What would you do?? - 52 COE Project

[Los_Control]

Here in Texas, A friend bought a truck from a estate sale with a bill of sale & no title.

I then 3 years later bought the truck from friend with a bill of sale.

 

We use a Bonded title system. I paid a insurance agent $150 to bond the title.

They run it through the system to see if it is stolen or has any liens on it. If it comes out clean they issue the bond I take to dmv.

I pay dmv another $150 they give me a title to the vehicle .... With the understanding if there is a previous owner they can lay claim to it within 3 years .... after 3 years it magically turns into a full title & it is done.

 

Just saying, you can not do that now.  You would be turned down. There is a current title in the system with your name on it.

 

I will shut up now, I would just move on with your project & move out of Ohio. 

[wagoneer]

If the previous owner had a legal title and legally registered it, they you can request a duplicate title from the previous owners state dmv; original title not required.

 

you may want to consider going back one more previous owner if they remember or have a bill of sale, or one more…. I tried the same with no luck as I ran out of POs for my truck but most dmvs will let you call in and do a search based on vin/serial number. 
 

knowing the last legally registered state would help. 

[QEC]

...I'd like to think that someone in Vermont would be able/willing to help....

[nonstop]

Just throwing this out there - even ca will let you apply for a lost title. Can you do the same with either state and request a duplicate title?  Or what do you do in OH if the vehicle is completely out of the system?

[52b3b Joe]

It's not that simple in Ohio for this situation. I bought the truck from the original owners, so I can't track more owners down. The truck has always lived in the county I live in, and the county doesn't have any title backups/duplicates prior to the early 70s. The truck isn't in Ohio's system at all. In Ohio, you can apply for a court issued title, but the application is expensive in my county, and it requires a lot of paperwork and possibly a lawyer. I'd guess it's a 50/50 chance they would accept it with how strict Ohio is with auto titles. 

 

If I had someone in Vermont wiling to help, it would smooth everything over. Sadly, if I were to sell the truck to someone who lives outside of Ohio, they would most likely have no problem walking into their DMV to get a title with the Vermont registration I have, but I can't transfer it to myself in Ohio. I totally get the Ohio's view on this. I bet a lot of people have tried to get titles for stolen/salvage cars this way so the State put a stop to it.  

 

I really hate the idea of selling the truck, that has never been my intent, but maybe it's the only way to get the headache to go away? I suppose I can keep trying for a while, or apply for the Ohio court issued title, but it's stressing me out. I already have enough headaches with two little kids and my job lol. I think it's best to sit back for a while and see what happens/get my thoughts regrouped. All I want to do is put this truck back on the road and drive it. It probably would have been either crushed by the barn it was in, or cut up into a ratrod or something. Either way would be hard for me to see. 

[nonstop]

Do you have family/friends in any other state you can sell it to to get the title, then buy it back? Or is that even more of a headache?

[ggdad1951]

57 minutes ago, nonstop said:

Do you have family/friends in any other state you can sell it to to get the title, then buy it back? Or is that even more of a headache?

 

You read my mind....sell it to someone you know who can "hold" the title for 6 months/year and then sell it back.  Flipping it quickly (days/weeks) might raise a few eyebrows...might need to take a longer approach with a trustworthy person.

 

[Lingle]

agree with ggdad, In my state you must have the title in your name a minimum of 30 days before re-selling it, unless you are a dealer.  seems like you have exhausted all options, wish they were like Iowa, bonded title for me was a $100 bond, then state did a bunch of work to find old title owners, not finding any they issued me a bonded title and I paid the fee for that.  Good luck as these old COE are very cool for sure

[nonstop]

What about having it lien saled?  At least in ca that is one way it is done without a title…..

[Los_Control]

Selling it to a friend or relative would be my first choice if available.

 

Since the truck is on the computer listing you as the owner.

@ggdad1951 I'm a lil short on cash this month, want to get drunk. Will sell you my truck for $200 send you the paper work.

6 weeks roll by, hey ggdad1951 ... I'm sober now, sell me my truck back?

 

Just saying nothing illegal happened in the exchange, no harm no foul .... just a bunch of taxes being paid for unnecessary title swaps.

 

If I was younger, I would just have Mrs @Los_Control write up a bill of sale. .... I was a lot dumber back then ?

While quicker, faster, easier .... is a little shady .... I'm just not that brave anymore.

