Author Topic: Getting title to the Bike you pulled from the grave in OR and WA  (Read 7485 times)

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luvhonda750

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Getting title to the Bike you pulled from the grave in OR and WA
« on: September 20, 2007, 02:49:32 pm »
I picked up a 73 Honda CB350 and 74 Honda CB360, both for 250 bucks. Neither had title but both were registered at one time, one in Oregon the other in WA. Since the 350 was easier to get running, I started with that. I took my bill of sale to the DMV; with this I was able to get the last registered owner on record. At this time I could either get another bill of sale from them or send them a registered letter asking them to sign the bill of sale and mail it back. Since I was told they could possibly issue me a title if the letter came back to me and I didn't open it. I chose this option; it just seemed easier and would be less invasive. Sure enough, 3 days letter, it came back to me. I also did a free internet search and found out the lady was 74 and her husband already passed away. I took the letter to the DMV, had to pay 55 for a lost title fee and another 55 for a title transfer along with 30 bucks for new tags and bingo, it’s that easy, you just have to wait 4-6 before receiving it. The downside could be if a finance company owns it because the loan was never paid off, but then again if its been more then 20 years, maybe they don't care?

Now WA was much more of a hassle and they told me that right up front over the phone and I felt discouraged from the beginning. I took my Bill of sale to them, had to travel there, although Vancouver WA is not far from Portland. Their DMV's for car license are open on Saturdays. Just make sure your going to the right office and not a location where they only do driver licenses. You pay $10 and they give you an affidavit in lieu of title that needs to be signed off in front of a notary by the owner on record. Your thinking good luck at this point, they told me only 5% of these get signed. The other option is, if you can't get them to sign this and can't track them down, you have to send the request in a certified letter. If they Sign it and notarize it, your golden, but this rarely happens. Most people end up paying for registration for 3 years before they can apply for title since they never can get a sign off. At least WA gives a person this option and registration is not cheap by the way.

Anyway, moving on to my situation, after receiving the affidavit that needed signed, I went to the address on the affidavit. I knocked on the door, there were car parts scattered around the place and it looked somewhat like a midnight auto parts operation. I verified that I had the right people and told the lady that answered that I bought a non- running motor cycle that I want to fix up and that the DMV had given me their information to get them to sign off since the owner that they sold it to never transferred the title and lost the title. She bought my story and said he would likely sign off but he's already fallen asleep. I also told her we'd have to meet in front of a notary of at a postal express, UPS store or even a mobile notary. She was cool with this and said to come back Saturday afternoon. I also said I'd make it worth there while with a gift card or something. The whole Notary thing made me nervous, I kept thinking I was going to go to all this trouble getting this guy there and I wasn't going to be able to find a notary that was available. So I did some further research and found three in the area and google maps to each one. I have to be honest, I kept thinking of the notary stamp that was on the desk of the real estate office my grandpa and grandma had sitting on the desk back in the day.

I showed back up on Saturday, I found out the guy was disabled and diabetic and has to hobble around and was nearly deaf. We all got into my truck and went to the postnet just up the street, after we walked into the place, I show them the forms we need notarized and they say great we just need to see his picture ID and its 10 bucks for you, luckily he had his ID, he signed it and we were done. I gave the lady a gift card and took them back home. Then I proceeded to the DMV to get it processed, the whole way over there I just couldn't believe I pulled this off, what if they guy moved to Seattle or something, I would have been up a creek. After getting to the DMV, there were just a few people in line ahead of me, the lady at the counter was cutie and told me the statistics on the # of these that come back signed, I just said I had to bribe him really hard. Washington only charged $37 bucks to get the title which I'll have to take to OR once I get it in 4-6 weeks.
« Last Edit: September 21, 2007, 11:04:27 am by luvhonda750 »

Offline Bob Wessner

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Re: Getting title to the Bike you pulled from the grave in OR and WA
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2007, 03:11:26 pm »
You are persistent and dedicated. My hat's off to you. ;) Good luck with the project.
We'll all be someone else's PO some day.

fastdadd

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Re: Getting title to the Bike you pulled from the grave in OR and WA
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2007, 10:13:22 pm »
congrats bro. what part of portland you in

luvhonda750

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Re: Getting title to the Bike you pulled from the grave in OR and WA
« Reply #3 on: September 21, 2007, 11:06:12 am »
fastdad, I'm near interstate in N pdx, also close to the new adidas america campus, where you at?

