The dealer.... lost the title?

[JackE]

Originally Posted by r0meboards

Thanks everyone for the thoughtful replies! Update on our situation: turns out the title has now magically re-appeared so we're going to pick it up this week!

We did have them send over the full maintenance history and a copy of the lien release from the bank just to be safe. Thankfully it seems like everything checks out, although would of course love to hear anything else we should be cautious about on this front.

I would still be a bit cautious on the whole deal. Check over very carefully the VIN number on the title and the bus. It wouldn't hurt to have a local cop run the VIN through dispatch to make sure there aren't any tags/holds on the VIN. It's a simple VIN inspection and only takes them about 2 minutes to complete.

[Rock-N-Ruth]

Originally Posted by Kubla

All states require titles on road vehicles now, they also have a list of states that did not require them and when that requirement changed, yes you Can get a title on one of these with a bill of sale done properly,,but a dealer is required to get a title to sell a vehicle if it never had one

Not true. Some states like Vermont only require a bill of sale on vehicles more than 15 years old.

[rjheaton@aol.com]

Originally Posted by r0meboards

So we finally found a short bus that we loved and fit our qualifications (76" ceiling height!). Went through a negotiation with the dealer (a transportation company) and sent them a 10% deposit to lock things in. Now when we went to schedule the pick up (bus is about 2hrs drive away), they said they "lost" the title and will need to get a new one from the DMV, which could take up to 6 weeks...

We're already feeling the time crunch with winter coming and don't think we could wait that long (also was just excited to finally start the conversion!). We had also been waiting on getting the title in hand so we could get an in-transit tag from the DMV and take the bus home legally. So now we're considering 3 options:

1. Wait for them to get the new copy of the title and do everything by the books (i.e. wait up to 6 weeks)

2. Ask them to let us take the bus now, drive it home without tags, and withhold a portion of the $$$ until they mail us the new title

3. Get our deposit back (they offered to do this) and just find another bus.

We're seriously considering option 2 with the risk of driving it home with no tags, but we're not sure if having the bus without a title might put us at risk in some way. If we get stopped could the cops take the bus from us? Anyone have any wisdom or advice on what they would do in this situation?? Much appreciated!

Go with option 2 and make them give you something in writing that says your in legal Possession of the bus! Also the inconvenience of it all will cost them 200$

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by JackE

I would still be a bit cautious on the whole deal. Check over very carefully the VIN number on the title and the bus. It wouldn't hurt to have a local cop run the VIN through dispatch to make sure there aren't any tags/holds on the VIN. It's a simple VIN inspection and only takes them about 2 minutes to complete.

Originally Posted by rjheaton@aol.com

Go with option 2 and make them give you something in writing that says your in legal Possession of the bus! Also the inconvenience of it all will cost them 200$

You realize you replied after he got the title?

[JackE]

Originally Posted by o1marc

You realize you replied after he got the title?

Actually, no, he doesn't have the title yet. He said the title "magically re-appeared" and he was going to pick it up this week. In my book that is still a bit shady. That's why I advised him to carefully compare the numbers on the bus to the numbers on the "Magical" title. And to involve the law. If they are trying to pull one over on him, he would be best to do everything in his power to protect himself and his pocket book!

There are plenty of dishonest people out there trying to deceive others to get gain. I once bought a car from a guy, who I later learned was an ex-felon that previously lived at my place of employment. I didn't check the numbers close enough from the car to the title, they didn't match. It was already titled in my state so there was no VIN inspection required for me to title it. I didn't learn until 7 years later when I tried to scrap the car that the numbers didn't match. Had I been caught in possession of that car on the road, I could have lost my job, my retirement. Lucky for me the salvage yard didn't immediately call the cops, they let me leave their fine establishment with the car still on my trailer.

Caution is essential on any vehicle purchase, but especially when there has already been red flags flying over any part of the deal!

[hambone]

If no title is found and your time concerns become moot.. if it's truly a good bus and you really want it.. you could get an application for title from the Vermont DMV.. if the bill of sale is valid and if it doesn't come back as stolen when they run the VIN.. you're good to go,
fill out the form+pay sales tax+registration fee.. depending on the year of the bus you will get a title or if it's over twelve years old you get a transferable registration which is as good as a title when you want to title it in a different state.. you don't have to live in Vermont.. they will mail you the title/registration and plates to your home address.. there is a lot more on this subject here on skoolie.net if you do some searching..
Vermont title and registration?
good luck!

[demoman]

one thing to be careful of when buying a vehicle with a lost title is the difference between the state where the vehicle is registered and where it is titled. many years ago i was a used car dealer and got stuck in the middle of states. i bought a car from someone who had lost their pink slip but had a registration card in california which had their name on it showing no legal owner so i had them fill out an application for duplicate title and conditional power of attorney and paid them for it. when i sold the car and turned in the paperwork ca dmv said the car was registered in california but titled in colorado where the person had moved from. when you move states you have to pay registration in the new state but there is no requirement that you redo the ownership. i could not get in touch with the previous owner and it took some paperwork to get it sorted out. my point in all this is even if it is a legitimate dealer things can go wrong. but if you buy from a dealer in state they shoukd be able to take your estimated fees and at least in califonia you now get a paper plate good for driving about two months.

[DWJoyce]

I have two vehicles that were purchased in CA without the title. In both cases, the sellers were honest and in both cases the DMV issued a new title with my name on it. One vehicle was a Neon, the other a travel trailer. The only hassle was that I had to wait at the DMV for a couple hours both times and had to pay for duplicate titles.
Doesn't your bus have current registration and up to date tags?

[TomA]

My advice is to demand a clear title.

Life is short. Legal hassles are a PITA. Used buses really aren't that hard to find, despite how it seems to you now. It all comes down to what magnitude of risks and what kind of problems you like dealing with.