Topic: Title woes

[wardenerd]

I bought a 1981 650 out of a barn.  The title was assigned to an auto dealership(Suzuki) that no longer exists.  They did not get a new title as required by state law. The state wants their successor to sign the title over to me as they are the owner of record.  The title is 2002 the assignment 2006.  I have contacted the new Suzuki dealer they also sell all the small Japanese and Chrysler Jeep and will keep you informed.

[jaknight]

Good Luck ward,

Be sure to let us know how things work out.......

   ~ ~ ~ jaknight ~ ~ ~

[traveler]

Persistence is the key in these matters.

MANY around here have been through this......it can get a little sticky....I guess it depends if you live in a Stalinist State (NY, NJ, Kalifornia, etc.)

~Joe

[Nikkisixx]

Oh man, according to your avatar you are here in NC?  Our great state is such a pia to get titles in that the title services won't even deal with us.  Good luck.  Let us know how it goes!

[wardenerd]

Day two of title woes.  The company which failed to get a new title for my bike in 2006 is now out of business.  So I contacted the state and they said I could go with the person whose name is  listed on the title and he and I could go to the tag agency and get a transfer title for me for about $40.  The problem is the owner listed on the title had an unfortunate exchange of gunfire with the sheriff's department and he is unavailable since he died 5/11/2007.  I can now get a bond on the bike and will have a title in 10 days or so.  The secret was that the bike was titled in NC and the title is current if not accurate.

[Nikkisixx]

Yeah, North Carolina requires bonds on vehicles when the title is in question.  Complete BS process, but at least you have a way to get it in your name!   

[kirkn]

Geez, better be careful with that bike's karma - previous owner out of business, the owner before that DEAD!  You better make sure your life insurance is up to scratch....

[Gregorymoto]

O man just sign it and turn it in.

[wardenerd]

Greg,  I tried the ignorant route by walking up to the window and hoping for the best.  No deal.  The tag people in Hope Mills NC are pleasant ant helpful but they are not stupid.  Just my luck.

[wardenerd]

Well Hell.  Suzuki of America cannot help because the dealer was an independent who went out of business.  The State told me to go back as far as I could and get the title transferred to me from one of the properly documented owners..  I searched the net and got the original dealer's title person to resign an assignment to me.  This took two weeks and as the original owner is dead is  as far back as I can go. I went back to the tag office and now after two weeks of doing what the state asked me to do and carefully and skillfully chasing my tail the tag office asked for the one thing I do not have,,, a bill of sale from the dealer to me.  The dealership is out of business and a bill of sale is not available.  AT no time prior to this time has either the State of NC or the tag office asked for a Bill of Sale. oh well I will keep at it.

[Nikkisixx]

now after two weeks of doing what the state asked me to do and carefully and skillfully chasing my tail the tag office asked for the one thing I do not have,,, a bill of sale from the dealer to me.  The dealership is out of business and a bill of sale is not available.  AT no time prior to this time has either the State of NC or the tag office asked for a Bill of Sale. oh well I will keep at it.

Job?  Is that you?  How are the pox, the dead cattle, etc?   
Ironically, had you gone in with a notarized bill of sale in the first place, they would have told you it was worthless.  I know this because this is what they told me once.  Since you are too patient to say it, I will:

I hope the fleas of a thousand camels infest the private regions of the bureaucrats at the NC DOT/DMV.  I hope their children are born healthy, but wearing the skin of a porcupine.  May their hemorrhoids never shrink, and may crabgrass grow in every one of their yards. 

[flybox1]

I hate crabgrass!!!
to hell with the bureaucratic process...ride it like you stole it!  

[wardenerd]

I have a bill of sale.....Remember the state said go back as far as you can and get that person to sign the title over to you? That was the defunct Automobile dealer   not the person I bought the bike from. So my bill of sale is from the last owner but not the business on the title assignment to me.   My problem now is I need a bill of sale from a business thast no longer exists.  When I was a warden I had a master forger who once drew freehand a Georgia Driver's license you could not tell from real.  I even had cops look at it .  It was a true masterpiece.  Just like cops no master forgers are around when you need them.

[wardenerd]

finally got my title application accepted.  Recapping the problem.  Owner of record from 2002 is dead.  He signed it over to a car dealer(suzuki) who went bankrupt without signing the title over to anyone.  They signed a blank title and it had a strike thru when i got it so i had to get a bond and repply.  After an inspector passed it today I went down to the tag agency and got a title.  I have been working on this for 2 months.  I think sticking to it made it work. 3hours on phone three trips to tag office two trips to inspectors office trip to bond issuer back to tag agency.  inspected and now back to tag agency.  Total cost for title $100 for bond, 49.00 for title

[jaknight]

Good Work Ward,

Glad to hear you made it!.....

   ~ ~ ~ jaknight ~ ~ ~

[KeithTurk]

Pre75 vehicles in Alabama don't need a title....so if your bike was last registared here.... hmmm   Course like my 76's without titles..... your 81 would be in the same title hell here without the Bond option...

Hmmm  I'd be interested to hear if others have a good way to get a title...

K

[Nikkisixx]

Pre75 vehicles in Alabama don't need a title....so if your bike was last registared here.... hmmm   
K

North Carolina will not issue a title to a vehicle that was recently (last 6 months) registered in a non-title state.  Also, title agencies that issue replacements for "lost" titles will not work with North Carolina residents.  Our North Carolina bureaucracy has put up several barriers in an attempt to limit the process to bond it or nothing.

[jbonham]

I hate to hear about title woes. I received, free of charge, a CBR600F4i from a friend. He was holding this bike (storing) for a friend that now lives out of state. With some conversations with the actual owner I found out that he was willing to give up the bike but he had no idea where the title was. This person also had some legal issues and I was unsure of how to get possession of the bike legally. I went through the bonding process here in the Dallas area and found it was really expensive. No matter who I went to I found they all wanted about $400 for the bonded title. I finally haggled with one guy and got it down to $250 but he wasn't happy. Took less than a week to get it done but was worth it.

When I got the bike it needed about $800 in repairs from a local shop. I did the work myself including fixing the crankcase, buying a battery and a stator all for around $600. I rode it back and forth to work (45 miles round trip) for about 4 months and then sold it for $3300. Let me tell you that I never felt so good as to get a bike in the cheapest way and then turn a big profit. Not something I am looking to do with the 750 but I could if I wanted to. I peruse craigslist now for people selling bikes cheap that are in parts or nonworking order for projects. I thought I had one a while back a guy was getting rid of two 1982 Nighthawks for free. Me and a buddy pulled down the street to get them and saw a guy with a trailer pulling off with them. It was a "first person to get here owns them" type thing with titles and everything he had for them. I was disappointed but I guess it was my own fault for getting there later.

I know NC may be different in the state laws regarding titles but keep after it. Well worth the effort when getting a bike for cheap.

Good luck and keep us posted!
Judd

[wardenerd]

got my title today from North Carolina goes for new tire tomorrow.  happy boy!

[Frankenkit]

Woohoo!

[kirkn]

I'm impressed!  Anyone that can get a legitimate title on a title-less vehicle has my respect.  In FL, it's such a pain.  There's virtually NO way it can be legitimately be done, unless you get lucky and a clerk "looks the other way" and puts it through.  But, if you get a snippy one, you're essentially SOL.

Good work.

Kirk