Selling a car - Lost title?

[j123vt_99]

I'm planning to sell my car within the next few months and I just realized I can't find my title. I believe I had it at some time, but I can't locate it now. Any suggestions on what to do?

[Groucho]

All you need to know is here:

http://www.txdot.gov/services/vehicl...lost_title.htm

[Lunatikk]

Get a duplicate from the DMV.

[j123vt_99]

You guys rock.. Now to throw a monkeywrench into this, I bought the car in Vermont with a lease from Chase. When I moved to Texas, I paid off the car, but I don;t think I ever changed the 'owner' of the car to myself. In fact on my latest registration, it still references Chase as the car owner.

When I moved to Texas and got a TX driver license and TX plates, did I have to show them the car's title?

[Brian Shannon]

Originally Posted by j123vt_99

You guys rock.. Now to throw a monkeywrench into this, I bought the car in Vermont with a lease from Chase. When I moved to Texas, I paid off the car, but I don;t think I ever changed the 'owner' of the car to myself. In fact on my latest registration, it still references Chase as the car owner.

When I moved to Texas and got a TX driver license and TX plates, did I have to show them the car's title?

Well you actually have a bigger problem than a "lost title".

Chase owns this car not you. They may have the title, they may not but if they are the owner or record you will need them to sign the title. Do you have a lien on your credit report? Do you have a record of the payoff? You may not even be able to request a title from your DMV since you are not the owner.

[j123vt_99]

ok.. just called the bank and they will be sending me a letter that says i paid off the lease, so i should be able to bring that to the dmv to get the title... i hope

[matta]

Originally Posted by Brian Shannon

Well you actually have a bigger problem than a "lost title".

Chase owns this car not you. They may have the title, they may not but if they are the owner or record you will need them to sign the title. Do you have a lien on your credit report? Do you have a record of the payoff? You may not even be able to request a title from your DMV since you are not the owner.

Chase will have to request the title from the state in which the vehicle is titled, then sign it over. Once he has the signed copy releasing the lien, I believe he can sell the car like normal (I've never done it, though. When I've paid off a lien, I've always switched over the title to prevent this exact scenario).

I'm not sure how helpful Chase will be, though, since there's nothing in it for them. Good luck.

[j123vt_99]

Originally Posted by matta

Chase will have to request the title from the state in which the vehicle is titled, then sign it over. Once he has the signed copy releasing the lien, I believe he can sell the car like normal (I've never done it, though. When I've paid off a lien, I've always switched over the title to prevent this exact scenario).

I'm not sure how helpful Chase will be, though, since there's nothing in it for them. Good luck.

Chase was really helpful... Just to clarify, they had sent me the title and the letter that said the car was paid off back in 2002. I misplaced it and never let the state know that I paid off the car.

Won't the letter be good enough?

[Brian Shannon]

Originally Posted by j123vt_99

Chase was really helpful... Just to clarify, they had sent me the title and the letter that said the car was paid off back in 2002. I misplaced it and never let the state know that I paid off the car.

Won't the letter be good enough?

Hard to say.

It will all depend on who is listed as a lienholder or owner on the title with your state's DMV.

[matta]

Originally Posted by j123vt_99

Chase was really helpful... Just to clarify, they had sent me the title and the letter that said the car was paid off back in 2002. I misplaced it and never let the state know that I paid off the car.

Won't the letter be good enough?

YMMV, but I knew someone else who went through a similar thing, and the letter wasn't good enough. He had to have the title mailed to the lienholder, who released it and mailed it back to him.

It makes sense why they'd do that, too, since it prevents fraud. A letter is easy to forge. But actually getting the title from the lienholder is more difficult (even if the signature would be easy to forge).

Also, do you know what state it's titled in? Some states require you to change the title over when you register a car and some do not.

[j123vt_99]

Originally Posted by matta

YMMV, but I knew someone else who went through a similar thing, and the letter wasn't good enough. He had to have the title mailed to the lienholder, who released it and mailed it back to him.

It makes sense why they'd do that, too, since it prevents fraud. A letter is easy to forge. But actually getting the title from the lienholder is more difficult (even if the signature would be easy to forge).

Also, do you know what state it's titled in? Some states require you to change the title over when you register a car and some do not.

car was purchased in vermont, but then registered in tx in 2001.. so chase was the owner of the tile at the time it was registered in..

i assume the title is then a vermont title?

