Vermont titling

[86LK]

If you haven’t bought the junk yard G body you might want to reconsider the purchase. There is a reason many states will not recognize Vermont titles.

please cite list of states and real cases. I've heard this claim multiple times but no one has ever presented evidence. It's always been a-brother-of-a-mother-of-a-friends-cousin-who-knew-this-guy-that-one-time-had-a-girlfriend-who's-dad-had-a-neighbor-......... story

while it MAY be possible to be denied, I consider it unlikely. I'm pretty sure most states do not have laws that say "well, we SUSPECT sumpin' so we not gonna title it here. you hear?" TxDMV idiots tried to give me a ration of sht for supposedly titleing it late. "what's your excuse?" (they have a fine for that here) I threw them some b.s. and because they couldn't prove otherwise, they shut up and titled it. they had no choice, HAD to title it.
additionally, most states (all of them AFAIK) subscribe to an Interstate Commerce Compact that basically says "We'll honor yours if you honor ours". Find the ICC agreement for vehicle titles and that should give you the answer right there.

RMV overcharges man — by more than $10,000 - The Boston Globe

A man’s dream of putting his lovingly restored 1956 Triumph on the road hit an $11,232 bump in the road at the state Registry of Motor Vehicles and Department of Revenue.

www.bostonglobe.com

Trying to take the cheap way out by buying a car from the junk yard does not work.
Be patient and watch the classified ads on Craigslist, FB Marketplace to name a few. Good deals do come available. Obviously, only get serious about cars that have titles. The last thing you want is for the State Police to beat on your door at midnight because the car you hoped was legitimate (Vermont title) was stolen (wife is unwilling to cooperate) and they want to know why it’s in your driveway.

as for the wife 'unwilling to cooperate', if the vehicle was on a mechanics lien (which it may have been since he's getting from a mechanic/tow...) then that may resolve the ownership issue right there. abandoned property.
but as someone else pointed out, if she got an unsigned title, he is SOL.

Buying a car with a title issue can be a hassle, but don’t let it deter you - Hagerty Media

Rob Siegel offers some solutions.

www.hagerty.com

as for buying a car from the junkyard? can't be done in Texas (and maybe other states). once it enters the jyard and the paperwork is processed, the title is branded as a junkyard car and can never be titled or registered on the roads ever again. when it leaves the jyard, it will do so in pieces. and I have this from the guys I know who work at jyards here.

 

[Ratchet]

please cite list of states and real cases. I've heard this claim multiple times but no one has ever presented evidence. It's always been a-brother-of-a-mother-of-a-friends-cousin-who-knew-this-guy-that-one-time-had-a-girlfriend-who's-dad-had-a-neighbor-......... story

while it MAY be possible to be denied, I consider it unlikely. I'm pretty sure most states do not have laws that say "well, we SUSPECT sumpin' so we not gonna title it here. you hear?" TxDMV idiots tried to give me a ration of sht for supposedly titleing it late. "what's your excuse?" (they have a fine for that here) I threw them some b.s. and because they couldn't prove otherwise, they shut up and titled it. they had no choice, HAD to title it.
additionally, most states (all of them AFAIK) subscribe to an Interstate Commerce Compact that basically says "We'll honor yours if you honor ours". Find the ICC agreement for vehicle titles and that should give you the answer right there.

RMV overcharges man — by more than $10,000 - The Boston Globe

A man’s dream of putting his lovingly restored 1956 Triumph on the road hit an $11,232 bump in the road at the state Registry of Motor Vehicles and Department of Revenue.

www.bostonglobe.com

as for the wife 'unwilling to cooperate', if the vehicle was on a mechanics lien (which it may have been since he's getting from a mechanic/tow...) then that may resolve the ownership issue right there. abandoned property.
but as someone else pointed out, if she got an unsigned title, he is SOL.

Buying a car with a title issue can be a hassle, but don’t let it deter you - Hagerty Media

Rob Siegel offers some solutions.

www.hagerty.com

as for buying a car from the junkyard? can't be done in Texas (and maybe other states). once it enters the jyard and the paperwork is processed, the title is branded as a junkyard car and can never be titled or registered on the roads ever again. when it leaves the jyard, it will do so in pieces. and I have this from the guys I know who work at jyards here.

Here is one state, Florida, that has documented their mistrust of Vermont titles. FLHSMV site has issued the following bulletin: Information Notice (INFO) INFO22-011.

 

[86LK]

Here is one state, Florida, that has documented their mistrust of Vermont titles. FLHSMV site has issued the following bulletin: Information Notice (INFO) INFO22-011.

ok, so some crooks in Florida possibly tried to wash titles. I read thru it and the forms, still not hard to get it done. and that's only 1 state out of 50 (well, technically 49 since Vermont was the source) 2% odds?

back in '92 I bought a used motorcycle in New Hampshire (titled/reg'd in my name from a dealer), moved to Tx 8 months later (discharged from military), registered in Tx and drove it for the next 8 yrs. sold it to a friend in '00, when he went to register/title at DMV they demanded the NH title, don't have one only the old registration papers (literally folds up into your wallet, that small). after he showed them that, they were "duh!" and the issue went away.

point being, gov't will always try to make it hard for honest citizens to get it done.

 

[Ratchet]

ok, so some crooks in Florida possibly tried to wash titles. I read thru it and the forms, still not hard to get it done. and that's only 1 state out of 50 (well, technically 49 since Vermont was the source) 2% odds?

back in '92 I bought a used motorcycle in New Hampshire (titled/reg'd in my name from a dealer), moved to Tx 8 months later (discharged from military), registered in Tx and drove it for the next 8 yrs. sold it to a friend in '00, when he went to register/title at DMV they demanded the NH title, don't have one only the old registration papers (literally folds up into your wallet, that small). after he showed them that, they were "duh!" and the issue went away.

point being, gov't will always try to make it hard for honest citizens to get it done.

