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Laminar · Feb 22, 2009, 11:57 PM

I had a question that a quick Google search wasn't able to satisfactorily answer.

Say I buy a vehicle. That person I'm buying the vehicle from has the vehicle's title in his possession, but never signed it himself. The person he bought it from did sign it, though.

What's the proper course of action here? Does he need to sign and date it before I do, or can we skip him entirely?

Big Mac · Feb 23, 2009, 12:07 AM

So the car was never registered to the previous owner? I suppose the first place to start to is here:

http://www.iamvd.com/ovs/index.htm

In California the DMV seems to require a sign-off of each of the previous owners in such a situation. If you don't want to deal with your DMV, try your local auto club.

Laminar · Feb 23, 2009, 12:09 AM

It was registered. I think the guy I'm buying it from originally bought it for parts, but lost interest in the project. I believe he signs it upon releasing it to me.

phantomdragonz · Feb 23, 2009, 12:16 AM

I only know colorado as thats where I live, but I have personally sold a motorcycle that was signed by the previous owner but never signed to me...

All the buyer had to do was sign his name and walk to the DMV and they issued a title in his name.

I never "owned" the bike, I could have registered it and paid all the taxes, but I was just flipping the bike (as in fixing it and selling it)

I dont think its legal but what will the DMV ever know?

-Zach

Laminar · Feb 23, 2009, 12:35 AM

Cool...this is exactly what I'm doing. I'm picking up two motorcycles tomorrow evening, I'll keep at least one of them. Maybe both.

phantomdragonz · Feb 23, 2009, 12:45 AM

try to do a VIN check, AT LEAST get a bill of sale with the dudes drivers license number... if they end up being stolen (unlikely if the title is signed)

-Zach

mattyb · Feb 24, 2009, 06:16 AM

What a plonker I am.

I mis-read the title, I thought that it said TILTING a vehicle and wondered what sort of auto based project you were working on Laminar.

d4nth3m4n · Feb 24, 2009, 08:05 AM

skip him.

when i read the thread title as "tilting" and i was planning all kinds of redneck engineering ideas including forklifts and ramps and stuff.

dcmacdaddy · Feb 24, 2009, 08:42 AM

skip him. I know in Maryland and New York you have to title a vehicle in your name before being able to transfer said title to someone else. In other words, ownership of vehicle requires titling of vehicle (at least in these two states).

Laminar · Feb 24, 2009, 08:53 AM

Well, here's what I got:

Bike 1: 1983 Honda Nighthawk 550. Needs a starter motor and a minor tuneup.

Bike 2: 1976 Honda CB550. Needs complete tuneup, but everything's there. Minus the key, which apparently fell out of the bike somewhere along the 40 minute drive home.

I picked up the pair for $600, both of them have titles signed by the previous owners, but not dated, and both previous owners are friends of his, so I got all of their contact info.

Right now my inclination is to get the Nighthawk running as my DD/2-up bike, sell my current CB200 for ~$800-1000, then cafe the CB550, something like this, the fairing and the sissy bar definitely have to go. The guy was moving to Idaho and had about 10 bikes in his garage he needed to get rid of. Between the time I claimed the bikes and I picked them up, he had at least 20 calls and 4 people show up at his house for them.

Sorry for the BlackBerry pictures, I took some real ones last night but I can't get to Dropbox here at work.

klb5090 · Feb 24, 2009, 10:09 AM

Cafe FTW, good pick up Laminar, i've always wanted to put up an older pick for a project just never have the time.. keep us updated on the work

Railroader · Feb 24, 2009, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by Laminar

Sorry for the BlackBerry pictures, I took some real ones last night but I can't get to Dropbox here at work.

Unforgivable.

mattyb · Feb 25, 2009, 05:12 AM

WOW, nice buy.

d4nth3m4n and dcmacdaddy, what do you mean by "skip him"?

d4nth3m4n · Feb 25, 2009, 05:22 AM

if the signed by the owner before the guy you're buying it from, just "skip" the guy you'll be buying it from in the eyes of the law.

mattyb · Feb 25, 2009, 08:03 AM

OK cheers, sorry that I'm not up on American sayings.

Laminar · Feb 25, 2009, 08:22 AM

Well the Nighthawk has some odd electrical gremlins - pushing the starter button has the effect that turning the key on should have - the neutral and oil lights come on, and it will happen even if the key's out of the ignition. I sourced a new starter for $30 shipped, so I'm going to have to go through all of the wiring with my multimeter and find out where the problem is.

I hooked the CB550 up to my car battery last night and it cranks wonderfully. I pulled the ugly fairing off and it looks 150% better. I'm figuring out what to do about a key, and once I have that done I can get some gas and new plugs in it and see if it will fire. Both brakes need rebuilt, there's plenty of rust on the frame and exhaust, and the air cleaner's rubber manifold is cracked, among other things. It looks like my weekly TV shows will go unwatched for a while.

