ago, I knew the person real well at the local BMV and in a nut shell, because of our knowledge of each other, I could do almost anything. Then you have the new person who wants to show power and you can do nothing. Actually, I did buy a different vehicle from Mo. in late Dec. 2008. It has a title, notorized, the whole deal. I take it to this new BMV person, just this past week along with the bill of sale showing the purchase price. She about has a cow, because she is questioning this! Now, how could it not be legal since I have in my possession a notarized title, a notarized bill of sale and the vehicle in my possession. Some people wake up each day, intent on being a PIA. I wish I had known who or how I could have got the Tenn,/Ky. vehicle to a state where only a bill of sale was needed so I could have bought it. The threat of jail time from this BMV agent, just wasn't worth it to me. Like I said earlier, the state sided with my local BMV, but that doesn't mean all BMV's will treat you the same. You toss your dice and see what person you draw when you walk into the BMV. Oh, I knew of course about the out of stare inspection and she suggested I use a dealership in my home town. So I contacted them and bring in pencil tranfers of the vin tag and the engine no. They were happy with that and just signed off on it, without looking at the vehicle. Many and most times, it is who you know.