Author Topic: Motorcycle title question (Read 2649 times)

Bailgang · « **on:** March 21, 2013, 05:24:49 PM »

I'm in the process of purchasing a 77 cb750 with title however the previous owner signed his name on the "buyer" line rather than the "seller" line. Do any of you know what kind of issues I should expect on getting it registered to my name?

Bailgang · « **Reply #1 on:** March 23, 2013, 05:40:08 AM »

No replies so far so hopefully that's a good thing. I haven't had the time to talk to the local DMV about it but most people I've talked to don't seem to think it will be an issue. I'll follow up on this when I actually do go to register the bike so if anyone else here runs into the same problem they'll know what to expect.

Johnie · « **Reply #2 on:** March 23, 2013, 06:52:13 AM »

Have the owner resign on the seller line. Put one straight line through the incorrect signature. Put your name above that buyer line. Should be good to go.

Bailgang · « **Reply #3 on:** March 23, 2013, 07:20:38 AM »

Quote from: Johnie on March 23, 2013, 06:52:13 AM

Have the owner resign on the seller line. Put one straight line through the incorrect signature. Put your name above that buyer line. Should be good to go.

That's where the problem is because the fellow I'm buying it from never registered the bike in his name, the seller I'm getting it from isn't the owner/seller who goofed signing it. To possibly complicate it further it's an Ohio title and I'm in Indiana. I'm just hoping this doesn't turn into a mess.

Stev-o · « **Reply #4 on:** March 23, 2013, 08:02:03 AM »

No offense to Johnnie, but I would not make any changes to it 'till you talk to the DMV.
I'd bet it has happened before, talk to the DMV and ask exactly what needs to be done.
Hopefully you won't need the PO that signed it and I would leave out the part that you actually did not buy it from him.

Johnie · « **Reply #5 on:** March 23, 2013, 11:24:12 AM »

Agreed....I did not know of the extended circumstances before my post. I thought the owner had registered it.

Bailgang · « **Reply #6 on:** March 23, 2013, 06:34:24 PM »

Quote from: Johnie on March 23, 2013, 11:24:12 AM

Agreed....I did not know of the extended circumstances before my post. I thought the owner had registered it.

No problem it's my bad anyhow, a second read of my post and it's obvious I didn't make that circumstance clear. Well anyhow I just got back and the bike unloaded and looking at the title it seems the original owner did actually print and sign where he should have, it's just that he also put his signature again on the "buyers" line as well and then scribbled it out. Being all the names match the name on the front of the title it should be pretty clear to my local DMV that the seller was indeed selling the bike but just goofed on where he put his signature so hopefully all will be well. I'll be taking yours and Steves advice and not make any changes to it until the local DMV sees it. I'll post pics of the bike tomorrow.

Stev-o · « **Reply #7 on:** March 23, 2013, 07:09:17 PM »

Congrats on the bike, looking forward to seeing the pics.

dhall57 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 23, 2013, 08:30:10 PM »

I know it's different from state to state but in NC they can be very picky. This has nothing to do with a bike title but the circumstances would of been the same. Years ago I bought a truck from a guy at work and was getting the title notarized and when the notary used her stamp it cover the corner of the part of the date making it a little harder to see the date. The notary thought that might cause a problem at the DMV so she made a slight mark with her pin to make the date more clear. The mark she made was hardly noticeable. But after waiting in line for a hour to get to the counter to get my tags and registration I was informed by the clerk the title was no good because the date had been tampered with and I would have to apply for a new title. Never been so pissed off in my life. Told the clerk what had happen, but made no difference. If the notary had left everything alone it would of been fine.

Bailgang · « **Reply #9 on:** March 24, 2013, 01:55:02 AM »

Ah but there's another hitch to this, the first time it was a misplaced signature filling in a line the seller should have left alone. The second hitch and the one that worries me the most are the lines that weren't filled in at all and that's the date of sale and OD reading. It's the norm sometimes for a seller to leave the sale date blank and let the new owner fill it in when they actually get around to register a vehicle and avoid any late registration fees but being I'm the second owner of the bike since the last registered owner makes me wonder if that's going to be a bigger issue. The guy I got it from did give me a bill of sale in case things got messy so I'm wondering whether to put in a sales date myself and play dumb acting like I purchased the bike from the last registered owner or just leave everything alone and show the bill of sale? I have no problem paying a late registration fee or even applying for a new title if I have to, I just don't want it to turn into a sticky mess.

