obtaining a new vehicle title

[Guest nysos]

Has anyone ever had to go through the process of obtaining a new vehicle title? I have done as much research on the tdot website and can't realy find a list of things that would be required for the situation I am concerned with.

I am looking at getting a motorcycle soon and some have no titles, obviously this is a red flag for stolen - but if I run the vin and assuming it comes back as not stolen, what then? If the current owner bought it used as well from another party and didn't press the original owner for the title where would I be at besides just having a bill of sale?

I don't mind jumping through paperwork hoops to get it taken care of over a month or 2, but I don't want to go down that road unless its a fairly sure thing that I will be able to get the vehicle registered and a new title for it in my name.

[10-Ring]

I've been down this road in several different situations. In TN if you don't have a title or an MSO you pretty much are not going to get the vehicle registered. I'll go out on a limb here and take a guess that you are looking at dual sports or motards that began life as a dirtbike. If not you are looking at red flags for sure. If you have a MSO and it DOES NOT read "For off road use only" you should be able to get a title. I have a converted dualsport that began life as a dirtbike, it never was registered. I didn't get a title or an MSO with it, I've tried everything to get it titled but it's not going to happen. No big deal since I bought it as a dirtbike anyway, just thought it would be nice to get it tagged.

[Guest nysos]

I've been down this road in several different situations. In TN if you don't have a title or an MSO you pretty much are not going to get the vehicle registered. I'll go out on a limb here and take a guess that you are looking at dual sports or motards that began life as a dirtbike. If not you are looking at red flags for sure. If you have a MSO and it DOES NOT read "For off road use only" you should be able to get a title. I have a converted dualsport that began life as a dirtbike, it never was registered. I didn't get a title or an MSO with it, I've tried everything to get it titled but it's not going to happen. No big deal since I bought it as a dirtbike anyway, just thought it would be nice to get it tagged.

I found some forms to fill out and some other info on the clerks office for requesting a new title, but I don't know how likely it is they would actually issue it. It isn't a motard or converted dualsport or anything, it is a street bike that I believe got wrecked and rebuilt from the ground up - frankenstein project or something. My guess is it once had a title, but now it has a new frame with different vin. My uncle bought a bike that was the same way and was able to get a title but I am not sure what sort of hoops he had to jump through to get it to happen. I am just trying to find out if it will be too costly or time consuming to be worth considering bikes of this nature. For sure, the majority of the street bikes that don't have a title, are hot. If they aren't willing to provide the vin in advance to check to see if it is stolen, then obviously it is.

[dlm37015]

its easy get the vin go to the county cout clercks office ask them who owns it they will have name of last owner that paid taxes on it

[TripleDigitRide]

Only the person who is the current registered owner can obtain a title. You cannot buy a motorcycle (or automobile) without a title and obtain a title for it.

If the current owner wants to file for a lost title, it is easy and cheap. They can go any County Clerks Office, fill out the paperwork, pay a $5.00 fee, then they will mail the title.

If they live near Nashville, they can go down to the main office located near Metro Center, fill out the paperwork, pay the same $5.00, and get the title on the spot.

I'm not sure if option number 2 is an option if you live anywhere else in the state. Other major cities may or may not have a main office.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch using Tapatalk 2

Edited May 16, 2012 by TripleDigitRide

[10-Ring]

I think it depends a lot on your local county clerks office as well. It seems like some days you could walk in there with a paper napkin with "title" written on it in crayon and they would give you what you want, other days it seems you have to jump through hoops to renew your tags.

[Guest nysos]

I think it depends a lot on your local county clerks office as well. It seems like some days you could walk in there with a paper napkin with "title" written on it in crayon and they would give you what you want, other days it seems you have to jump through hoops to renew your tags.

The bike I was considering was just over the border in NC as well, so that would have added other complications. Just wasn't worth it - probably would have gone down that road to find out it was stolen anyways and wasted gas driving out to look at it.

[hipower]

From my own experiences in trying to get a title for a car that was registered in another state, I'd suggest walking away from this deal.

Back in the late 70's, I was offerred the chance to purchase a car from a co-worker at a great price, and was told he'd lost the title during his move from Michigan, and the car hadn't been registered or tagged in Tennessee.

Thinking this was not going to be a problem, I went to Tn DMV and explained what I wanted to do. First the current/orginal owner had to aaply for a lost title in Michigan, get it mailed here, register the car here, then sell it to me and I'd get it re-titled.

Sounds simple, don't it?

When I kept getting stalled by the co-worker, I took the vin and Mi tag number and started calling Michigan about it. Short version of the tale...I got calls from the dealership that orginally sold the car, Chrysler Credit Corp., a Michigan collection agency trying to track down the car, and finally, a visit from a local Chrysler Credit rep, trying to find it.

Why? The "owner" had reported the car stolen to everyone and moved here with it. So when I started this whole process....I got caught up in the middle. Because I wanted a "steal" on a slightly damaged car. I had foolishly given a couple hundred as a down payment and had the car parked on the grounds where I worked so I could control it til all was done and I'd pay it off. I had a reciept and partially filled out bill of sale when I was visited about it.

Meanwhile the seller skipped town when I told him about the calls and the visit at my workplace. I was very lucky not to get further involved, like possession of stolen property, etc. Luckily I had office co-workers to document my story and verify that the orginal owner had worked there and that they knew about the dealings.

I tend to ask more questions these days, especially if it's too good a deal.