Getting a Texas Car Title

Getting a Texas Car Title

cowpoke69b@netscape.net (Enzo Bethelmy)	3/7/2004 6:35:12 AM
A friend is buying a car from a seller who holds a bill of sale and registration from Alabama. I wanted to know if all that is needed to register the car in Texas is the bill of sale and the application for title in Texas in order to get the car titled in Texas. If you know how to go about getting the title I would appreciate any advice. Sincerely, Ancil.



"David Martel"	3/7/2004 4:32:07 PM
Ancil, The folks at your local DMV office can tell you what is needed to replace a lost title in your state. Your friend would be wise to not buy a car which does not have a title. Let the sellers in Ala. go through the titling process. Registration is not proof of ownership. Good luck. Dave M.



gordonb.jv31p@sneaky.lerctr.org (Gordon Burditt)	3/7/2004 7:38:31 PM
A friend is buying a car from a seller who holds a bill of sale and registration from Alabama. I wanted to know if all that is needed to register the car in Texas is the bill of sale and the application for title in Texas in order to get the car titled in Texas. If you know how to go about getting the title I would appreciate any advice. My mother gave me my father's car after he died. I recall driving it from Pennsylvania (where she lived) to Texas (where I lived), and getting a title in Texas with a note from my mother indicating that she wanted to transfer it to me, and the old title (I don't recall whether it was in HER name, HIS name, or both names. Since I was visiting there for the funeral, the estate definitely hadn't been settled yet (but she got everything, and there were no arguments about that)). I had to bring the car to an inspection station in Texas and get some sort of form filled out (I think essentially they wanted a third party to verify the VIN and that the car actually existed and was being described accurately) which cost a couple of dollars. I wonder how many people have tried registering a nonexistent car, insuring it, and then claiming it was stolen? I don't think my insurance company ever saw that car (or asked to) the whole time I owned it. Then I had to apply for the title, which cost quite a bit more (but may have included a year of registration as part of that cost). Sales tax on a gift was minimal, for a sale on any non-junker car it will be significant. Beware of buying a car where the seller doesn't appear to have a valid title. In my case, she had a valid title, getting me a valid PA title and then transferring it to Texas seemed unnecessary and too much trouble, and I was not afraid of getting cheated by my own mother. You should at least have a title for the previous owner (in that owner's state) signed by that owner in addition to a bill of sale. I don't know what you do if the seller's state doesn't require titles (are there any like that?) I already had insurance. Some people have run into a catch-22 with the insurance: you can't get a title (or maybe it was registration) without insurance and you can't get insurance without an in-state title and registration. There is some way of breaking this deadlock. In my case, I sold my old car and transferred the insurance. I had some Texas insurance, just not on that car yet. That may have been how I escaped the problem. Gordon L. Burditt



"John D. Goulden"	3/8/2004 9:39:13 AM
I already had insurance. Some people have run into a catch-22 with the insurance: you can't get a title (or maybe it was registration) without insurance and you can't get insurance without an in-state title and registration. There is some way of breaking this deadlock. In my case, I sold my old car and transferred the insurance. I had some Texas insurance, just not on that car yet. That may have been how I escaped the problem. People who experience this Catch-22 need to shop for better insurance companies. My own automobile insurance carrier (which I will not name) assures me, in writing, that if I purchase a vehicle it is covered the moment I drive it away, as long as I bring it by the agent's office within thirty days of purchase to fill out the paperwork. -- John Goulden

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