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A new twist on the old "no title" question

2K views 21 replies 10 participants last post by  Christmas Cookie 
#1 ·
I searched a bit and it seems most of the time a no title issue comes up its for a vehicle bought/previously titled in Michigan. So lets say a guy buys a vehicle that has a long lost title and may have changed hands several times without a title from Kentucky. The current owner has no interest in hunting down a title and has priced it accordingly (free!). The vehicle is basically a shell at this point but would be worth turning into an offroad only vehicle. What sort of world of hurt would I be in if I wanted to have a title just to prove ownership or to be able to sell someday? I popped in to a SOS where a ray of sunshine told me to not bother. I know people must buy southern projects with long lost titles all the time. Any advice? I may be able to get a handwritten bill of sale with it, but nothing more.
 
#4 ·
I was hoping the SOS clerk would be able to explain these options but no dice. It seems like option 3 would be the easiest but it wont work for a vehicle purchased out of state. Option one just sounds like a huge pain. I guess I should look into a surety bond and see if that would work for something brought up from Kentucky.
 
#5 ·
is a free vehicle worth all that bs? Are you even planning to drive on the road? if its offroad only get a bill of sale and be done with it, as long as its not reported being stolen, your good as long as you got proof you bought it. In highschool a couple of buddys and myself started finding back yard cars/trucks that the owners wanted them gone, a few had no title, 1 was like yours and out of state. We turned them all into offroad beat on toys since my buddy's dad had a HUGE farm with lots of tools. We wrecked the SHIT out of them and when they couldnt be fixed any longer we threw it on a trailer and cut it in half(per junkyard rules cause we had no title) and scrapped them.
 
#6 ·
You want the title so you can sell it later? Thats understandable. It is not terribly difficult.

If this thing is going to be a trailer queen you can title it as a ATV.

If it might see some road use (like snofari etc) you can title it as a assembled vehicle and get a new title. The only downside is you will need a windshield and some other junk to get it titled.

Here s the form you need if it will see some road use.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/TR-54_38480_7.pdf
 
#22 ·
You want the title so you can sell it later? Thats understandable. It is not terribly difficult.

If this thing is going to be a trailer queen you can title it as a ATV.
If it might see some road use (like snofari etc) you can title it as a assembled vehicle and get a new title. The only downside is you will need a windshield and some other junk to get it titled.

Here s the form you need if it will see some road use.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/TR-54_38480_7.pdf
you have the vest advice on everything!!!! hahahahahaa
 
#15 ·
Oh, heell copypasta for ya

Vehicles
If I lost the previous title before transferring the vehicle into my name and I can't find the previous owner, how can I get a title for my vehicle? Answer: If you cannot locate the previous owner, it will be necessary to get:

  1. A Court Order. A court order awarding ownership of a vehicle can be used if the order includes the year, make, and vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle; or
  2. A Surety Bond. Without a court order, you must obtain a surety bond. A surety bond is like an insurance policy, and is purchased by the applicant from an insurance company or bonding agency. It must be for twice the fair market value of the vehicle ("fair market value" can be established by a dealer appraisal or a recognized vehicle appraisal guide). The bond is posted for three years and is returned if no claims are filed during the three-year period, or
  3. As a last resort when a Michigan vehicle title has been lost, destroyed, or stolen and the purchaser is unable to contact the previous owner for a duplicate title, you can self-certify ownership at a Secretary of State branch office if the vehicle is six or more years old and valued at $2,500 or less. The self-certification procedure cannot be used for vehicles titled in another state.
You will need to submit:

  1. A completed TR-205 Certification of Ownership (available on-line at all Secretary of State offices) stating you are the rightful owner of the vehicle and including the vehicle description, the true value of the vehicle, and a complete explanation of how, when, where, and from whom the vehicle was acquired; and
  2. Either of the following:

On-line appraisal sites may provide multiple vehicle values (wholesale value, trade-in value, and retail value). Any of these values showing a value of $2,500 or less may be accepted.

 
#20 · (Edited)
Actually...i had to do option 2 on a boat without a title. It actually isn't that bad. A surety bond is nothing more than an insurance policy for the SOS. It is basically a policy that releases the SOS from liability if the vehicle was stolen to register it to someone else. It would also cover the original owner the money in twice the value of the vehicle and the current owner would get to keep the vehicle. So it is kinda a win-win-win for all parties... kinda.
ALthough the cost of the surety bond depends on the value of the vehicle. I paid $600 for the boat and the SOS states the bond has to be for twice the value... so $1200... IIRC it was about $75 for the bond.

Edit: and regarding option 3: I have heard a couple of stories of SOS not accepting KBB or NADA online printouts. That is must be an official appraisal from a dealership or someplace 'reputable'. But take it with a grain of salt.
 
#21 ·
Thanks for the input everybody. I guess I misunderstood what I read on the SOS website and on here. I was under the impression all those ways of getting a title only applied to vehicles that already had a Michigan title somewhere. When the SOS clerk told me I shouldnt bother I started thinking it must really suck to get a title on an out of state vehicle.

I would like to have a title even though I wouldnt plan on driving on the road. You never know what plans may change after all. Plus I would like to have one before putting money into anything. Its one of those sentimental attachment vehicles so its worth the hassle to me to get everything proper and in order.
 
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