Isn’t that what people are doing, “washing titles”, by using loop holes in the Vermont statutes to obtain a title to a vehicle that doesn’t have one? My original post was an attempt to discourage going the Vermont route. Instead, it suggested trying a more “honest” approach of purchasing vehicles with titles.

 

[PBGBodyFan]

What state are you in?

I never heard of states not recognizing other states titles, so they just don't allow any vehicles from Vermont to be titled/registered, or they do some detective work on a case by case basis? I read the notice they have, sounds like a little tougher to make it happen but I'd guess you can work with whoever in Vermont to get all of that documentation/proof maybe for a bit more money if need be.

I know of someone who just did the process(Vermont title trick), in 2022, in Wisconsin. I wouldn't hesitate to look into this if I know the vehicle is clean and going through the red tape/hoops to get a title from the state or previous owner is more daunting.

Each state varies in many things of course but in WI some yards try to sell vehicles that are special interest first before putting them out in the yard. Often it works because I don't see them put out the next time I'm there but sometimes they are. If the yard didn't do anything besides take a vehicle I'm sure they can sell it just like any private party or someone with a dealers license can.

 

[86LK]

Isn’t that what people are doing, “washing titles”, by using loop holes in the Vermont statutes to obtain a title to a vehicle that doesn’t have one? My original post was an attempt to discourage going the Vermont route. Instead, it suggested trying a more “honest” approach of purchasing vehicles with titles.

I don't see how that is anymore "honest". the OP knows the original source of the vehicle he is trying to get title to.

how many years ago was it that vehicles destroyed in one state thru whatever catastrophe, branded Salvage, were then re-titled in another state with a clean title. it was done the "honest way" with a title, but they used a legal loophole to get around the re-branding. that loophole has since been closed but I don't know of any states that still allow that to happen. the Vermont title process is a legal loophole. can it be used in an illegal fashion? yes, but as long as there is no fraud on any part, then all it does is simplify the process of obtaining a physical title which some states insist is the end-all be-all of vehicle ownership.

 

[81cutlass]

I don't see why the VT loophole is considered unethical. It should exist in every state IMO.

The main reasons title's exist is just to give a papertrail for banks to give loans against. Is it more appealing to steal a car if it can be licensed without a title? I guess, but if you report the VIN as stolen to the police if you try to title it, it's going to show up as stolen so you still can't register it in your name. Maybe in 1962 when states didn't communicate, but in today's connected world, if a car is stolen in NY, you can find out in HI that it's stolen.

Anyways, if your state doesn't accept VT non title registration, I'm sure SD does. SD allows you to title a car in their state without an address so worst case it's another $100 and a month or two of paperwork/mail to route it through SD to get the paper title.

 

[TonyO]

End result, I have a WV state title in my name. It’s a different process but I would definitely go through with it again if I knew the vehicle was not stolen. I knew the history of the this one, so I was no afraid to commit to it. I had the local sherif verify the VIN twice. If it were stolen and reported it would have been brought to my attention then.

It’s a legit process, the state dmv may not be thrilled about it, but there’s nothing they can do. They make the process almost impossible to do, which makes no sense. It’s almost like they would rather see a car crushed rather than collect $$$ from property taxes, registration fees, fuel tax, tax on the insurance, and tax on the parts to maintain the vehicles. They are not on our side that’s for sure.

 

[08Malibu]

I have an 02 Tahoe that the previous owner lost the title too. When we went to the dmv in NJ they said it shows a lien still. Bank of America has been a pain to get the lien release letter from. I’m curious if the Vermont title deal would work in that case.

 

[ck80]

I have an 02 Tahoe that the previous owner lost the title too. When we went to the dmv in NJ they said it shows a lien still. Bank of America has been a pain to get the lien release letter from. I’m curious if the Vermont title deal would work in that case.

I lived as a Vermont resident for a few years in the early 2000s. (no, not required for their title process, but, I did register a good dozen vehicles in the time.)

Anyways, it all depends if your loan lien shows up in their computer system when you try to register the vehicle.

The benefit to the title system is the whole no needing a title thing and being able to just go off a bill of sale. There were times I bought something that HAD a title, and at the window the receptionist took the bill of sale and gave the executed title from the other state back to me, saying the bill of sale was good enough and they didn't need it. But, they did still look some things up in their computer.

As a practical matter, you wouldn't necessarily extinguish the old lien validity just by getting a washed title either, that depends on the laws where/when the lien was recorded and what the lender has done since then to preserve its rights. Not sure on NJ laws on the matter, or, other states closer to you, but, in GA there's a dual track system to dealing with outstanding lien releases on a title:

On cars 12 years of age or older, if the lien is more than 4 years old, a release from the lender is NOT required to transfer/title/duplicate title a car/truck. (And 11 yrs or less that jumps to 10 years from the date the lien was first recorded.) You still file a form, it just doesn't have to be signed off by the prior lender.

I had to deal with it to get the inlaws '02 GP retitled as they never had the loan payoff recorded I'm GA.

So. Could be a state near you has a similar process. The biggest benefit to VT is you don't have to live there as a resident to use their registration system. An 02 definitely meets the 15 year cutoff you could pretend not to have a title. Other states also have cutoffs, just Vermont is the most popular.

Everything has it's own sets of headaches, it all depends on you finding the easiest amount of issues to wade through for your particular title problem.