Having worked at the DMV for several years, I've seen every possible title transfer issue you can imagine. Most problems come down to a few common mistakes with proof of ownership documents and registration forms completion.
The biggest issue I see is people not having the title properly signed over. The seller needs to sign in the exact right spot, and if there's a lienholder, they need to provide a lien release. Also, people often forget that the odometer reading needs to be notarized in some states.
What specific title transfer issues are you dealing with? I might be able to help you avoid the common pitfalls that cause registration processing times to stretch out for weeks.
The most common title transfer issue I see is people not getting the title properly signed. The seller needs to sign EXACTLY where it says seller's signature" - not next to it, not above it, exactly on the line. And they need to print their name below it.
Also, if there's a lienholder listed on the title, you need a lien release from them. This is a separate document, not just them signing the title. The lien release needs to be on their letterhead and include the VIN.
Another big one: odometer statements. In most states, if the car is under 10 years old, you need an odometer disclosure statement signed by both buyer and seller. And it needs to be notarized in some states.
These proof of ownership documents seem simple, but people get them wrong all the time, and it causes huge registration processing times delays.
I think I might have a title transfer issue. I bought my car from a private seller, and he signed the title, but he dated it wrong. He put the date we agreed on the price, not the date we actually exchanged money and I took the car.
Is this a problem? The dates are about a week apart. Do I need him to get a new title and sign it again with the correct date?
Also, he didn't print his name below his signature. He just signed. The title has a line that says seller's signature" and then a line below that says "printed name." He only signed on the first line.
Do I need to track him down and get him to fix this? He's already moved out of state.
I had a nightmare with title transfer issues when I bought my last car. The seller had a loan on the car, so the bank held the title. We paid off the loan together at the bank, and the bank said they would send the title to the DMV.
Two months later, no title. I called the bank, and they said they sent it. I called the DMV, and they said they never received it. The bank refused to send a duplicate because they said it was in transit."
Turns out the bank sent it to the wrong DMV office. By the time we figured this out, my temporary registration plates had expired, and I got a ticket.
The lesson: if there's a lienholder, get the lien release IN PERSON at the bank. Don't let them mail it. And make copies of everything before you submit it.
My title transfer issue was with a car I inherited from my grandfather. He passed away, and I was named in the will to get his car. Sounds simple, right?
Wrong. I needed: the death certificate, the will, a letter from the executor of the estate, a special affidavit of heirship" form, and proof that all estate taxes had been paid. And every document needed to be notarized.
Then the DMV said the title needed to be transferred to the estate first, then to me. But the estate wasn't a person, so how do you put an estate name on a title? They couldn't explain.
It took six months and three different lawyers to sort it out. The registration processing times for special situations like this are insane. They really need better systems for registration special requirements like inheritances.