Title problems part II

Back story: I bought a P71 for a guy in Montana. My brother brought it back to Illinois for me. Somewhere along the way, he lost the title. The former owner is kind of sketchy, and wants noting to do with the car anymore. To rectify this, he gave my brother power of attorney over the vehicle.

The problem is the state insists my brother register the car and plate it before they will issue a replacement title. How is this lawful? It seems they are asking either my brother to plate a car he never owned, or asking me to plate a car in a state I don't live in.

I may be able to have the previous owner provide a notarized bill of sale along with my brother's power of attorney would be sufficient to obtain a title for $10. The owner, being sketchy, may not do this.

What the berk do I do?

In Connecticut, we have a form for the transfer of ownership in absence of a title. That acts as the title until the vehicle is registered. That info came directly from the guy at the DMV. They will not issue a state title until you register it.

I went through this last year when I bought a motorcycle. The seller swore that he had the title but packed it up as he was getting ready to move. A few days later he called to say that it was gone. My only option was to then register it in order to get a new title in my name. Naturally, on the way home from the DMV, he called to say that he had found the now useless title.

If the state is giving you a path to follow to fix your situation, why not just follow it?

Personally, after dealing with the E30 and a few other gems, if a car I'm buying doesn't have a clear title and a current state inspection, I'm walking away - regardless of how good the deal might look. I spent more money than I care to admit trying to get the berking E30 to pass PA emissions... I could have bought another berking car.

Because paying $150 for plates I'll never use, and a $95 title transfer, and a $25 tax hurts on a $500 car.

cutting it up for no title hurts worse, no?

what are your intentions for the car?

I wanted to make a daily out of it, with possible Challenge aspirations. I think the toughest nut to swallow is how a $500 car is nickle and diming me to death.

When your brother turns the plates back in and reports the car sold out of state they should refund most of that portion of the $.

Chalk the rest up to lesson learned about paperwork. And don't ever let your brother drive cross country with your birth certificate.

Maybe that's why I'm so pissed. I should have known better.

Appleseed wrote: a $500 car is nickle and diming me to death.

because this never happens with $500 cars

Tax and registration costs are Challenge budget exempt so for Challenge purposes, this is still a $500 car.
If that makes you feel any better about it all?

If there's no signed title and only a notarized (I hope) bill of sale to your brother, he's the legal owner of the car. So he's going to need to take title on it, then sell it to you. And if the state requires the car be registered before they issue a title, I don't know there's much else you can do except bite that bullet.

If it was your brother who lost the title, I think he'd be the one to pony up the cash to fix the situation. If it was Mr Sketchy who lost the title, you (or your brother) will have to deal with him. The POA, my allow you to bypass Mr Sketchy but it'd be easier to get him involved, maybe compensate him for his efforts?

offer mr sketchy $50.00 to get a replacement title. and proceed.

I offered that. He seems to think this is some title loan scam.

I think what's pissing me off is a replacement title costs $10. And the fact that it feels like the state is double dipping. I'd be a little less miffed if I wasn't dead broke. I'd be more pissed at my brother if he didn't drag that thing 1200 miles to my home for me. Maybe I can talk him into splitting the cost.

Having no money makes people act weird.

I am beginning to side with the seller.
I suspect there is more to the story here.
The car makes the trip.
The brother makes the trip.
But, one important piece of paper does not make the trip!
You seem to have conveniently glossed over the details of "lost".

Did you send a boy to do a man's job?

In reply to JohnRW1621:

Huh?

Appleseed wrote: I wanted to make a daily out of it, with possible Challenge aspirations. I think the toughest nut to swallow is how a $500 car is nickle and diming me to death.

Actually, your brother is nickle and diming you to death. Tell him to cough it up; just because he was doing you a favour does not absolve him of responsibility magically. Or tell him to go halfers because you were stupid enough to trust him (I keed, and that's the point, I'd say that to him "jokingly, but no, I'm actually kind of serious").

To those say bro should pay it all, ask yourself what it would cost to trailer a car 1200 miles. I think a little more than a potential $140. For that reason I'm cutting him slack.

In reply to Ian F:

Um, dude- you know PA issues emissions waivers if your spend over $150 trying to get the car to pass, right? Somebody took you for a ride.

NONACK wrote: In reply to Ian F: Um, dude- you know PA issues emissions waivers if your spend over $150 trying to get the car to pass, right? Somebody took you for a ride.

...and a complete non-issue now the dyno test is defunct, which an '88 BMW with 220+K miles on it had no hope in hell of passing. Much of my anger is at myself for spending almost $5000 on a car I didn't want in the first place...

To the OP - I understand wanting to cut your brother some slack, but it sounds like it's his screw-up. Either he pays or you do. Sucks the seller is being paranoid, but a lot of people are like that.

"What the berk do I do?"

Hammer a bunch of finish nails into the business end of a bat and whack some sense into your idiot brother.

Unless you're willing to do EXACTLY what the state requires, you're simply doomed. You're cutting your brother slack for the trailer and such, but he's costing you bigger money at the other end for fracking up an idiot-proof job which will likely cost you the car.

I agree with JohnRW1621; there must be more to this, or your just making it hard on yourself by not doing what you must. Weight the investment against the value of what your brother delivered and either pay the coin or cut up the car for parts.

And beat some sense into your idiot brother——

The car was not registered or plated in Montana whatsoever when you picked it up?

If so, that's going to be a problem anywhere, Illinois or otherwise. If it had current tags it'd be simple to get a new title but that complicates things a bit.

I will buy an in state car with no title and a past registration, but never an out of state car without reg/title That's a nightmare. I know you DID have a title, you had that going for you at least.

You had one job bro. One job.