Getting A Title For A Classic Car
March 4th, 2009
After years of looking off and on, you’ve finally found the classic car of your dreams. It’s been sitting in a garage for years and is in near-perfect condition. The problem is the lady who inherited it doesn’t have the title paperwork.
Your search must continue, right? After all, even if the price is great, you can get a car transferred into your name if the owner doesn’t have title.
This is not necessarily so. It is not at all uncommon for cars from the 1960s and before to have missing title paperwork. There are ways to get around this issue and still be able to put a great classic find on the road.
When a vehicle hasn’t been on the road or registered for years, most states have provisions to prove ownership and facilitate sales. The place you need to check with is your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles. States like Michigan, Georgia and Alabama will issue registration without titles on classics if proof of ownership is compelling. In other states, there might be bigger hurdles to jump through, but getting a proper title and registration for a great garaged find isn’t impossible.
If you find the car you’ve been looking for but the owner doesn’t have the right legal paperwork, don’t panic. Check with your DMV for the rules you need to follow in your state. Chances are you can buy your dream car and make it legal, too.
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