Anybody dealt with "Title Skipping" when buying a car? My story.

[marshallnoise]

I have gone through it. Surprisingly easy even with the DMV here in California.

Bought my current project car from a guy who bought it from a guy who bought it from the guy whose name was on the title. I decided to bypass all the middle men and go to the DMV and ask what to do. They told me to write a letter, send it certified and include the bill of sale between the him and me. I had to wait 30 days and never got the letter back. DMV called this a good faith effort and bam, car is in my name.

[Das Delfin]

I almost bought a lowered '79 320i a few years ago in CA with original blue plates but I held off because the owner never titled the car in his name. So I'd have to deal with transferring it from the previous guy to him, then to me. The paper trail wasn't worth it when all I needed was a daily driver

[kye]

sounds like bob is avoiding the dmv because he has sold too many cars. i think if you sell more than 4 vehicles here in wa state per year you get fined 1000 or 1500 PER CAR. this can be tricky especially for someone like me who enjoys motorcycles as much as cars.

[slammin.e28]

As long as the guy you get the title from didn't touch it with a pen you're fine. It's just as if you bought the car from the original seller. Sign it, and transfer it. The guy floating the title isn't doing it right if he signed it.

[jalopi]

if you absolutely need this guy to come into the DMV with you and he's basically refusing, you could try taking him to small claims court for it. i'm not a lawyer so i'm not sure if you even could, though i don't see why a judge wouldn't give this dude a mandatory injunction so you could register and drive the car you paid good money for.

[3toedshewie]

OP, have a friend in another state?

Title is signed by Steve?

Bob never touched it with a pen?

Have friend transfer title out of state, then sign title over to you, you transfer in your state and done.


I float titles all the time. I'm not transferring a car into my name and paying taxes on it until I'm ready to drive it. My e30 isn't even mine, legally, as we speak.

THank you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I signed the title thinking it was signed by the guy I bought it from, is it still possible to transfer the title out of state?

[3toedshewie]

thank you e30onBBSs for sharing your story

thank you marshallnoise for that info, ill look to see if I can do that in Florida

[3toedshewie]

hi slammin.e28,
do you have a way of avoiding paying the "impact" taxes when you transfer the title from out of state back in to florida?

[jeffnhiscars]

Every state is different. NC wants a notarized title but doesn't care about the bill of ale since they tell you the tax value. Florida taxes you on the bill of sale which I believe has to be signed so they will ask for one. How close they look at it...who knows

[slammin.e28]

hi slammin.e28,
do you have a way of avoiding paying the "impact" taxes when you transfer the title from out of state back in to florida?

I have no clue.

In Va it's a flat fee of $75 under a certain amount. I usually botch the title and put a # under $1k.

I only ever get the seller to sign. I fill everything else out.

If you have it done to an out of state friend, just get a bill of sale from them for some small number.

[mrmckie]

i've had this happen a few times to me...said f it and has my girlfirend or a friend sign the title and bill of sale as "steve" over to me...worked every time..it's not like they match signatures or anything ther just to see stve sold it and signed everything over to you...

[3toedshewie]

Thank you mrmckie, slammin.e28, and jeffnhiscars!

[3toedshewie]

update: I called the county sheriff's office that I bought the car in. they said they would only interfere if I felt it was unsafe to go. Sheriff says its now a civil manner. my response to that is, "well ok, let me just get the sheriff to park across the street just to intimidate the guy in case he refuses to go to the DMV.

transferring it over to an out of state freind is not possible because "steve" wrote a letter to the DMV stating that he sold "Bob" the car.

[3toedshewie]

but I did have a member offer- to that member I say "THANK YOU!!!!!"

[3toedshewie]

update: tried to make another appointment this week, said he is out of town. will try to make another attempt this week.

also had another member tell me how to transfer it out of state. pursuing that now, will keep you all posted.