Seller wont send documentation needed to register vehicle

[raphop2000]

I'm attempting to register a recently purchased salvaged vehicle. However, due to the seller incorrectly filling out the title the car cannot be inspected to be registered. From the multiple DMV's I've been at, I've been told that the title is either an illegal jumped title or an incorrectly filed title. The state of NJ DMV needs either a correct filed title from seller or a letter on the letterhead of the seller faxed to them saying that seller works as a legal agent of the Auto agency on the title. When I asked this of seller, the tone became belligerent and he refuses to remedy situation leading me to believe that there is something else going on with this situation.

The car is not VPP so ebay said they can't step in and told me to get in touch with the BBB or Licensing department in the sellers state.  What's the best way to rectify this.

[tony1963]

How much money is involved?

[legitimate_bidder]

id you purchase the car from an individual; dealer; salvage auction; junkyard; what?

How far away is the guy you bought it from? Threatening to sue him, and even filing papers and having him served may help....

Collecting monetary damages from the seller and/or sicking the law on him if he did anything fishy, may be your only recourse as far as that goes.

As far as the car goes, how much is it worth? If it's worth enough to justify a little trouble and expense, then you may be able to get it titled.

First thing to do would be to research the VIN and make sure it's not stolen or encumbered or anything, so that you won't be wasting your time and money.

Then, you could try calling a business such as Broadway Title 9dot com) and seeing what they can do- they may be able to get a title for it, but it'll probably cost you $1000. Depending on the circumstances, you may also be able to title it in a state that does bonded titles (price for a bond is a percent of the value of the car) if you know someone who has an address in such a state and is willing to help (Cheaper than B'way Title!).

[rixstuff]

I saw a news story a while back that many folks have taken out title loans but sell the car that they dont actually have the title to.  I would find out who the actual owner is, if there are any liens, who actually sold it to you, and make sure all the names add up.  There is a good chance the seller couldnt register it either and passed that problem on to you.  And as someone else said you may be in possession of stolen property.  The person has your money and you have a worthless hunk of metal.  Not having clear and clean title at the time of sale is legal cause to get out of a car sale in all 50 states.  Try going to the seller's home state and talking to the cops there. He has commited fraud and grand theft at the very least.  File a small claims court (depending on whether his state's max is comparable to what you paid for the car) and sue.  No lawyer needed.

[legitimate_bidder]

That's what I said- "Make sure it's not encumbered".

OP said it was a salvage vehicle. "Clear and clean title" doesn't apply.  Sounds more like it was totaled and thus has a salvage certificate instead of a title; which means that when the car is rebuilt, it has to go through a state salvage inspection to get a new title- only in the OP's case, it sounds like the salvage certificate was improperly assigned/improperly filled out/has another person's info already filled in, which is likely what's causing the problem.

If the seller is unwilling to cooperate in halping the OP to get a duplicate/unmolested salvage certificate (assuming the guy bought the car from Copart or some such salvage auction) the OP is going to have to try one of the routes I mentioned above.

[legitimate_bidder]

OP, what state is the car's paperwork from? It's usually a lot easier toc get the car inspected and titled in the state in which it's paperwork is from, than in a "foreign" state. If it's from PA. you might even be able to work around the wrong info being filled in. If it's from NY....well...time for the options I mentioned in my first post.

[tony1963]

The OP has never returned so I vote that we close this discussion.

[raphop2000]

Hey,

Sorry for the time taken to respond but I didn't get any notifications for any response.

The sale price was 6,350 which I paid via bank wire so I have the records.  Its  a 2010 328i with 87K on it. 

[raphop2000]

Sorry for not responding. Didn't recieve any notifications.  Will check twice a day from now on.

I've went to several DMV's;

Flood Salvage is from CA. Car starts correctly but haven't driven in street because I don't have tags. Its garage parked currently.

NY said they don't do any registration of vehicles bought from private seller's that are salvage. ( Title has both individual seller which is ebay seller and a dealership name on it. Seller claims to be dealership but won't send info confirming it.). NJ and PA DMV's believe seller bought the car from insurance company, couldn't title it in their name so sold it on ebay to me unfortunately.  DMV said title is still in insurance company name so I should contact them to with sale records to see if they can retitle it to me.

NJ said that if the seller sends proof via fax that they are a dealership they can proceed with registration but seller won't send anything

PA said to contact attorney or try and get insurance company to retitle to me

[raphop2000]

I bought from individual. The individual claims to be the dealer as well. The problem is on the title for buyer; it has both a dealer name and an individual's name. The NJ DMV would register it but they want to know that the individual is working on behalf of the dealer but the indi/dealer doesn't want to send fax to resolve this.

I'm in NJ, he's in CA.

I'll do what you suggested over the next few days.

Thanks.

[raphop2000]

Its From CA unfortunately.  I'm in NJ,NY,PA area. I'm also looking into a title bond but the DMV in PA told me that's not gonna fly.

[legitimate_bidder]

Ah, O-K. Sounds like just a technicality. Sucks that some of these states are so tyrannical and rigid that they can't (or rather wont) work with such issues when there's clearly no wrong-doing and it's just a technicality/matter of semantics.

You should be able to do a bonded title for it in FL. with no problem, but you'll have to have somebody who has an address there, because you'll need to title the car there (as if they are buying it). Once FL. issues a title, it's just like any other title, and can be sold and transfered in any other state. (I know this because I actually bought a vehicle which had a bonded FL title....).

Trouble is, if the car is worth a lot of money, it's gonna cost, because the bond company charges a set percent of the car's value for the bond. Another state that's good with bonded titles is TX, and there are like 4 others- OK. is one too, I think.

[marinermikes]

The problem is the two signatures. If you can get documentation that the guy is the dealer you should have no problem. I did one not too long ago in Pa. The title was in the insurance companies name. I had to fix the car to it's original specs and then have an enhanced inspection done on it, pay the taxes, enhanced inspection fee's, regular inspection fee's and title and plate fee's quite pricey.

[raphop2000]

Yeah..That's the main issue but I really don't think the seller is a dealer because when I asked him for a simple letter faxed from the dealers leatter head saying he was an authorized seller of the vehicle on behalf of the dealer, he disappeared after call me some choice words.  I'm trying to get in touch with the insurance company that sold him the vehicle in the first place to see if I can show them proof of purchase so they can issue me a duplicate title.

[raphop2000]

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll have to go the bonded option after I've exhausted dealing with the insurance company that sold him the car in the first place. I've asked about bonded titles here in NJ,PA, and NY and people are saying its not going to happen so thank you for the list of states that it may be easier to get done in.