I'll have to have to the local police stop by to inspect the bike because any out of state vehicle must be inspected to make sure it's not stolen so I'll throw the question at them and see what they say.

Stev-o · « **Reply #10 on:** March 24, 2013, 04:56:12 AM »

I see no harm in putting in he sales date and odo reading, have done this before.
Just use same color ink so it's not super obvious.
In TX, you would need a Bill of Sale from the name of the seller on the title, if you don't have that, not sure how this will play out.
Don't go to the DMV on a Monday morning?!

Bailgang · « **Reply #11 on:** March 24, 2013, 05:59:29 AM »

Quote from: Stev-o on March 24, 2013, 04:56:12 AM

I see no harm in putting in he sales date and odo reading, have done this before.
Just use same color ink so it's not super obvious.
In TX, you would need a Bill of Sale from the name of the seller on the title, if you don't have that, not sure how this will play out.
Don't go to the DMV on a Monday morning?!

I've put in the sales date before and don't have issues with it either in fact I would imagine the DMV knows it happens all the time as well just by looking at the ink. No bill of sale is needed in Indiana when transferring a title even out of state titles unless the original title has been lost and you're applying for a new one. What worries me is if I do date it then what date should I put, the day I got it or make up a day the previous owner got it? If the last registered owner hadn't screwed up signing it I'd simply put yesterdays date and be done but being it is screwed up I'm afraid questions will be asked and they'll want a bill of sale from the last registered owner and if I show the bill of sale from the guy I got it from yet they see the current sale date on it then all kinds of red flags pop up. Rather than actually show the DMV the title I might just call them up and ask about the signature goof and if they say it's no problem I'll just put in yesterdays date. That will have to wait till at least Tuesday but I'll follow up on this when I find out.

73hutch · « **Reply #12 on:** March 24, 2013, 04:48:05 PM »

the problem with BMV indiana is you can ask different people the same question and get different answers. i wouldn't take an answer over the phone either. i live in indianapolis and sometimes i go a BMV in a small town. they are more likely to let something like that slide.

Bailgang · « **Reply #13 on:** March 26, 2013, 08:18:21 AM »

Quote from: 73hutch on March 24, 2013, 04:48:05 PM

the problem with BMV indiana is you can ask different people the same question and get different answers. i wouldn't take an answer over the phone either. i live in indianapolis and sometimes i go a BMV in a small town. they are more likely to let something like that slide.

That didn't help, I guess Monticello would qualify as a small town but the BMV was closed today so I went to the one in Delphi only to find the same ladies that work at the Monticello BMV.

I rolled the dice and put last Saturdays date on it, filled it out where my name should be except where the previous owner screwed up and crossed my fingers.

Good news is I had the local police come over and do a VIN check and they told the bike isn't stolen after they looked it up.

Bad news is:
#1- It's an Ohio title and the sellers signature needs to be notarized. My insurance agent is a notary but he wouldn't touch it because he said an Ohio notary would have to notarize it.

#2- Where the seller goofed it's printed so you can still clearly see his name through the scribble and it should be obvious it was just a mistake, nothing more nothing less but nope, the BMV says he has to fill out an error correction affidavit stating simply that he screwed up where he printed his name.

So now I have the fun task of trying to track this guy down and get him to take care of getting the title notarized and fill out the affidavit. I'm really not looking forward to this but I do have 2 addresses to play with so wish me luck.

Stev-o · « **Reply #14 on:** March 26, 2013, 08:27:32 AM »

Not surprising and not the end of the world. Hopefully he's a good guy and will help you out. Maybe offer him $25 for his trouble?
Good luck.

Bailgang · « **Reply #15 on:** March 26, 2013, 08:37:48 AM »

Quote from: Stev-o on March 26, 2013, 08:27:32 AM

Maybe offer him $25 for his trouble?

Yeah even though it's something he should've done in the first place I may end up doing that just to make it easy. I did a people search on the internet and I think I've found him already, I'll keep you filled in on how it goes.

