So not to pick on you but how was the owner able to convince you it's not a stolen car?

 

when i bought my 65 i have now in 1974 the owner had the original dealer bill of sale and he was the original owner. when he sold it to me we did a bill of sale. in 2003 i decided to have it titled just in case i lost the bill of sale. that was in missippi. when i brought the car to ca i had it verified and titled it in ca. my 68 torino didnt have a title. b 4 i bought it i called the ca dmv and they said the vin is still on file. i got a bill of sale and got a title. i bought the 68 from one of the guys that organises the fairlane club in ca. if your car was titled then the state it was titled in will issue a duplicaste title to the po and he must sign it over to you. if the car was never titled then all you need to do is apply for a title in your state. lots of cars from the 60's were never titled all sales were bill of sale only. even if the car was titled if it had not ben registered for so many years all the info drops of the system depending what state its in. a few years ago ca made a change and all info stays forever.

 

If all your VINs are all there and they match, it should not be a big deal. It's when the VINs are missing or are not the same is when you run into problems because then the cars true identity is in question.

Dave

 

I too would call the DMV and ask what needs to be done.

I bought a car last year from a dealer in another state and took out a loan for it. Of course, the bank wanted a lien on the title. The dealer lived in a state that did not require dealers to title cars and he did not have the previous owners title (didn't need it for whatever reason). When I went to register it, my state doesn't require titles for cars over 20 years old.

It took me several hours running all over town talking to this perrson and that person, filling out forms, etc before they filled out the paperwork to get one.

Then, a month later, the state sent me a letter that I had to have filled out by an inspection station verifying the VIN number.

It can be a pain in the butt, but make some calls and see what needs to be done.

 

If the seller does not have the title then in most states (incluidng California), they do not have the authority to sell it and the courts (consistantly) do not recognize the seller had the right to sell the vehicle. I have always advised my friends to run away from sales like this but.......

I would highly recommend you contact an attorney to check to see if there is a lien, stolen report, etc on the vehicle. In many cases where a frind has done this (my neighbor current has a ricer with this situation) a car dealer from 10 years ago has a lien for unpaid used car loan.

It is really best if an attorney handles this because if the vehicle has a lien, they can negotiate with the lein holder to obtain title, but it is likely to cost you $ to settle the lien.

 

my dad has a 66 he bought long ago and it never ben titled. he can legally sell it to anyone in all 50 states.

 

Until he is challenged in court, the courts consistantly do not recognise the sellers right to sell a vehicle without a title.

 

So all this title stuff makes me a tad nervous from time to time. I purchased a '67 coupe about 18 months ago. The previous owner had an Ohio title. I also got a signed bill of sale. New title transferred into my name without any problems. This is where I get confused. I take the numbers off the door tag and put them in an online decoder. Sweet. Get the info, but then I get to looking at the car. The decoder says it was born as an I6 with an auto transmission. My PO and his dad both say they put a 302 and C4 from a '68 Torino in it. I also get what he says are "the original owners manual, etc." Part of that includes an original sales booklet with the name of a dealer and a buyer. Surprise! Totally different numbers. It too, though, has numbers that decoded indicate a I6 with a auto transmission. My problem? The car has what I am positive is the original clutch pedal for a manual transmission. The drivers front fender has been replaced, and I can't find any stamping anywhere. So what do i really have? Was this a car that was cobbled together and titled using just the numbers from a donor drivers door? I'm not particularly worried, but it really does leave me wondering what has transpired in the last 44 years.