 

I suspect the person at the DMV would stick their nose in the air, make weird bodily sounds .... Can they prove you did not fight with your wife, send her back to her Cousin Betty Lou in Vermont .... who then gave your wife the truck to sweet talk you into taking her back? ... So Betty Lou could be alone with her boy friend?

I Dare the DMV person to prove that never happened ..... Besides the truck is legally in your name already.

Just saying, if I was younger, dumber, braver ....

 

 

 

 

 

[QEC]

Other than Vermont, how many states will require a physical inspection of the vehicle? Here in The Peoples Republic they require a vin inspection for any out of state transfers....Three Cheers for Vermont.

[47 dodge 1.5 ton]

 PA requires a physical inspection of the VI plate.  Can be police or certified garage I believe if a truck to get weight rating (if unknown)Title company actually came to house after garage gave it a weight before I was able to drive it. My ID tag is barely legible.

[52b3b Joe]

Ohio doesn't have lien/bonded titles for this application. I'm not sure what other states are easy to deal with for this, but it would be easiest to make a friend with someone in Vermont lol. I do have family else where I can check with, but I'll have to do some checking in their state to see what is needed. I just don't want to spend more money on taxes over getting this done, but I suppose it would be a small sacrifice in the long run. Ohio requires a physical vin inspection, which resulted in me trailering the truck a few miles to a local dealership for paperwork (which ultimately was another waste of time and effort because they're only good for a specific amount of time....)

 

Thanks for all the comments and replies. I really feel like I'm shooting in the dark on this to find a solution.

[Los_Control]

If the video I posted earlier is correct, you would now have Vermont plates, registration & tags for current year?

At least that is where I think you are.

Registration is legal title for cars 15 years old or older in Vermont. And legal in all states.

 

Seems Ohio does require a bill of sale to transfer title .... From all states, not just Vermont.

This is where it gets funny reading the BMV rules for transferring a title as a buyer/seller or change title as new Ohio resident.

 

Are you married? .... If not thats step one, get married.

As the legal owner of the truck, sell the truck to your wife & have the bill of sale notarized.

This is from your BMV site as a seller. .... There is another section for requirements of buyer.

 

In order to successfully reassign the vehicle’s title, you need to:

• Complete the vehicle title assignment section of the title certificate, which needs to include:
  • The buyer’s name and address
  • The vehicle’s purchase price
• Complete the odometer reading (make sure the vehicle’s buyer acknowledges the reading with a signature)
• Provide a notarized signature on the vehicle title

Make sure you remove the license plates before completing the sale of the vehicle.

 

Now she has a legal bill of sale, then go through the process of a out of state vehicle VIN inspection etc....

 

The person at BMV just want proper paper work to check off the boxes .... The bill of sale is required.

Since you are the first legal registered owner in decades, there is nobody alive to get a notarized bill of sale from.

 

As legal owner you can sell your property, The Vermont title is legal. ..... Your wife can buy it from you, she now has the legal bill of sale you are missing.

Let her haul the dang thing to get the VIN inspected & stand in line at BMV for the new title  ???

 

I just feel the 50 year old lady at BMV is not your enemy, she is trained to help you & she needs a bill of sale along with other items to complete your request .... Or her computer will explode.

Will still need to get all the inspections for out of state vehicle.

 

Just my feeling, Ohio can not stop you from selling your property, once sold then Vermont bill of sale is no longer needed ... As long as you have a notarized Ohio bill of sale to keep the computer from exploding.

 

 

[steve s.]

Joe, I would like to offer some encouragement. Of course all states are different, but I have so far gotten a dozen or so titles for old trucks through the county court here in PA. I did all of the work myself, with no lawyer or agent. It takes a bit to understand the process, but it works very well. Basically I took the state to court, forcing them to prove that I did not own the trucks. The state  could not prove that, and they offered to refrain from opposing my request if I would follow their procedure. That procedure changed over the years, but it never involved much more than paying the DOT to give me a copy of a form that said there was no vehicle in the system with my serial (or VIN) number. When my day came to go before the judge, the DOT didn't even show up some times. When the judge entered the courtroom to begin the day's proceedings he always looked around the courtroom, singled me out , and asked why I was there. I guess I stuck out as I wasn't a wife beater, gang member, or crackhead. He would review my papers, call out the name of the previous owner to the courtroom, ask for anyone present who objected to my ownership, and when no one spoke up, he named me the owner of the truck. I got a court order stating that I was the owner, and with that I was able to apply for a title from the DOT. the whole process takes a while, but it worked every time I tried. Think about it- the state can't prove that you don't own the truck, and the judge can declare that you do. I suggest that you look into this process in your area, I think it will work for you, too. Steve

[52b3b Joe]

In all technicalities, legally, I need to have an Ohio plate on the truck because I live here, but the odds of having issues are probably low I would assume. 

