Civic Car Title Problems...

[jerseyhonda]

I had a 95 vht for me about a year ago by a friends mom. The title was signed over to them and i was told they would sign the title over to me when i finished paying off the car. I recently finished, to find out that they do not have a title. After putting so much work and money into it i realize i wont get half my money back if i sell, and cant sell without a tittle in the first place.
I live in El Paso TX, and the previous owner had the car registered in New Mexico and the registration was out-dated in sept of 2009.

My frustration is, how do you suppose i go about getting a tittle in my name. I really need a tittle so i can legally drive the car, but after HOURS of research i still have no clue on what to do... I really hope there is someone on these forums that can help :/

 

[lethal6]

Get them to file for lost title. Going to have to track down who the title is written to and have them sign it over and if they lost it, they are going to have to file for a lost one.

Another route would be to get a NOTARIZED bill of sale from the previous owner and file for the lost title yourself.

 

[vjf915]

Can I ask why your friends mom claimed that she would give you the title, and now is saying she doesn't have it? Did she simply lose it? It just seems like something fishy could be going on.

 

[jerseyhonda]

It was over a year period that took me to get the money, in that period they took the car back for a while and everything was just messed up. Her being one of the top 5 pediatritians in the nation "supposibly" causes her to loose alot of stuff, including something that really wasnt that importent to her. she just wanted the money.
Now the prob is, the guy that sold it to her is unreachable and i don't know exactly how i could write up a bill of sale that will sufice legal matters to get a new tittle, notory isnt a problem.
so my questions are,
1) how should i write up the bill of sale befor getting it notorized stating she sold me the car and didn't have the tittle or what not.
2) how is this going to work seeing she skiped tittle by not registering the vehicle after SHE purchased it from the last registered owner of vehicle
3) how could i go about tracking this guy down, if any way possible with out paying for sites to do a vin search or what not.

Sorry for all the dumb questions, but this has been my problem for several months and im awaiting court dates for unregistered vehicle etc tickets and yet after all my efforts and research im still left in this situation were i have no idea what im doing...

 

[lethal6]

1) I'm a bit lost as it wasn't her car if she didn't have the title or have it registered in her name. You can't just fake a bill of sale and have it notorized. You need the owner of the vehicle to sign it over.

2) Again, she isn't the owner of the car if it isn't titled in her name and/or registered in her name. That is like me getting money for my buddies car with it not even being mine. If she never registered it, or got the title transferred into her name, it wasn't her car.

3)Web sites with vin tracking won't give you personal track-able information. Not legally anyway. Only way to go about it that I know of legally is to get the information through the dmv.

This is exactly why you always make sure the owner has the title in hand (or that the bank has it if they are making payments) before you start ANY transaction to buy a car.

3)

 

[RonJ]

She ripped you off.

 

[jerseyhonda]

I was there when the car was bought, and watched the previous owner sign the tittle to her. Yet she skipped on it and never registered it.
I'm still talking to her and she said shed do all she could to help. The fact is there was no bill between them, just cash. So this still leaves me, no matter the story, clueless on what do to. I'd hate to have to dumb the car after so much money, so i wanna try my best to get a tittle. I'm sure theres a way, i mean there has to be.. no? lol
sjdfla;dfj blehhh. Any suggestions?
thanks guys

 

[RonJ]

Since she lost YOUR title, is she willing to reimburse you for what you paid her and put into the car? That's what help would be. I assume that you also need the previous owner to be helpful, truthful, and available to make this happen. Unless she finds the title, this will be a nightmare. Good luck.

 

[jerseyhonda]

Mmm and thats what i thought. Fml. She wont reimburse me for anything. Seeming i screwed my self. So my nighttmare begins. the guy that it was bought from a year ago is no longer contactable, seemed to change jobs winthin the year and i lost the number. Im not sure if the dmv will help me enough as to look up the vin and try and contact him for me, or if theres a way to obtain a tittle in some other means. Gah, sorry for dragging this forum on seeing its not part of honda tuning, just dont want to loose my baby over something as stupid as a tittle....

 

[RonJ]

With all that's been said, I do think the next logical step is to discuss all the details with someone at the DMV.

 

[jerseyhonda]

Alright well i sent in a email and stopping by both texas and new mexico dmv tomorrow. Hope im not gonna get told "s
SOL there buddy" lol
If its not to much trouble ill post results and see if i can get more help with the new info. Thanks for the help so far guys.(:

 

[purpej1]

your last resort is gonna be to take her to civil court. This may be random but can we get a pic of the car your going threw so much trouble for..lol.

 

[jerseyhonda]

That would be what im so worked up about. Its not much, but I've had alot of fun working on it and have plans for it. Currently awaiting a possible h22 swap hopefully.. Havent looked into what i should swap though.

 

[Detroit ricer]

I was there when the car was bought, and watched the previous owner sign the tittle to her. Yet she skipped on it and never registered it.
I'm still talking to her and she said shed do all she could to help. The fact is there was no bill between them, just cash. So this still leaves me, no matter the story, clueless on what do to. I'd hate to have to dumb the car after so much money, so i wanna try my best to get a tittle. I'm sure theres a way, i mean there has to be.. no? lol
sjdfla;dfj blehhh. Any suggestions?
thanks guys

even if he signed it , and she dosent report or register the car within a certain number of days , the previous owner can say he lost the title therefore the one the lady has becomes invalid and she gets fuked then you would too because she sold it to you without a valid title

 

[jerseyhonda]

even if he signed it , and she dosent report or register the car within a certain number of days , the previous owner can say he lost the title therefore the one the lady has becomes invalid and she gets fuked then you would too because she sold it to you without a valid title

I just called down to the local Tax offices and they told me to go down to the NM DMV and get them to print me a paper stating the vehicle was once registered in there state, after that take my bill of sale (even if its just in writing with description of car and vin with mine and her signature) and request for a tittle hearing.
She said this happens alot being a border town to mexico and shouldnt be much of a hassle if the car isnt reported stolen, which isnt because i just got a ticket yesterday for my plates. So i'm gonna try this out, and see how the hearing goes.

 

[jerseyhonda]

quick question off topic.... Im looking on ebay, using the car search for parts for 95 civic. and all of these cambers and coilovers and just about EVERYTHING seems seriously under priced... Seems a bit fishy to me seeing there all in box and brand new??

 

[emerican]

The coilovers and such are so cheap, because they ride like s**t and dont last long at all.
I hope the title hearing goes good if it dosent i know in GA you can put it at a wrecker yard for a month and get an abadonment title for it thats what i had to do with my old eagle talon. I got it from the shop my stepdad worked at at the time and the guy had left it there cause the head was warped they gave it to me and it cost me 150 to get the title for it.

 

[jerseyhonda]

i kinda like the coil overs being so stiff and tough on the drive. One of my main loves of my car. But its not only that, everything is dirt cheap and it raises some suspicion to me, idk why.
Thanks, im gonna see how it goes. I can't be without a car for more than a day being a delivery driver and going to school, so its kinda tough.

 

[emerican]

Its not that there stiff its that they blow out stock struts quick bounce like crazy the ride isnt stiff its feeling every peeble in the road like your doing 60 over speedbumps. I have been in backyard lowered trucks that have had the springs cut then heated and compressed that rode better than flea bay coilovers. They are so cheap because they are mass produced from other countrys there is no customer service no return policys no tech support nothing. If you get them you will regret it stiff coilovers do ride decent, but these wont be just stiff trust me.