 

So all this title stuff makes me a tad nervous from time to time. I purchased a '67 coupe about 18 months ago. The previous owner had an Ohio title. I also got a signed bill of sale. New title transferred into my name without any problems. This is where I get confused. I take the numbers off the door tag and put them in an online decoder. Sweet. Get the info, but then I get to looking at the car. The decoder says it was born as an I6 with an auto transmission. My PO and his dad both say they put a 302 and C4 from a '68 Torino in it. I also get what he says are "the original owners manual, etc." Part of that includes an original sales booklet with the name of a dealer and a buyer. Surprise! Totally different numbers. It too, though, has numbers that decoded indicate a I6 with a auto transmission. My problem? The car has what I am positive is the original clutch pedal for a manual transmission. The drivers front fender has been replaced, and I can't find any stamping anywhere. So what do i really have? Was this a car that was cobbled together and titled using just the numbers from a donor drivers door? I'm not particularly worried, but it really does leave me wondering what has transpired in the last 44 years.

here are fotos of a 66 i had that got rearened and totaled in the 1970's. my dad bought what was left from the insurance company. my dad bought another fastback that had ben totaled in the front and he and my younger brother clipped the two into one. the front half was my 66 gt and the back half was a 65. i dont know if the 65 was a gt or not. a friend of his bought it and think he still has it. i am posting this to show you that 40+ year old cars can go through lots and lots of changes from one owner to the next. if your car has a clear vin(not stolen) i wouldnt worry about it. starting some years ago people started buyi ng the 6 cly fastbacks and convert and putting v8's in them. here a fotos of part of my car and the other part. the car was sold with the vin number that was stamped in 3 places under the hood. BTW i could pull the auto trans out and put a 4 speed in and you would never know it didnt come from the factory like that unless you looked at the door tag that is if it still had one or the original one. the big difference btween cars of 40 years ago and cars of today is ALL kinds of engine and transmission swaps can be done and have ben done cause the old cars are really simple and there are a verity of engine swaps including kits to put a chebby 350 in the 67 ! you got a clear title so enjoy your mustang and quit worrying ! i got a 69 b2 that the po put a 351c and an automatic in and he even changed the brake pedal. fortunatley for me he kept the manual pedals and linkage !

 

You don't have to have a title here in GA for our old cars. I have one on each of my cars, but it's not required.
Dave

 

well there are a lot of classic cars out there that have never ben titled. even if the owner has a title it could be a counterfit piece of paper. always call the dmv and ask if the vin shows up as stolen. if the car was stolen and reported to the cops(why would they not ?) the cops send the info to the dmv. yes crooks learned how to counterfit titles just like money. according to the news media the most popular newest cars are the ones crooks steal. i would think it would be easier to hide a 2010 toyota,honda,nissan that it would be to hide a 68 torino, 65 mustang, 69 mustang. i'm the only one within several miles as far as i know that has these cars.

 

Supershifter 2, your avatar says your location is "i am where i am". No disrespect intended, but at least in Ohio you have to have a title registered with the DMV to get a license plate. No title, no plate. For me, there isn't much point to owning a vehicle if i can't drive it on the road. So are you saying all these untitled vehicles won't ever be street driven where you are?

 

I have a bill of sale from the seller. He never received a title when he bought it but was in the process of going through Broadway Titles and then determined it was too much work for him and his son so he was selling.

Previous owner did have paperwork completed that verified the VIN and was signed by a local judge. I hope he and Broadway can come through on getting a title as promised. If not I will have to go to NJ DMV and start researching the holder of the title.

I have completed a Title search in my state PA with the VIN under the fenders. They are 4 seperate apron pieces and they all match. The VIN cam back negative for PA. I was told it was last titled in NJ so that is where I go next to find the last titled owner to see if we can transfer this legally.

Thanks for everyones post. I had a gut feeling when he said he had to apply for a title. I should have steered clear but for $500 it was just a rolling chasis. Maybe I will just cut my loses and use it for parts anyone have a 66 Chasis for sale with a Title?

 

SC Is a real pain to try and get a title for if you don't have one. Not sure what year SC started issuing titles, but just about the only way to get one is a mechanics lien for storage.
I had a '66 convertible rust bucket that was left at a mechanics shop and the guy left it since he discovered the body was rotted so bad. PO was in the Army, so finding him again was impossible since he walked away from it 12 years earlier.
Mechanic didn't want to go through the trouble of getting me a title after I acquired it from the guy that got it from the mechanic.
I gave up and sold it to a guy that said he could get a title. I wished him good luck as he drove off.