 

It is encouraging to hear from someone who has had success in getting a court issued title. I'll probably try that route next if I can't get it to work the easier way.

[52b3b Joe]

A little more progress has been made and is currently being made towards the truck.

 

I sold the 10R22.5 tires and put 235/80R22.5 tires on my rims that I got from a my friends parents. They put new tires on their motorhome. The take offs are about 60-70% tread and have great casings (no visible dry rot. The diameter is about 3/4" less than an 8.25-20, so I should be in good shape. 

 

I'm also in the process of pouring concrete in my barn and getting electric ran to it. This will definitely help the project move along easier! I'm prepping everything myself which takes some time, but it is going good. As long as the weather is good enough (temp wise) I'm planning to pour April 1st. I have three finishers from my work lined up to help me pour. The picture below is my best helper. The only bad part is having everything sitting outside in the yard until I'm finished. I'm hoping to have the electrical ran by the end of summer. I'm only planning on 60 amps to the building. I have to run the wire 330' from another building, so I'm trying to save money on wire size. It should be enough for everything I plan on out there. It's primarily a storage building. 

 

As far as the title issues go, I decided to take a break. I found another option that I am going to move forward with, so we will see how it goes. 

[RobertKB]

You’ll love the concrete floor!?

 

Your best helper is learning young but they grow up so fast that he’ll be driving the COE before you know it!?‍?

[ggdad1951]

10 hours ago, RobertKB said:

You’ll love the concrete floor!?

 

Your best helper is learning young but they grow up so fast that he’ll be driving the COE before you know it!?‍?

 

tell me you ran heating and cooling lines in the concrete!  ?

 

[52b3b Joe]

14 hours ago, RobertKB said:

You’ll love the concrete floor!?

 

Your best helper is learning young but they grow up so fast that he’ll be driving the COE before you know it!?‍?

 

I know...I can't believe how fast the kids are growing up. It's a bit scary. 

 

3 hours ago, ggdad1951 said:

 

tell me you ran heating and cooling lines in the concrete!  ?

 

 

I would have loved to, but I don't ever see myself insulating and heating the building. It's too large of a space for my budget to heat lol. 

[ggdad1951]

3 hours ago, 52b3b Joe said:

I would have loved to, but I don't ever see myself insulating and heating the building. It's too large of a space for my budget to heat lol. 

 

Just sell me those grill bars!  LOL!    glad you have the space out of the weather at least!  You could make a smaller heated area maybe?

 

[52b3b Joe]

26 minutes ago, ggdad1951 said:

 

Just sell me those grill bars!  LOL!    glad you have the space out of the weather at least!  You could make a smaller heated area maybe?

 

 

Lol, that grill is the best part of that truck! I could possibly make a heated area, but I have my other shop (30x50) that has half of it heated and finished where I work on everything. The COE is too tall for the garage doors on that building though. It'll be a fair weather project in the barn. 

[52b3b Joe]

I know this is a little OT, but I swear it's all for the truck! I finished up 95% of the concrete prep over the weekend and I was able to get the permanent lighting in Friday night after work with some guys from work. I'm just running the building with my generator until I get the power feed ran from my other garage. I'm really hoping to pour it Saturday pending I can get concrete. It's a little early in the season around here for any concrete plants to be running on a Saturday. Every ounce of my free time has gone into this the past 3 weeks. I'll be happy when it's poured and I can relax a little. 

[52b3b Joe]

I ended up pouring the floor on April 1st like I was hoping. I let it sit a couple weeks before parking on it to be safe. As of the weekend, I was able to get a lot of the big stuff put away and parked. The COE's new home looks good! Just need to get the wiring finished up this summer/fall and I want to get some pallet racking out there to store a lot of the spare big parts I have like engines, trans, and so on.