Bailgang · « **Reply #16 on:** March 26, 2013, 04:05:20 PM »

YOWZAAAHHH!!
I was sweating bullets for a while because what phone #'s I did find were either disconnected or the one that was good was actually his sons # but nobody answered so I left a message and crossed my fingers and much to my relief I got a call from the man who's name was on the title. Apparently his son got my message then called his dad to let him know I was looking for him. I had to do some convincing for him because he didn't know the name of the person I got the bike from because he said he had given the bike to his son inlaw who's name, lucky for me, I did have on the envelope the title was in. Had I not had his son inlaws name he probably would've hung up on me. To make sure I wasn't scamming him he then asked me if the bike has a fairing on it and I said no but it dawned on me that would explain why it's missing the fork ears and headlight assembly and he agreed. Fortunately he has a notary in the family so getting the title notarized is no problem for him and will get it plus the correction affidavit taken care of for me.

His son inlaw may be in deep s..t because he had no clue his son inlaw sold it and seemed surprised that he did.

Xnavylfr · « **Reply #17 on:** March 31, 2013, 06:16:50 PM »

This info has very little to do with this thread BUT it is need to know info!!!
If you buy a bike/car from someone and they tell you the title was lost and you can file for a lost title they are WRONG!!! The only person that can file for a lost title is the REGISTERED OWNER of that vehicle that it is titled to. (AT LEAST IN NC)

Xnavylfr(CHUCK)

Bailgang · « **Reply #18 on:** April 01, 2013, 03:16:44 PM »

Quote from: Xnavylfr on March 31, 2013, 06:16:50 PM

This info has very little to do with this thread BUT it is need to know info!!!
If you buy a bike/car from someone and they tell you the title was lost and you can file for a lost title they are WRONG!!! The only person that can file for a lost title is the REGISTERED OWNER of that vehicle that it is titled to. (AT LEAST IN NC)

Xnavylfr(CHUCK)

Good point and that's what complicates things because laws differ from state to state. I have 2 bikes that came from Illinois and neither needed notarized and title transfer was smooth. The 750 I have now, it's last registered owner is from Ohio and it's Ohio law that requires the title to be notarized regardless if it's being sold out of state or not which is why my BMV wouldn't take it along with his screw up signing it. At the moment I'm still biting my finger nails, the last registered owner should've gotten the title in the mail today so hopefully he gets it straightened out asap and back in the mail to me. I wont breathe a sigh of relief until I have the title back in my hand and even then it wont be until I take it to the BMV and they say all is cool, that's when I'll relax. I'll update this when I get all the paperwork back.

Bailgang · « **Reply #19 on:** April 02, 2013, 02:43:48 PM »

Well I got a little nervous today because 1 little but very important detail I forgot to do was send the title using priority mail or at least have a tracking # put on it to make sure it got to the last reg owner plus the $25 check I sent with the title to sweeten the deal hadn't been cashed yet so just to make sure I gave him a call just a bit ago. He answered the phone and said he was getting ready to call me to let me know the title was in the mail. Better yet he said he never bothered with the old screwed up title and just went to his local court house and had them make a brand new title, completely filled out correctly including my information and notarized. I had a sh***y day and work today and this news has made my day much better.

Stev-o · « **Reply #20 on:** April 02, 2013, 06:21:18 PM »

Great news

Bailgang · « **Reply #21 on:** April 05, 2013, 01:28:17 PM »

SHE'S MINE ALL MINE NOW!! Title came today, I had the day off so I was out the door and off to the local BMV. After transferring the title I stopped to talk to my insurance agent to find out what the extra cost would be to put the 750 on my policy and much to my surprise it's actually going to be $1 less due to a multi vehicle bonus. I initially wasn't planning on getting plates and insurance until it was road worthy but with it going to be $1 less I decided to do it now so back to the BMV I went with the insurance info to get a plate.

I feel I was extraordinarily lucky with this situation. #1 I was able to find and contact the last registered owner still alive and kicking and #2 the last reg owner understood the situation, didn't give me any hassle at all and promptly took care of it. Now that the mess is behind me I can now focus on getting this bike on the road again.

News:

Author Topic: Motorcycle title question (Read 2649 times)