 

I had a '66 convertible rust bucket that was left at a mechanics shop and the guy left it since he discovered the body was rotted so bad. PO was in the Army, so finding him again was impossible since he walked away from it 12 years earlier.
Mechanic didn't want to go through the trouble of getting me a title after I acquired it from the guy that got it from the mechanic.

Most states have some form of "mechanics lien" where vehicles left at a shop with a bill due can be seized by the shop for non-payment. Usually requires a form application and some time limit.

 

This Topic!

Title issues is one of the taboo topics that stirrs passions on this forum, gets people fired up, and usually ends in personal attacks.

I'm gonna state a few ABSOLUTE facts and then I have a couple of questions.

* Having a STATE ISSUED Title is a good thing.
* Not all states require Titles on old cars.
* Some states WILL NOT issue a Title on an old car even if you have the Title from the seller, showing transfer to you. (AL for example)
* The purpose of a Title is to show proof of ownership and to document every time the car is sold and/or transferred, and to prevent theft, fraud, and to prevent an unaware buyer from purchasing a salvage total-loss car that has been "fixed up.".
* Once the "chain" of Title is broken, it is almost impossible to know every time the car has changed hands.

Q: I just have a hard time understanding how one state can REQUIRE a Title on an old car that 20+ other states do not. Are you guys sure?

Q: These "TITLE COMPANIES..." What do they do? Do they just crap FAKE Titles that are accepted by states? You can't recreate an accurate Chain of Title from dust.

Q: How does a CREATED Title, purchased from a for-profit Title company do any good for any OFFICIAL purpose?

Q: My 65 convertible was stolen in 1994 and never recovered. Could the person that took it cut out all the VIN's, produce a fake Bill of Sale, get a State-Issued VIN, Pay $500 to a Title Compay, and get it registered in some states and be driving it around?

Common sense says that all 50 states have attempted to write laws that would avoid this...but how? It seems to me that everything should hinge on the vehicle being 100% identifiable. One or more of the stamped Vin's MUST be present. As long as the car can be identified, a law enorcement agency can certify that it doesn't show being stolen. Then a Bill of sale hould be adequate to prove ownership.

Once all the STAMPED VIN's are gone, the car should be junk. Anytime a piece is removed that has a VIN stamped into it, cops or a judge should be involved BEFORE the piece is cut out and the new part should be stamped with the SAME VIN. Court or Law Enforcement paperwork should document all this. This way, the integrity of the serialized car is maintained.

No-one should ever be allowed to register a vehicle that doesn't have its' ORIGNAL serial number, under ANY circumstances.

 

Once all the STAMPED VIN's are gone, the car should be junk. Anytime a piece is removed that has a VIN stamped into it, cops or a judge should be involved BEFORE the piece is cut out and the new part should be stamped with the SAME VIN. Court or Law Enforcement paperwork should document all this. This way, the integrity of the serialized car is maintained.

Agree with most of what you said, but not this.

 

Q: These "TITLE COMPANIES..." What do they do? Do they just crap FAKE Titles that are accepted by states? You can't recreate an accurate Chain of Title from dust.

Here's how I was told the title company would get me a title.

I had to sign a bill of sale to their agent residing in Georgia. They would pay taxes on the car and take tax bill to GA DMV and get the car registered in their name and then get a title issued in their agents name.
Agent would then sell me the car across state lines and I would pay property & sales tax and go to SC DMV and apply for SC title in my name.

You are correct, it does NOT show a chain of title. It just gives me a piece of paper that shows I own the car now.

It all sounded like too much dancing around the laws for me to mess with, so that's why I bailed on the project. Not to mention it was just too much work after my FB project!

 

Once all the STAMPED VIN's are gone, the car should be junk. Anytime a piece is removed that has a VIN stamped into it, cops or a judge should be involved BEFORE the piece is cut out and the new part should be stamped with the SAME VIN. Court or Law Enforcement paperwork should document all this. This way, the integrity of the serialized car is maintained.

