Getting titles in Texas

[juel]

In Oklahoma I needed a notarized Bill of Sale from the owner, stating where and when he got the trailer and from whom did he buy it. He also added what he paid for the trailer, the VIN # and the fact that he had lost the title several years ago. I filled out a form showing what I was paying for the trailer, the VIN#, and a complete discription of the make, model and size of the trailer. These were turned in to the DMV, after about a week, the State of Oklahoma returned a form to the DMV clerk asking her to visually inspect the VIN# and certify that it was correct. She came to the house to do this at a charge of $4.00. About 3 days later I got a clear Oklahoma title for the AS. When you are trying to register a 1958 ANYTHING, no one is shocked that you can't find a title. Neither does anyone suspect that you have stolen an old 1958 trailer and are trying to con the state into helping you fence it. I think they would have been surprised if I had come up with a title.

[utee94]

Originally Posted by juel

... When you are trying to register a 1958 ANYTHING, no one is shocked that you can't find a title. Neither does anyone suspect that you have stolen an old 1958 trailer and are trying to con the state into helping you fence it. I think they would have been surprised if I had come up with a title.

Good points for sure, Judy, and thanks for the input. I think it can certainly be done, as you imply there is simply no way this is the first time it has ever happened.

But I'd still prefer for the seller to jump through these hoops, so I'll wait and see what happens.

[monocoque]

More background information.

Since the terms "trailer," "travel trailer," "park model trailer," "manufactured housing," and "house trailer" appear with regularity within this topic of vehicle titles I decided to investigate the technical meaning under Texas law of these terms a bit further.

As mentioned all motor vehicles operated on public roads in Texas within the meaning of the Certificate of Title Act must obtain a certificate of title. The Title Act defines motor vehicle as including "trailers," and "house trailers" while excluding "trailers less than 4,000 pounds" and "manufactured housing."

However, as Marcus discovered many of the forms required by the tax assessor to be filled out upon applying for a title and registration use the terms "travel trailer" and "park model trailer." Those terms seemed to confuse the issue because they do not appear in the Title Act.

Perhaps it should be noted that forms function as fact-gathering tools and are used by the clerks and decision-makers to determine the appropriate types of titles and fees to be assessed in a particular case. What I discovered is that many of the technical terms in the forms themselves actually derive from diverse sources within the law.

For example the Certificate of Title Act defines the terms "trailer," "house trailer," and "manufactured housing" for purposes of applying for a certificate of title. On the other hand, in the chapter on Registration of Vehicles the terms "trailer," and "travel trailer" are defined for purposes of assessing registration fees. In the Chapter on Rules of the Road the terms "trailer," "house trailer," and "towable recreational vehicle" are defined for traffic regulation purposes. Interestingly the Property Code defines "park model unit," and "recreational vehicle" for purposes of property leases in manufactured home communities i.e. trailer parks! Finally the term "manufactured housing" is defined in the Occupations code for purposes of regulating certain type of manufactured housing.

So each of these terms has a specific, technical legal definition depending upon the context in which it is employed and its particular purpose in the law. If anyone finds an interest in the actual definitions of these terms, at least in Texas, I would be happy to post them and identify the sources.

So take care out there no matter what your jurisdiction when using these terms in the context of applying for certificates of title, registration and licensing of our Airstream trailers!