mattarchxx

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Re: Getting title to the Bike you pulled from the grave in OR and WA
« Reply #4 on: September 24, 2007, 06:16:48 pm »
I am in the process of this right now in spokane, wa. I picked up an estate sale, 1970 CB750 for a screaming deal. The lady, who has power of attorney, wrote me a bill of sale and said she had spoken to the state and all I had to do was have bike inspected at DMV and they would issue a registration. The title would have to wait for 3 years. Why??? It was her dad's bike and she could not locate the title. Anyway, the bike is cleaning up nicely and is all original with 8014 miles on the clock. I am finishing with the carb rebuild and will begin on the seized master cylinder next. Anybody have any tips on the title process in Wa State? Thanks in advance.

luvhonda750

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Re: Getting title to the Bike you pulled from the grave in OR and WA
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2007, 10:01:15 am »
Contact the WA DMV and show them your Bill of sale, just make sure you go to the right office. For 10 bucks they will issue you an affidavet with the owner on record that you need to get a nortorized sign off. It could be the lady knows that they are no longer in the region, in that case you would have to wait 3 years for title with registration, I think its worth the 10.00 investment, if they are living within 20 miles of you, it will not be hard to bribe them and get them into a postnet or postal annext to get a sign off, if you can do that, you are golden!

Offline Hon3ybadger

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Re: Getting title to the Bike you pulled from the grave in OR and WA
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2014, 12:45:35 pm »
Would anyone have info on how to get an oregon title on a bike pulled from the grave in Cali?

Offline grcamna2

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Re: Getting title to the Bike you pulled from the grave in OR and WA
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2014, 01:13:11 pm »
bump
Great thread.WE Need to know this stuff.I bought a rolling chassis for my CB350 and I lived in PA. at the time.I bought the roller from NJ. & I didn't know what to do because both PA. & NJ are very strict about that.I was introduced to a member here who resided in NJ. And Vermont,long story short He helped me by "buying" the bike from me,registering it in VT. and then "re-selling" it to me as a favor.I took the reg. certificate to PA. and the rest was no problem.I now have it registered here in PA. where I live and I also have a Title and it's over 40 years old !
This would have been REAL tough if that kind sohc4 member hadn't helped me,what a GREAT guy  :).   Thanks for starting this thread luvhonda750 !
75' CB400F/'bunch o' parts' & 81' CB125S modded to a 'CB200S'
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Offline Don R

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Re: Getting title to the Bike you pulled from the grave in OR and WA
« Reply #8 on: April 21, 2014, 05:43:23 pm »
Illinois, I had two titles signed, one dated and one not. The dated one was a newer type and it sailed right through in two weeks with no penalty for the old date. The other one I put a current date on has been in Springfield for 4+ weeks. The title service assures me it's OK and that  it's an older style that can't go through the computer system.
 The one that I got back already was for the sandcast, I couldn't get the original title back because the husband died and it was put in his wifes name as a corrected title so she could sell it. The guy that did all their motorcycle work bought it but never transferred the title to himself. Technically I'm the second owner.
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Offline grcamna2

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Re: Getting title to the Bike you pulled from the grave in OR and WA
« Reply #9 on: April 21, 2014, 05:51:07 pm »
will you get the second title after a while ?
75' CB400F/'bunch o' parts' & 81' CB125S modded to a 'CB200S'
  I love the small ones too !
Do your BEST...nobody can take that away from you.

Offline HondaCBarnfinder

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Re: Getting title to the Bike you pulled from the grave in OR and WA
« Reply #10 on: October 13, 2014, 10:52:14 pm »
Would anyone have info on how to get an oregon title on a bike pulled from the grave in Cali?

I've heard of highway patrol inspecting the vin on a lost title bike that is an option. a lot of bikes Ive seen down in cali go to waste because they had non-operational fees every year they would tack on and after soo many years the bike would be deemed as worthless to register down there because fees would exceed the value of the bike.
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Offline Don R

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Re: Getting title to the Bike you pulled from the grave in OR and WA
« Reply #11 on: August 18, 2016, 04:38:13 pm »
 I finally did get the second title, it takes 4-6 weeks in Illinois if it's never been in the computer before. I just did another one last month. One owner bike, I got the original title back too.
No matter how many times you paint over a shadow, it's still there.
If you love it, set it free, if it stays it's probably one of my 750's.
 CEO at the no kill motorcycle shop.