No-one should ever be allowed to register a vehicle that doesn't have its' ORIGNAL serial number, under ANY circumstances.[/QUOTE]

Keep in mind i am just new to this "sport"...
I am amazed at the huge number of companies that sell parts for our cars. it seems you could practically totally restore/rebuild a car from the smallest starting point. heck, for 15 grand you can get practically an entire '67 Fastback from Mustangs Unlimited. Now I realize that the last thing I want to do is to provide an easy open door for crooks to bring a stolen vehicle/parts into the legitimate market, but in cases like this i actually wish there was a way to issue a "new VIN" with the designation that the "finished" car was not part of an original factory production run. again, please don't crucify me here, but I'm not sure I'd care all that much if I was purchasing an original VIN car vs a rebuilt "new VIN" car as long as I knew up front what i was actually buying.

but then I guess that's why you have folks like the guys up in Eastlake, OH who are selling stuff like premium '68 Shelby mustangs, etc. for like $150K on ebay - but in the fine print it says they will be titled as something like a '66 Coupe. All they did was start with a door tag to get the number.

 

"Q: I just have a hard time understanding how one state can REQUIRE a Title on an old car that 20+ other states do not. Are you guys sure?"

Yes, I live in a state (Utah) which requires a title for any and every car one wants to get plates for.

"Q: These "TITLE COMPANIES..." What do they do? Do they just crap FAKE Titles that are accepted by states? You can't recreate an accurate Chain of Title from dust."

Pretty much. They exist to fill a niche market - moving cars from a non-title existence to a titled existence. Basically the idea is you obtain ownership in a state which does NOT require titles, and then sell it in a documented transaction across state lines into a state which does require titles - but which will accept non-titled cars as a starting point. Once that title is acquired then yet another sale is made back to the original buyer in his own state using the brand new signed over title as proof of ownership. Obviously this process could work for either stolen or legitimate cars.

"Q: How does a CREATED Title, purchased from a for-profit Title company do any good for any OFFICIAL purpose?"

See above. Also the Constitution require that states recognize the actions of other states, most of the time that facilitates commerce and protects people from having to jump through a lot of weird legal hoops when doing business across statelines, but in this case it facilitates potential fraud as well.

"Q: My 65 convertible was stolen in 1994 and never recovered. Could the person that took it cut out all the VIN's, produce a fake Bill of Sale, get a State-Issued VIN, Pay $500 to a Title Company, and get it registered in some states and be driving it around?"

Absolutely, that is probably exactly what happened - except he probably sold it to someone else and is long gone. Alternatively it could have simply been used a base starting point. The thief cuts out the VINs, welds in new ones from a wrecked or totally rusted out car and then renews the registration on the wrecked/rusted car (except it is actually your car with the exception of about 15 square inches of sheet metal in the engine compartment).

 

No title, no sale. BUT that's easy for me to say. Never have had space to store a parts car or a bring it from the grave project. Bought cars from Texas, California, Arizona, Illinois, Iowa and my home Wisconsin. Upon purchase the first thing upon arrival to transfer the title/license it here.

In the case of car being torn apart and worked on for an indefinite or long period there's a form that says car is out of service. The car is still titled here but don't have to pay the license fee every year.

For many years I've bought collector plates for my vintage cars. That's a one time payment.

 

titles

Project66, if you don't have a title to your car and you want one, call the DMV in your state and ask them what you need. I'm certain you'll need your bill of sale, and you'll most likely need a LEO to run the numbers of the car through LEIN to be certain the car hasn't been reported stolen somewhere. Those two actions together can prove you own the car.

I'm not really sure why some folks are so fixated on titles. B Cobb has tried to explain to you.....on this thread and others......but some of you don't get it. I'll throw my attempt at explainations as well. Yes, a title issued by the State where you live is generally a good thing to have. But a title does not, repeat, it DOES NOT prove ownership. It is considered prima facie evidence of ownership, but not proof. For most people, most of the time, a state issued title is enough. But, with the appearance of scammers, like the 'title companies', a title is not now, nor was it ever, 'proof' of ownership.

