Overhaulin'

How do I get a car registered which has no papers/plates and has sat for years?

I responded to a newspaper ad recently and bought a 1971 vw beetle. The car had no plates and no paperwork that I could find. There were several telltale signs that the car had sat a number of years, but I understood it to be a project. The seller said he had originally bought it at auction with the intent of using its (good) engine for a sand rail dune buggy, but that like many other good plans requires time. Once paid for, I was provided no bill of sale which I feel I was owed. It was as if the seller felt that since he had let the car go very cheap, that he owed no person any more, and if he did, he should've either charged more or wrecked it instead. Like he could have gone to the trouble but would be put out for something extraneous. The seller has a shop in an easy to find location, so it is not as if I cannot find him, and he doesn't appear to be trying to hide, hes just a strangely irritable and crotchety person.

Public Comments

1. If you have no title or papers you can usually go to your county court house and file for a salvage title. I would also recommend that you contact a lawyer about his negligence.
2. take the VIN number and see if you can file for either a lost title or a salvage title. Good luck, VW bugs, the old ones, are my dream car, I will have one some day.
3. you will have to run the vin number on it at your local courthouse find the owner have them get a title we do this all the time cause we find good deals but need titles or something. just takes time cause they just have to sign a few papers and get a title hope that helps
4. This may vary by state, but first off I would get a bill of sale or something showing your purchase from the seller. Someone, and I apologize that I'm not certain if it is you or him, will need to apply for a lost title. After all this is completed then you should have your purchase in your name.
5. Firstly your should have been provided with a document stating that you have purchased the vehicle. The document should also state the vehicles V.I.N (vehicle identification number) and the engine number. As for getting it registered you need to get the vehicle towed to a car servicer or mechanic that can do a "Road Worthy Certificate" on it. Once this has been done you then take your certificate down to the registrar office and they will fix up the rest. Or subsequently, head down to your local police station and ask them, they will advise you in all the correct procedures (and they may insist on helping you get your car purchasing certificate).
6. y1ep, take the VIN #s and go to MotorVehicles and apply for a lost title. It's gonna cost you some $'s but not too much. You will get the name and address of the last person that was on the title. You have to go to this person or send it to them in the mail and have them sign a title release. It all works out pretty good IF...You get the lost title and the guy lives right down the street from MotorV's and is home and doesn't care and signs in the correct area on the lost title slip. THAT would be awesome.... What could go wrong is.... MotorV's comes up that it has been stolen. OR..It has a lean holder on it because the last guy bought it from a lot and never ended up paying for it. Then you would have to get ahold of the lot and see if they would relinquish thier holdings on the car. Usually not. They will want thier money that is owed or the car. OR...the guy on the title is in Bangledesh or somewhere close to that and you have no idea how to get ahold of him. OR...You find the guy that is on the title and he wants his car back OR he wants you to buy the title from him. All of this is a real pain in the trunk. haha. That's why the first thing out of your mouth when you are considering buying a car is...'Does it have a clean title?' THAT is #1. No matter what happens it's gonna take a long time for all of this to go through the stages of you finally getting your name on the title. And in the mean time....you cannot legally drive the car. I guess you could just keep working on it, making it really nice. BUT, if you do that and spend alot of time and money on it and one of the 'maybes' above wants thier car back...then you really got burned, because now they have a really nice car....for nothing. I really hope that all goes good and clean and well and fairly fast. You never know....there have been a few times when the guy really did live right down the road! Good luck.