There are many risks involved in buying a car without a title. To illustrate that, we’re going to tell another story from our staff’s collection of embarrassing personal experiences, a series we uncreatively call Dirt Legal Stories. At least this one has a happy ending.
It would be easy for us to tell you that buying a car without a title is a risky process, but then we’d be just another clickbait article popping up on your news feed between videos of fast cars and cuddly cats. We hope that by telling our stories and embarrassing ourselves on the Internet we will help save people from making our mistakes. Identifying details were changed, but the story is true.
Long ago, in a state far, far away, one of our staffers bought a car with no title from a person he had never met before. He made some easy mistakes while trying to replace the lost title, allowing the seller to take advantage of him and nearly landing both of them in court. Some say it’s a better story than the Seth Green classic Without a Paddle (2004). Seth Green himself might even say that.
It’s called Without a Title.
Your face when you read that awesome pun (source)
The Ad Placement Before the Story Begins
This story’s protagonist could have skipped all the hassle and let someone replace his lost car title on his behalf. Dirt Legal can get you a new title for just about anything with wheels and we have decades of combined experience with all manner of title issues. Bookmark our services now in case you ever need them:
The Story Begins
Matt works on old Chevys from the 1950s. Original parts are hard to find, so when a good parts car came up for sale Matt was on it like bugs on a windshield. The car was advertised Without a Title and the seller, Bob, said it had been lost years ago. Matt’s the buyer and Bob’s the seller. Matt and Bob. Got it? I even plugged the name of the story! Someone get this man a production team ASAP! Alright, back to Matt and Bob.
Matt ran the VIN number and it came back clean, giving him the green light to get a replacement title. When the time came Matt grabbed his trailer and drove several hours to see the car, grinning from ear to ear about how great it would be to never finish it and end up selling it for less than he paid. I mean, uh, how nice it would be to work on it!
What could go wrong?
The Scene is Set
Matt arrived to find the Chevy exactly as he had hoped. All the parts he needed were in great shape and the rest of the car wasn’t bad either. Bob was a really nice guy, the kind of guy who’d be happy to see you marry his daughter and live out your days on the family farm. Matt explained that it’s cheap and easy to replace a car title when you’re the one who lost it, and Bob agreed to make it happen and replace the lost title himself.
Matt then paid Bob for the car in cash, wrote up a bill of sale, and loaded the car up. The bill of sale included the date, time, location, and amount of the sale and stipulated that Bob would recover the lost title and mail it to Matt as soon as possible. Bob agreed to those terms, both parties signed the bill of sale, and Matt drove away with the car. Matt had now officially bought a car Without a Title. End scene.
The Plot Twist Happens
About a month later Bob called Matt to say he received the title. But that wasn’t all he had to say: Bob wanted Matt to pay him more money before he would put the title in the mail. We’re not talking pennies mind you, we’re talking thousands of dollars. Bob’s logic was that the Chevy would’ve been worth a lot more with a title so Matt should pay him the difference… after the fact! Bob had turned from a likable fella into a full-on blackmailer! Boom! Plot twist!
Some people would just cut their losses and let it go. Others would pay the money and be done with it. But not Matt. Because unbeknownst to Bob, Matt had been working for a title company all along. Bam! Another plot twist!
Matt discovering the truth about Bob (2021) (colorized) (source)
The Dénouement and the Fin
You’re probably thinking “Okay, but that’s obviously illegal. Call the police or something.” Or I don’t know, TP his house maybe.
And you’re right, from a factual standpoint it’s pretty clear what happened. Bob realized he had something Matt needed and took that opportunity to make some extra dough. The sale had already been completed and Matt already had the car, so what Bob was doing was obviously illegal. At the end of the day, though, Bob had the title and Matt didn’t.
But Matt was holding a power chip: the bill of sale with Bob’s signature on it. That single piece of paper would be indispensable in upholding Matt’s story in a court of law, but the legal proceedings would take months to unfold and cost both parties hundreds of dollars – more if an attorney got involved. A lawsuit would have caused Matt untold stress and inconvenience and he would have been unable to license, insure, or sell his new Chevy until the process was complete.
Thankfully, the real story has a much happier ending. After weeks of non-progress, Matt issued a polite threat of legal action. And wouldn’t you know, Bob took one look at that and went, “Nah, I’m good, you win boss.” A couple days later, Matt’s title arrived in the mail. Though Matt’s dreams of marrying Bob’s daughter and retiring in the rural foothills had been dashed before his eyes, he was finally able to sleep soundly knowing his beloved Chevy was no longer stuck Without a Title.
Roll credits.
Matt and his attractive Hollywood friends watching Bob’s demise (source)
This Was All So Very Avoidable
In all fairness, Matt took most of the proper precautions for buying a car without a title – running the VIN beforehand, writing a good bill of sale – but unexpected things can always happen. Here are a few ways Matt could have avoided this dangerous and risky outcome altogether.
Don’t buy a car without a title. The wisest path is often the hardest to follow, but Matt could have forgotten about that car and waited to buy another one. In some states, buying a car without a title is illegal regardless of the reason. It could result in legal action from a previous owner or repossession of the car by the state.
Ask for more details upfront. Matt could have explained to Bob how to replace a lost title before driving across the state, then if Bob wanted more money, he could have asked for it at that time.
Get a new title yourself. Matt could have replaced the title himself providing he had two bills of sale: one from when Bob bought the car and another from when Matt bought it. In some states Matt could give that paper trail to the DMV, explain the situation, do some paperwork, and get a new title in a couple of weeks. Of course, if anything about the paper trail didn’t line up or the DMV found an active title somewhere else, that could involve going to court to explain things to a judge. Not ideal.
Or, Matt could let a professional title company handle the hard work for him. People who know the system and have seen this exact situation countless times. Who are they, you might ask? The company whose name is right at the top of this very webpage! Plot twist!
Rest in peace Bandit. (source)
Dirt Legal: Car Title Specialists
Buying a car without a title is a risky process. The real trick to success is keeping the ball in your court. Avoid situations like Matt’s by doing all the legwork yourself, and by protecting yourself as much as possible before the sale takes place. Run a VIN Check before you buy. Finally, don’t be afraid to stand tall if you get scammed. As long as you did everything correctly, you have the upper hand.
If you have any questions about lost titles or Matt’s favorite Avengers movie, please don’t hesitate to contact us or click below to learn more about getting a new title from the experts at Dirt Legal.
We are not attorneys. This article is not legal advice. Matt’s favorite Avengers movie is The Incredible Hulk.
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