None of the 50 States require a car to have a title. The OEMs supply a certificate of maunfacture when the car is first made. Most folks have never seen the one for their car. More than 999 out of every thousand car buyers pay extra at the dealers when they buy a car and get a title. If you go down and read the motor vehicle laws in your state ( I did ) you will find that until a car is 'titled' it is just a private property automobile. Lots of cars never had anything done to them. They are still private property automobiles. Once a car is titled with the State, it can be registered as a Motor Vehicle and Operated on the public Highway. Owners of mecahnical contivances called automobiles are under no obligation to title and register them with the State. Currently, most people do that anyway, because it makes driving on the roads easier. But it is not a requirement. Plenty of cars were never titled, and many still aren't. If you bought a new 2011 stang and had it delivered to your home, you don't have to title it if you don't want to. Just because most folks do it that way, doesn't mean thats how it MUST be.

I have a '71 4x4 truck at home that has no title. I have the bill of sale, and the proof of LEIN check, and that truck is MINE. I could sell it if I chose to, but it currently carries my snow plow. It never goes out onto the street, it only gets used on my property. When it needs fuel, I carry fuel home in 6 gallon jugs. Why buy a title from the State for that ? Its kinda like a really big garden tractor.........

I believe all 50 States now ask for you to get a title to your new car before they will issue you a liciense plate. But back when these cars were new, the States were not at all consistant in how they handled things. Several of the southern States did not require a title before issueing plates. Some of them maybe still don't.

So, a State issued title is by no means a bad thing to have. But 'proof' of ownership it is not. Some of my cars DO have titles. But I have a bill of sale for ALL of them.

But don't take my word for it. And certainly don't take the word of some neighbor guy or cop or attourney that you know. Go to the Library and read the laws for yourself.

And don't walk, but RUN away from those 'title companies' that are asking you to sign over something to them- they are asking you to pay them to do what you can do yourself, AND while they hold ownership of your car. Not a safe idea in my book.


LSG

 

i ordered my 2006 truck from ford. when it came in i paid with a cahsiers check and the ford dealer gave me a bill of sale. i had 10 days to get a tag on the truck. i drove the truck and took the bill of sale to the dmv and filled out an application for a title and got my tag and registration. sometime later the title showed up in the mail. the thing i like about having a title is "if" the bill a sale gets lost and the po is no longer around then what ? cant get a duplicate bill a sale. if the title gets lost i can order duplicate/replacement title. if i sell the vehicle i make out a bill of sale , sign the title and give both to the new owner. in ca there is a release of liability form you must sign and turn into the dmv, that prevents you from getting sued should the new owner wreck the car as he is driving away form your house.

 

After reading all this fun stuff I decided to check the numbers on my project. I have a 69 Mach 1 purchased in 1997. Came with a title signed off by the PO. Since this was a total basket case and my first project, I never have applied for a new title in my name. I was a bit skeptical that I would ever get it road worthy again so thought I'd wait until it's done. I did however have a local police officer friend run the VIN to be sure it was not listed as stolen. So today I take a look at the title I have, the door and windshield tags (off the car and in my tool box) all the numbers match nicely. I have replaced all 4 inner fender aprons so no numbers there. But! I did find the VIN stamped in both shock tower tops. Funny thing is.... they don't match the title and door, window tags.

Last 7 digits on title: M176476
Last 7 digits on towers: M178476

As you can see the 4th from last digit is different. Seems clear at least to me, there was a mistake made from the factory. I can't believe someone was frankensteining parts together and happened to find shock towers with a VIN identical except one number.

Does this mean that after all this money and work I have to have it crushed???

 

After reading all this fun stuff I decided to check the numbers on my project. I have a 69 Mach 1 purchased in 1997. Came with a title signed off by the PO. Since this was a total basket case and my first project, I never have applied for a new title in my name. I was a bit skeptical that I would ever get it road worthy again so thought I'd wait until it's done. I did however have a local police officer friend run the VIN to be sure it was not listed as stolen. So today I take a look at the title I have, the door and windshield tags (off the car and in my tool box) all the numbers match nicely. I have replaced all 4 inner fender aprons so no numbers there. But! I did find the VIN stamped in both shock tower tops. Funny thing is.... they don't match the title and door, window tags.

