Topic: Looking for Title Advice

[johnnyvince]

A few months ago, I bought a CB350 from a guy in MN. He never transferred the title into his own name, since he apparently never learned how to ride. I'm just getting around to transferring it into my name, and noticed two problems with the title:

1. The owner on the title (issued in 1989) signed it in the wrong place: where it says "Second secured party's interest released by". I didn't look closely at first, but I think that's just for releasing any liens. The "Assignment By Seller" section is blank. I think I can contact the official owner pretty easily (assuming she's still alive), but it looks like she lives over 200 miles from me.

2. I just learned that in MN, the license plate stays with the vehicle. The plate that came with the bike is not the one listed on the title.  I'm new to MN, so I don't know if this has always been the case. It's possible that this bike hasn't been registered since 1990, and a search of the VIN and plate numbers in the MN DMV database returns no results.

For such an old bike that appears to have fallen out of the system, what do you guys think would be the best way to proceed?

Thanks,
Johnny

[MikeZ]

Someone may have a better idea but my best suggestion is get a Vermont tag.
You can do it all by mail and don't need a title just a bill of sale that you can easily make up yourself even if you didn't get one when you bought the bike.
After you get the Vermont tag just go to your local DMV and get new MN tag and title.
I did this when I bought a '71 CB500 with no title a couple years ago.
Whole process is here: http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=655441
Good luck
Mike Z

[Shane72]

I remember dealing with a similar problem back in the '90's, when I lived in Minneapolis as well...

The seller had written the name of a person (and the bank they worked at) on the title, but never actually had a lien against it with that bank (or any other bank).  "Too bad", they said at the DMV..."You need to get a letter from that party that disclaims interest in the vehicle."

Well, I got lucky, in that the guy still was alive and working at the bank that was still in business in a small town, far away from Minneapolis.  Eventually, he wrote me a letter that worked to solve my problem.

Not sure how much trouble it's going to be for you, but in Minnesota, writing anything on a title that absolutely doesn't have to be there is a potential problem, IME.

I would start by finding out if you can find the person who last titled the bike, and see if there's a reason she signed it in the wrong place.  Hopefully, the DMV will see her error in signature location and just move it along...if her name in the wrong place is the only random information on the otherwise-good title, you may be in luck.

As to the plate being wrong...I would just ask at the DMV for a new plate, saying that the original plate is lost.

In reality, a frank conversation with the DMV people has always been the answer for me, even though it may be asking for some new hassles.

The Vermont thing above looks interesting...

Good luck,

Shane

[johnnyvince]

I had not heard about the VT tag idea, Mike Z.. I just did a web search and it looks like some folks have had success with that, but it varies state-by-state. I will keep that in my back pocket for now. Great solution for a lost title!

Shane, that's a good idea to see if the DMV would accept a signed letter from the previous owner. It sure beats a 450-mile round trip!

In reality, a frank conversation with the DMV people has always been the answer for me, even though it may be asking for some new hassles.

Yeah, that's the gamble, isn't it? On the bright side, it's way to cold to ride up here, so I've got some time...

[Bailgang]

I would definitely talk to your local DMV office first about it to find out out exactly what is needed to make them happy, each state has it's own laws on the matter and you may get lucky and they let you slide.

I'm in Indiana but the 750 I bought last year was last registered in Ohio with an Ohio title and it too was signed in the wrong place and then scribbled out and signed correctly. Even though you could still make out the last reg owners name in the scribble and was obviously just a mistake my local DMV wouldn't take it PLUS this particular Ohio title had to be notarized which it wasn't and the DMV wouldn't accept that either. To complicate matters the bike had changed hands at least twice before I got it so I had to find the last registered owner myself. It took a whole day searching on the internet but I managed to contact that owner still alive, explained the situation and mailed the faulty title back to him so he could straighten it out. The previous registered owner just happened to have a family member who worked at his local court house so that rather than give me a signed and notarized affidavit explaining his mistake simply tossed that old title away and issued him a brand new title, this time signed correctly and notarized and mailed it back to me. Yeah I got lucky in a lot of ways.

[BeSeeingYou]

Adding to what Shane says...messing with the title by writing in the wrong place causes a big headache in MN.  You need a signed document from the titled owner to make it good.  At the same if the vehicle has not been yearly licensed get a form from the DMV for the titled owner  to sign stating that it has not been driven in that time.  Otherwise you will have to buy tabs for all those past years up to present when you change the title over. Not recommending breaking the law but I have forged that one in the past.

[jamesb]

Talking with a person at the dmv will be the best bet for you. You might get lucky enough and they can fix the problem for you right there asong as your nice and polite with them. The person you'll talk to might just think well here's a honest guy with a honest mistake. Just hope you don't get one that's in a bad mood. 

[Stev-o]

Talking with a person at the dmv will be the best bet for you.

+1.  Tell them the issue and ask exactly what is needed.  It's their game, need to play by their rules. 
You're not the first that this has happened to.  Not a major issue at all. 

[johnnyvince]

Thanks for taking the time to share these tips, guys! I know it's not as much fun as complaining about the prices of those sweet repro K0 pipes from Yamiya. 

So OK...I'll go down to the DMV, act nice/dumb and see if I get lucky. Meanwhile, I did manage to leave my phone # with the PO's father. If she calls, I'll see if she'd be willing to mail me a note saying the bike hasn't been ridden she last bought tabs for it. I hadn't thought of that, srust58...24 years worth of tabs could get expensive!