yeah, that would suck if the last signed owner was dead. "bought it just last week, did you?" "yeah, the old man was really said to let it go!" "I bet. you know he's been dead for the last 11 years?"
buying g body from out of state - seller has title in someone elses name
- Thread starter paradigm
- Start date
I didn't have a title issue when I got my Cutlass 11 years ago. However something I ran into, even though I bought the car in the same state. When I went to DMV to register it, due to the car coming out of Phoenix and being an older car and a car with a "high theft rate", I literally had to schedule it for inspection. Not smog or anything as I dont have that where we live. But I had to bring it in and then did a full VIN work up, checked VIN in a couple places on the car, had to show that all functions worked and so on. It was like an hour process before they would allow me to title and register it. Which is funny as my friends with old Impalas have NEVER had to do that. I wonder if my VIN flagged something 🤔? Something to think about if it will cause issues to title/register it.
I can't speak for other states but KS rocks. I've bought a few with blank titles (some very old), no title, and one that I questioned the signature of- it didn't look like the name of who I paid but the state accepted it without issue. I know a guy who forged the signature of a dead woman once due to the intermediate buyer/ seller not getting it before she kicked. It was a legit sale though. I avoid out of state deals since everyone brings southern flood cars here to unload. No annual inspection of anything, even emissions, and the "no title" inspection just covers matching the VIN plate to paper and safety features like the horn, turn signals, etc.. Takes 5 minutes tops.
Gina was purchased from a guy who never signed the title at all but only had her a short time, and the PO had signed it. Done that numerous times as well as always lying about the purchase price. Beverly had the signature I doubted. I bought a '77 C10 that was won in a poker game and only came with a Bill of Sale (which is all we need) and I had a neighbor with a dealer's license so I'd go to him for 30 day tags. For bikes an MSO is enough.
Gina was purchased from a guy who never signed the title at all but only had her a short time, and the PO had signed it. Done that numerous times as well as always lying about the purchase price. Beverly had the signature I doubted. I bought a '77 C10 that was won in a poker game and only came with a Bill of Sale (which is all we need) and I had a neighbor with a dealer's license so I'd go to him for 30 day tags. For bikes an MSO is enough.
Guys, the car in question was an 87 GN roller (no original engine or trans, LS swap incomplete).
That said, where would on find additional VINs on this car besides the vin tag at the base of the driver front windshield and RPO code. There is supposed to be a body plate at the base of the cowl in the engine bay? Anything else that easily accessible?
That said, where would on find additional VINs on this car besides the vin tag at the base of the driver front windshield and RPO code. There is supposed to be a body plate at the base of the cowl in the engine bay? Anything else that easily accessible?
Usually top of frame rail between the axles on the side member. My extra Malibu frame has it towards the front and again about midway back. It's not a complete VIN, rather a VIN derivitive.
They make it hard to access on purpose
This is an 82 sedan frame serial is located on passenger side, top of frame, behind center body mount
They make it hard to access on purpose
This is an 82 sedan frame serial is located on passenger side, top of frame, behind center body mount
Attachments
Last edited:
I got my 1968 Firebird in a three way swap. The car I swapped was a 1968 Firebird 400 4/speed car that I got as a parts car. Luckily the guy I bought it from was a newly minted NYPD cop and I knew where to find him. He had signed the regi over to me but he was fine with doing the notarized paper work to re-sign it over to my buddy. My car, the convertible, came from a girl who had signed it over to the third guy in the deal. That was a bigger problem. She was unavailable, and it took me a long time to work with DMV to get the car in my name. The final step was to get it insured, and registered, in my name, and getting the regi with my name on it. [prior to 1972, the regi was transferable] My insurance company at the time was cool with insuring the car for one day so I could get it registered. I cancelled it the next day, turned in the plates, but it was legally mine now.
That is why I prefer getting a clean title, no signatures, and I fill out the tax form and title as needed. You can make the selling price what you want, the signatures match, and all is copacetic.
That is why I prefer getting a clean title, no signatures, and I fill out the tax form and title as needed. You can make the selling price what you want, the signatures match, and all is copacetic.
unfortunately , in Texas, you can't make the selling price whatever you want. they effectively use a Black Book value and collect sales tax of 6%, even if the vehicle is not worth that much. I've had it happen to me. I even told them "I paid $800, go look at it in the parking lot, it's not worth $4000!" "irrelevant, sir. assessed value by the book is $4k" (2004 Suburban with 200k miles, busted drivers seat, with replacement primered hood and fender, missing front grill and bumper, damaged core support and headlights)
I've seen this with a lot of people reselling project cars. NJ just requires buyer/seller signatures on the title. I live in NJ, buthbought all my used cars
Not sure what you need in NY, but being in NJ, I expect the title would be fine if signed by the last official owner. I looked at lots of cars in this situation, where they were held by a middleman, usually a hustler type with a trailer and a large piece of property. Just so happens both g-bodies and the daughter's beater were bought out of PA, where they have strict title transfer rules requiring transfer on the day of sale in PA. Being a roller, there shouldn't be a lot of pressure for the sale and should be time to do some investigation (title search sounds like a good idea). Good luck. Sounds like a catch.
Not sure what you need in NY, but being in NJ, I expect the title would be fine if signed by the last official owner. I looked at lots of cars in this situation, where they were held by a middleman, usually a hustler type with a trailer and a large piece of property. Just so happens both g-bodies and the daughter's beater were bought out of PA, where they have strict title transfer rules requiring transfer on the day of sale in PA. Being a roller, there shouldn't be a lot of pressure for the sale and should be time to do some investigation (title search sounds like a good idea). Good luck. Sounds like a catch.
In NY, the biggest thing is them collecting taxes on the sale. I don't care how small it is, they want to be paid some tax. It is the people who try getting away with a no tax 'gift' that they send to Motor Vehicle Hell. You can make an old car as cheap as you want, just give them some tax money. Obviously a 3 year old car you can't do that as they have value charts. And after 10 years old it is basically worthless to DMV. After 25 years it is exempt from everything except safety inspection.
An interesting aside is OBD II vehicles being exempt after 25 years. Now it is up to you to pay attention to that CEL. The state may not care about it, but do you want to ignore something that may destroy your engine? How many people have no OBD tester to know what the codes are? OBD I was so basic as to be ignored, but OBD II runs everything. You ignore that CEL at your own peril.
An interesting aside is OBD II vehicles being exempt after 25 years. Now it is up to you to pay attention to that CEL. The state may not care about it, but do you want to ignore something that may destroy your engine? How many people have no OBD tester to know what the codes are? OBD I was so basic as to be ignored, but OBD II runs everything. You ignore that CEL at your own peril.
Similar threads