Last 7 digits on title: M176476
Last 7 digits on towers: M178476

As you can see the 4th from last digit is different. Seems clear at least to me, there was a mistake made from the factory. I can't believe someone was frankensteining parts together and happened to find shock towers with a VIN identical except one number.

Does this mean that after all this money and work I have to have it crushed???

the 69 cougar shock towers in my 65 mustang still have the cougar vin number stamped on them. obviously my 65 could NEVER be mistaken for a 69 cougar or could it ! i better call my cousin Vinny just in case-a-dia !!! :shocked::shocked::shaking::shaking: !!!

 

As you guys describe this "hokus-pokus" exercise of running an untitled car through a "laundering service" to get a title so it can be licensed, I am shaking my head in disbelief!
As an ex State Trooper, this sounds like an operation designed to enable car thiefs to take a stolen older, valuable car, cut it completely free from its' records in the NCIC/DMV computers, and start a new life with a clean slate an a brand new, squeaky clean title that matches a state-issued VIN!
This just BLOWS MY MIND!
THE WHOLE REGISTRATION AND LICENSING SYSTEM IS INTENDED TO BE PREDICATED ON A VEHICLE BEING GIVEN A TRACABLE ID WHEN IT IS MANUFACTURED, THAT FOLLOWS IT THROUGHOUT ITS' EXISTENCE TO THE CRUSHER.

I just don't get it.

 

As you guys describe this "hokus-pokus" exercise of running an untitled car through a "laundering service" to get a title so it can be licensed, I am shaking my head in disbelief!............"

I would love to see these "title service" companies legislated out of existence. They must have state legislators on their payrolls to stay in business.

Z.

 

"I could also do this with my 65 convertible, even if the color had been changed, Pony interior added, and a 3-speed installed. A lot of unique distinguishing marks that only I would know, even if the VIN's had been cut out or changed."

Happens all the time, especially if the car/MC is a little unusual. There are ways to find out if a vehicle with missing or changed VIN matches similar stolen vehicles. If the list is small enough, or you find some type of number that helps identify it, the owner can be contacted for "personal points of identification". Once ID'd, it is given a new assigned number by the state (Calif. anyway), and a new title is issued showing the new number.
Almost the same procedure as getting a custom built vehicle numbered. As long as it has a number, acceptable to your state, that has clear status, you should be able to register the vehicle under that number and get some type of title or ownership certificate.

 

titles

Scotts, those 'title companies' are nothing but criminals. The hypothetical 'car in a field' example doesn't work either. Currently in Michigan, you can't send a car to the scrap yard without its title. If you need a title for a field car, your bill of sale and a proof it is not on the stolen list can get you a new title. The State DMVs issue them everyday. Come on guys, this really isn't that hard. Did somebody at the DMV scare the bejeebers out of some of you guys, or what ? On a car I scrapped out recently, I didn't have its title, and the car hadn't been driven in more than 20 years. It wasn't in the DMV's computer. So the DMV girls e-mailed the vin #s to the State capitol, and 3 days and 20$ later, the local DMV office printed me out a new title. Sometimes you can get a new title the same day, sometimes it might take the State longer to look up your car's numbers. But rest assured they can do it. If there is a lein on the old title, you may have to write to the bank and convince them that you are not the deadbeat. Your bill of sale is your proof that you paid X dollars for the car. If buy some chance the car you have does happen to be stolen, you have the name, telephone # and address of the guy you purchased from, right ? If somebody found YOUR stolen car, you'd want them to call the cops, right ? Some of you fellows are making this a hundred times more of a problem than it really is. LSG

 

Scotts, those 'title companies' are nothing but criminals. The hypothetical 'car in a field' example doesn't work either. Currently in Michigan, you can't send a car to the scrap yard without its title. If you need a title for a field car, your bill of sale and a proof it is not on the stolen list can get you a new title. The State DMVs issue them everyday.