Laminar · Feb 26, 2009, 11:35 AM

And $103 later, I have both bikes titled, registered, and licensed. Being honest about the purchase prices hurt.

olePigeon · Feb 26, 2009, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by mattyb

What a plonker I am.

I mis-read the title, I thought that it said TILTING a vehicle and wondered what sort of auto based project you were working on Laminar.

It's a research project on the modern applications of the Don Quixote theory. Instead of tilting windmills while on a horse, you tilt a windmill while on a motorcycle.

phantomdragonz · Feb 26, 2009, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by Laminar

And $103 later, I have both bikes titled, registered, and licensed. Being honest about the purchase prices hurt.

WHAT! no one does that! lol

-Zach

Railroader · Feb 27, 2009, 07:39 AM

Originally Posted by phantomdragonz

WHAT! no one does that! lol

-Zach

I do.

ghporter · Mar 1, 2009, 10:34 AM

I have NEVER signed a title until I've sold the vehicle. A signed title is almost like a "bearer instrument," like a check made out to "cash." No thanks there....

Great bikes, by the way. My wife had an '82 Nighthawk 450 (black and silver) that was an enormously wonderful bike. We both miss it. The only thing I'd change on it was the built up aluminum wheels; I'd go for the solid cast ones like your '83 has.

phantomdragonz · Mar 1, 2009, 11:49 AM

What happened here is the owner signed the title when it was sold.

the new owner was just going to flip it and never signed it (and paid the taxes) basically acting like a middle man.

-Zach

andi*pandi · Mar 1, 2009, 12:57 PM

to tilt a vehicle just inflate the tires on one side more than the other.

what.

I keep seeing this thread title and seeing tilt not title.

titling tilt titling tilt titling tilt

ghporter · Mar 1, 2009, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by phantomdragonz

What happened here is the owner signed the title when it was sold.

the new owner was just going to flip it and never signed it (and paid the taxes) basically acting like a middle man.

-Zach

I must have missed that nuance. I never got flipping houses, let alone vehicles...

Laminar · Mar 1, 2009, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

I must have missed that nuance. I never got flipping houses, let alone vehicles...

I think he did have the intention of keeping one or both of them, but decided to move and couldn't take them with.

RAILhead · Mar 1, 2009, 07:25 PM

Dadgummit, every time I see this thread, I think it says "tilting," not titling. I keep thinking Lam's going tejano.

Shaddim · Mar 1, 2009, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by Railroader

I do.

Me too. I guess it depends on how much you value your reputation.

Nice deal on the bikes, I love running into those situations. It's why I carry a decent amount of cash on me.

phantomdragonz · Mar 2, 2009, 12:28 PM

Me too. I guess it depends on how much you value your reputation.

how is that a representation of my reputation?

The first time I purchased a vehicle the guy who sold it put 10% of the vehicle cost on the title, without even asking me.
The second time the guy did the same thing but put more like 30% of the value.

On the two bikes and one car I have sold I left it up to the buyer to put the amount on it. two of the three put the actual value. Its a common practice from what I hear for vehicles that are worth less then $2-3k

When I purchased my car ($10,000) the seller put the actual value, which was $1000 in taxes, it hurt... I understand the value of taxes and how they help the country but for cheap vehicles its a very common thing to do.

Railroader · Mar 2, 2009, 03:10 PM

You are certainly right, lying and cheating the government illegally is a common act. But that does not make it right. Or legal.

mattyb · Mar 2, 2009, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by Railroader

You are certainly right, the government lying and cheating the people illegally is a common act. But that does not make it right. Or legal.

Hmmmmmm.

Dakar V · Mar 2, 2009, 04:55 PM

It's interesting the things people choose to get righteous about.

Shaddim · Mar 2, 2009, 05:46 PM

I don't think it's righteousness as much as it is conscience. If things like that don't bother you, then don't worry about it.

Railroader · Mar 2, 2009, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar V

It's interesting the things people choose to get righteous about.

Agreed! Anyone proud or bragging about lying, cheating, and doing illegal actions is certainly "interesting".

also, your post is a bit hypocritical

Dakar V · Mar 3, 2009, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by Shaddim

I don't think it's righteousness as much as it is conscience. If things like that don't bother you, then don't worry about it.

Conscience? I suppose context is everything. If this is something you do once or twice in you life, then yeah, I don't get it. If you're doing these types of transactions frequently, I understand wanting to stay above board.

Originally Posted by Railroader

also, your post is a bit hypocritical

Please, do tell.