[Brian Shannon]

Originally Posted by j123vt_99

car was purchased in vermont, but then registered in tx in 2001.. so chase was the owner of the tile at the time it was registered in..

i assume the title is then a vermont title?

If the title was not transferred than could be the case.

[j123vt_99]

Originally Posted by Brian Shannon

If the title was not transferred than could be the case.

think i should be calling the vermont dmv?

[Brian Shannon]

Originally Posted by j123vt_99

think i should be calling the vermont dmv?

Well it could not hurt, but don't be suprised if they want something in writing.

[j123vt_99]

update. so i finally found the title underneath a stack of crap.. i called the dmv in texas and they said i need to bring the title in and that i would need to pay sales tax on the car purchase as well as possibly have back tax fees..i bought the car outright in 2002. I'm concerned that all the fees could end up being a very high amount. and possibly maybe even more than the car is worth.

any thoughts?

[Brian Shannon]

Originally Posted by j123vt_99

update. so i finally found the title underneath a stack of crap.. i called the dmv in texas and they said i need to bring the title in and that i would need to pay sales tax on the car purchase as well as possibly have back tax fees..i bought the car outright in 2002. I'm concerned that all the fees could end up being a very high amount. and possibly maybe even more than the car is worth.

any thoughts?

Oh well! If you failed to pay then you need to take care of it.

[j123vt_99]

Originally Posted by Brian Shannon

Oh well! If you failed to pay then you need to take care of it.

but if it is more than the car is worth.. that would be a waste. i'm thinking i could give the car to my sister... just not sure how she would be able to register the car in her state

[D.Pham4GLTE (>60GB)]

why not bring in the title and see how much is owed?

also, i thought that the sales tax is paid by the buyer, not the seller right?

[j123vt_99]

Originally Posted by D.Pham00

why not bring in the title and see how much is owed?

also, i thought that the sales tax is paid by the buyer, not the seller right?

i'm concerned that if i bring it in that i will then be in the 'system' and forced to pay it regardless of what i decide to do.

also i am the buyer.. since i purchased the car from Chase Automotive (who had the lease) back in 2002.

[heimerSWT]

Go to your Tax Assessor-Collector tax office, and transfer the title there. They will probably ask you what you paid for the vehicle. This number is entirely up to you--and could be what you "remember" it being. I believe the tax is 6.25% of the sales price. Just sayin'...

Unless the letter from Chase shows how much you paid to them at the end...in that case you're screwed.

[j123vt_99]

Originally Posted by heimerSWT

Go to your Tax Assessor-Collector tax office, and transfer the title there. They will probably ask you what you paid for the vehicle. This number is entirely up to you--and could be what you "remember" it being. I believe the tax is 6.25% of the sales price. Just sayin'...

Unless the letter from Chase shows how much you paid to them at the end...in that case you're screwed.

yeah. it does have the price. i just called again, spoke to someone different and he said i would just need to pay a $33 fee... so now i don't know who to believe

ok called a 3rd time.. sound like i need to pay the sales tax on the purchase price (6.25%) and then 10% of the sales tax as a penalty.. sounds like it could be around 1k.

[superdeluxe]

Originally Posted by j123vt_99

I'm planning to sell my car within the next few months and I just realized I can't find my title. I believe I had it at some time, but I can't locate it now. Any suggestions on what to do?

I believe you can contact the DOL for a replacement title. Be advised, it will take 8-12 weeks turnaround.

[j123vt_99]

Originally Posted by superdeluxe

I believe you can contact the DOL for a replacement title. Be advised, it will take 8-12 weeks turnaround.

oh.. since i originally posted i found the title

[matta]

But if you bought the car in Vermont, you should have paid Vermont sales tax.

So all you'd have to pay in Texas (since there's no excise tax) is the title transfer fee.

The DMV might have been confused and thought you just bought the car while living in Texas, when in fact you owned the car before moving there.

[j123vt_99]

Originally Posted by matta

But if you bought the car in Vermont, you should have paid Vermont sales tax.

So all you'd have to pay in Texas (since there's no excise tax) is the title transfer fee.

The DMV might have been confused and thought you just bought the car while living in Texas, when in fact you owned the car before moving there.

thanks for the advice/feedback guys.. matta. let me explain a little more detail , but i hope you are correct.

in 1999, i leased a car in vermont through chase bank.in 2001 i moved to tx and registered the car in tx with chase as the owner. in 2002 my lease was up so i paid $13k (or about) to own the car outright.. got the title, never brought it in, so according to tx chase still owns my car.

so now i need to make it so tx knows i own the car.