Topic: 78 CB750 title issue

[Maurice]

Hello,

I acquired a CB750 in pieces, with title, and now trying to register it here in NJ I'm having a bit of trouble... Bike is from PA, and was already transferred to someone however they never went and got a title in their name. Title has space to re-register, however NJ does not want to issue title to me with that. They call that "jumping title".

Is there a service of some kind that would register the bike in PA for me?

Not sure what I can do short of dumping the frame, but I'd rather use it.

I have the name and address of the last person, I'll try that hopefully it's not a red herring. Getting them to get a PA title and hand it back to me is another story entirely... Allegedly it's someone from this forum, although PO is of course a but vague on it now. If anyone sold a CB750 in parts around Philly please PM me.

Thanks

[flybox1]

this is a good thread on the subject.

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=116930.0;nowap

[Maurice]

Oh, this might work... If I go that route I'll make sure and follow up.

The thing is I HAVE the title, it does have a space for re-registration, just NJ does not accept that...

Thanks!

[Bankerdanny]

Most states won't let you skip like that, the only exception is when the buyer is a registered dealer.

When I sell I make sure to tell the buyer not to fill in the "buyer" section of the title until they are actually transferring the title to their name. When I buy I make sure that part of the title is blank and that the seller part is signed but not dated.

I had to deal with this issue once here in Illinois and it required some 'creative' work on my part. Your situation is complicated by the fact that it's an out of state title.

Did you buy it from the person whose name is on the title as the buyer?

[Maurice]

Bankerdanny,

no the person I bought it from is not the same name on title. I'll see if I get in touch with the guy whose name is on it, has an address and everything. I just hope he doesn't think I'm stalking and doesn't tell me the bike was stolen...

Thanks

[Bankerdanny]

Stolen bikes rarely come with titles, so that shouldn't be an issue.

You may have no choice but to get the person whose name is on the title as buyer to apply for a title in his state, then sign it over to you. I know in Illinois the title can be mailed to a 3rd party. So if that person takes the title in for transfer you might be able to transfer it to you.

If you try this make sure you have the person sign a bill of sale to you so that he cannot later claim that he still owns the bike.

Is there a date of sale listed with the buyer's info? This could also cause issues because most states don't like it when you delay the transfer. That's why I never date a title when I sign it as the seller.

[Maurice]

There's no date, no.

Yeah I went to the DMV and a supervisor told me I was more or less SOL if I didn't get in touch with the person named on the title. Which so far has proven fruitless. I'm trying the original owner, but that title was issued in 79 (!). Found a phone number left a message we'll see. To get him to file for a duplicate is another story again...

Oh well, I've pretty much written this one off, mcuozzo has a frame for me, in much better shape I might add, I'll build that one up and if this ever gets straightened out I'll try and sell this one.

Thanks all for the suggestions.

[cougar]

When I got my bike from person B, the owner person A (name on title) had signed and dated everything, new owner person B had signed and dated everything but hadn't transferred it. Person B said he would get in touch with owner person A (so-called friend) and have him apply for replacement title and send it to me. Long story short to much time went by with numerous emails and phone call to person B he quit accepting anything. So since I had the original owners name I found out his current address and sent him a certified letter stating that I had had the bike for quite a while and was going to have to charge him a storage fee of $10.00 a day from the time I had gotten it unless I got the title. He contacted me within a couple of days to arrange a meet at the local DMV to transfer the title. My 1 advantage is he was in state and local to me (within 50 mls.). Hope this might help you.   ...cougar...

[Bailgang]

I know the feeling when you have a bike with a genuine title that's worthless. When I first got my 750 F2 earlier this past spring it's title was screwed up too making it useless. It was an Ohio title that should've been notarized but wasn't plus the last registered owner filled it out wrong which screwed it up even more and my local DMV wouldn't touch it. I ended up spending a whole afternoon on the internet searching for the guy who's name was on the title. I never did actually get his phone # but I did get his sons # who then passed my message onto his dad who then called me back. It was still a nail biter at first because he wanted to make sure I actually had his 750 and wasn't trying to scam him. He then asked the name of the seller I got it from which was Dave so and so (picking a name out of the air here) and he promptly said "Nah, never heard of him" (strike 1) but fortunately the title was in an envelope with another name on it and that was the name of the person he had given the bike to which happened to be his son in law whom he had no idea had sold the bike that he gave .....which was almost a strike 2.

I got real lucky because not only was I able to find the last registered owner still alive and kicking but he understood the situation and was fully cooperative in getting it straightened out. I hope you have the same luck as I did.

[Bankerdanny]

When I bought my FJ1200 in 2007 the title was in the name of a bank (probably a repo situtation) a guy (guy A) had bought it from the bank and his name and the date of the sale was on the back. For some reason he never transferred the title.

Fast forward a seven years and guy A sells to guy B and gives him the title that he never transferred, still showing guy A as the buyer. Then I come a long and buy it from the brother of guy B, who had moved back to Poland. I now have the title issued to the bank, with guy A's name and address and signature on the back as the buyer 10 years earlier. Oh, and just for fun, the bank that was the seller had been sold and no longer existed. I actually tracked down guy A, he was sympathetic, but not willing to help.

Fortunately I am (a) a banker and familiar with title documents and (b) the folks at the DMV are really not motivated to look very hard at paperwork.

I was able to change the date on the title to look like the sale had happened in the current year. I created letterhead for the now defunct bank and created a receipt signed by a non-existent officer saying I was the buyer. I completed all the necessary paperwork, signed by people that didn't exist, to show that the name on the title was an error, and I was in fact the buyer. I then took said paperwork to the DMV, paid the taxes and fees on the purchase, and a month later had a clean title in my name.

The key to being able to do all this though was that the title was from my state. If it had been Wisconsin or Indiana I don't think there would be anything I could do.

[Maurice]

Interesting stories. Glad it worked out.

Well, different state in my case. Lesson learned I guess. It's just a frame with separate motor and a bunch of parts in a cardboard box and not an entire bike.

But yes, original owner sold this who knows when, and I was fooled by the empty "reassignment of certification of title" section which is not valid in NJ (and PA also now apparently).

But it's a shame losing another bike...

[Dunk]

Have you tried going to a different DMV? Which did you go to? I am in NJ too and some DMVs they just won't do anything or look for any excuse not to issue a title despite being a legitimate and legal sale with no indication otherwise. Find one with nice little old ladies and politely explain the situation if they mention it. I've had to deal with out of state transferable registration no titles etc. and nothing notarized and with a little pity party about ignorance, no notaries on a Sunday afternoon, an 8 hour drive etc... they have issued a title. Worth trying a few DMVs and trying to get a nice person at the counter as it has worked for me.

[Maurice]

Hi cadunkle, yes I thought of that and tried 2 different DMVs. They were very stern both times unfortunately. I'll wait after the holidays try a different one, who knows... Thanks for the support, guys.

On the bright side, my 550 is registered in my name now, phew... I get solace from adjusting the points now, it sounds great but way too much advance. Fixing oil leak (oil pump o-rings looks like), prepping the tank, getting the brakes in working order, wiring, then lights and I can take it on the road.

Cheers