Depends where you live. Some states will absolutely not issue a title for a car from the 60's, period. So, if you want to buy a nice, legit car from one of these "bill of sale" states, and you live in a "title" state, you are screwed, unless you use a title service.

This is all just legal mumbo-jumbo. You don't seriously think stolen cars are being laundered by title services, do you?

If car thieves were that stupid, they'd be really easy to catch.

 

Bought a 66 cvt from the local Mustang shop. Neither one of us looked closely at the title. I gave it a quick glance while looking at vin. on apron. Sometime later, looked at back and the name on title was signed on back along with a purchaser name. Turns out they were BOTH deceased! Now am talking proof of death, etc. etc. Showed it to a person at DMV. and he said what I was going to probably do anyway, call Broadway Title.
Mustang shop paid 1/2. Oh yes!! I called those terrible title co. criminalsGMAFB!! Processed the paper work from those "criminals" at Broadway, a bill of sale, took it to Tag Agency, paid the fees and they gave me a lic plate/registration and the TITLE came from DMV in Tallahassee in my name.

 

Originally Posted by LSG
Scotts, those 'title companies' are nothing but criminals. The hypothetical 'car in a field' example doesn't work either. Currently in Michigan, you can't send a car to the scrap yard without its title. If you need a title for a field car, your bill of sale and a proof it is not on the stolen list can get you a new title. The State DMVs issue them everyday

I don't know about Michigan, but in SC, there is only a couple of ways to get a title for a long lost owner abandoned car.

1) Mechanics lien

2) Storage fees (same as mechanics lien)

Both of these are issued through the courts via a Magistrait. I almost got the mechanics shop/junk yard owner in trouble when I called the Magistraits office to ask how I can get a title for the car the junk yard sold (to my friend, that I wound up with). If it was not such a small world, it might not have been his distant family member working in the Magistraits office.
In SC, you don't need a title to scrap a car. hell, I don't NEED the title to register it and drive it, just pay taxes against the VIN and my address and get plates. But then anyone can pop up with title in hand and my car is gone.
When I bought my '66 the PO lost the title. I went to the DMV with a duplicate title form in hand and found out that there was a lien against the car that had to be settled before a replacement title would be issued. They gave me the name of the loan company, but they went out of business. I did some more research and found who bought their assets. Called them and the guy still owed a freaking $20 balance on the loan.
New company released the loan without payment and mailed me a letter stating such. I then went back to the DMV and got a duplicate title and had PO sign it over to me.
I immediately went to the DMV and got the title put in MY name.
So in a nut shell, there are a LOT of loan companies out there that have gone belly up that still have titles in storage somewhere. Good luck finding one that is lost that deep in paperwork.
SC provides NO provisions other than a Mechanics/Storage lien.

But, as mentioned earlier. I can buy a non titled car in GA, pay my taxes in SC and get a title issued after I show proof it was registered in GA and sold to me via a notorized bill of sale.

 

Even in 1982 it was not rocket science. McDonald's bag, huh? If it had a notary stamp on it, it would have been enough. Or a replacement from the PO. Sheesh. Nice car. How long did it sit around before disposal?

 

You know, I do remember the officer was more concerned about the bag not being notarized than it being on the bag! I almost remember this incident like it was yesterday.
Mind you now, this was a ratty car. All primer gray, no interior other than two seats and one door panel.
Numb Nuts was more concerned about getting his battery back than he was the car. I think it sat there 6 months or longer then the yard shut down and everything went to the mobil crusher and loaded on a flatbed and hauled off to the scrap metal dealer.
This same idiot would buy a 100% correct 1971 or '72 Chevelle SS 454 then go beat the hell out of it until he broke it. He had a knack for finding these rare muscle cars and not giving a crap about them other than to destroy them. Remember, this was the early '80's. So some of these cars were just an old car with stripes and scoops on them. I watched him go through several collectors items as if they were Dixie cups.