No Title...What are the Problems?

[Roadrunner]

Well I finally got in touch with the owner of an Argosy I found dying in the woods. Trees have fallen on her and she is neglected. Owner doesn't even know year, has no title, has no keys to lock trailer. Owner lives in Maryland and towed vehicle to PA 2 years ago. No plates, no title, no bill of sale no nothing. Should I purchase this trailer...what am I getting into? I live in PA. Thanks for the help!

Bob

[HowieE]

Contact Pa motor vehicle and ask them if you can retitle a vehicle in Pa. Years ago I had to do this in Jersey and all they asked for was a pencil tracing of the vin number, maybe just to see if was on a stolen list. It just may be that easy.

[Mike Leary]

Go to the last known State of registration on the DMV website. Have the VIN # and be ready to hang out for a while.

[VIKING]

Originally Posted by Roadrunner

No plates, no title, no bill of sale no nothing. Should I purchase this trailer...what am I getting into? I live in PA. Thanks for the help!

Bob

you should ask the current owner to give it to you. That way if it can't be titled you can turn it into a dog house with little loss, or part it out.
States differ in how hard they make it to re-title a trailer, from very easy to completely impossible depending on where you are, and who at the DMV helps you.
I would go to DMV first and get the low-down from someone there. Get their name and a list of exactly what you will need for them to do a transfer. There are likely more than two ways to get this done, so ask about it. You may need to post a bond, or track the last registered owner, or who knows what, but you will know what you're into before doing the whole "oldtrailerinthewoodsrecoverythingy".

Good luck!
Rich the Viking

[airstreamjudy]

Bob, I was in the same position when I purchased my 1968 Tradewind. Played around for 6 tp 8 months with the State of Florida. She had been licensed in Florida 1998. Long story.

Go to the State Police and ask them to run the VIN # so that you will know that there are no outstanding leins, etc.. Go on line to Broadway Title in Alabama. Print the paperwork, get a money order, send in the paperwork. In about 5 to 7 days you'll receive a title. Take the new title to your DMV and you'll get your registration and plates. It cost about $275 - well worth it. It will be done.

Good luck.

[Lumatic]

Depending on the state you may have to get an affidavit of ownership from the previous owner and or post a surity bond. There are businesses that will get a vehicle with title problems titled for you.

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by Roadrunner

...Should I purchase this trailer...what am I getting into? I live in PA. Thanks for the help!Bob

so perhaps asking this question was premature?

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f238...eed-58567.html

there are MANY thread on titles...

how to get one
how to cook up a new one
what happens withOUT one...

and so on.
__________

you've gotten NO INFO from the owner, after 'finding' this tralya buried in the woods?

now you are looking for advice from folks with LESS info on it than U?

SKIP IT, move on, find something else, save your money and frustrations for an EASIER find.

or buy this one and work out the details....

maybe ALL in one long thread?

cheers
2air'

[bwoodtx]

What Lumatic and Judy are referring to is a Bonded Title. Ther is none better. I did the same thing with my two Argosy's I just got. One had been registered in California and the other in New Meico. Now they are registered in Texas with Bonded Titles. Depending on the year of the trailer(NADA only goes back to 1975) you'll have to do one of two things: If you can use the NADA value the bond will be 1 1/2 times the value of trailer plus admin fees. If you can't use NADA then you will have to have it appraised and follow same formula. Once you get all the paperwork back, take it to your tax assessor/collector office, pay the registration fees, get your plates and in three to six weeks depending on your state you will have a clear title. Do get a Bill of Sale from the owner with a description of the trailer and also showing the VIN. You will need this for your title application.

Bottom Line: IT'S NO BIG DEAL, Just time consuming and you are out a few bucks.

When I did my two here in Texas my total for each trailer including tax,title fees, and registration was about $400.00 total, but well worth it.

God luck,
Bruce

[snake]

Many, many years ago I bought an old 1938 4 cylinder Indian motorcycle as a basket case for $25. No title, no nuthin'. After about 10 years of off and on work on restoration I started to think about think about getting a title. I called the NJ DMV (the cycle had a 1951 NJ plate) to inquire about getting a title.

I was told that at the time there were only two ways that the Great State of New Jersey could issue a title were: 1. with a certificate of origin from manufacturer, or 2. with an application for duplicate title from the owner.

I had no idea who the previous owner could have been. I asked, if it would be possible to identify the previous owner was from the '51 plate, or serial number? I was told, "Sorry we don't have records going that far back"

Dead end......but then I thought.....hmmmm, if the bike had been stolen the statuate of limitations had passed, hmmmm......there weren't any records anymore, hmmmm.....then I sent in an application for duplicate title with a money order for the required $2.00, and not long thereafter received a title for the ancient motorcycle.

That was long ago, and I was young and reckless at that time, I do not recommend this to any readers at this time.

[JimGolden]

How about you order one of those $199 folding trailers from Harbor Freight, then put the VIN plate from the ChingShenSuperHauler onto your Argosy. Go down to DMV and title it. Done

OK, I'm just joking. But I'm sure it's been done...

[Roadrunner]

Jim...now why didn't I think of that!

[bibbs]

International Title Service: 1, bill of sale [noterized] 2, $150. bucks 3, Tags & title

Bibbs

[Silverfoxrae]

I'm glad I looked at this thread. This is exactly what's going on with me/my trailer. Except the RV place did an oops. I bought my airstream from a dealer. The person in charge of procuring the title, etc. called me this morning to say that there wasn't a title and basically was going to refund my money or..and gave me a few options. I said there has to be a former owner, etc. Anyway, I went to my local DMV here in Saint John's County and spoke to a very wonderful person (we have an amazingly nice dmv). She was funny, and said that basically they should not have called me over this! Long story short, my husband got very upset--not a good thing, gathered his "cool" after a bit and called the owner of the rv place. The owner obviously got back to the employees. Where it stands now is that I either get this trailer with a title or I get to pick one of the shiny vintage ones from the little "village" they have on site. Either way, the owner is a bit upset. So.. it might take a while to track down the paper trail and get everything legal, etc. but eventually I will own an Airstream... *sigh*

[Minno]

Our trailer wan't titled when we bought her - Alabama apparently doesn't title them, but she was registered with the DMV and had the mobile home sticker on her so she could be towed. We had to have the PO do a bill of sale, then turn it in to the DMV along with some money. We had to send a picture of her in, but got a clear title in about 8 weeks.
Every state is different in how they deal with these things. Contact your DMV and explain the issue. You might have to make a couple of calls, but it may just be getting a bill of sale from the owner and paying a fee.
Good luck!

Kay

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by Silverfoxrae

I'm glad I looked at this thread. This is exactly what's going on with me/my trailer. Except the RV place did an oops. I bought my airstream from a dealer....

rae

each state IS different but there are a bunch of threads on this issue that may help you...

here are some of them...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/sear...archid=1636351

cheers
2air'

[aircooled4]

My 67 Safari didnt have a title...The WI DMV will issue one if you get the proper form from them and fill it out...and have an officer basically notarize it...Send it in, Viola, new title...Im sure that PA will do something similar...have to call or check the website ...

[Jammer]

I've been through this recently with a motorcycle. In MN it's not difficult but you do have to be persistent and allow plenty of time. In MN as in most states you have to have a signed statement from the seller explaining the facts of the matter and what happened to the old title. If you've already bought it then well you have to sell it to someone else and have them sell it back to you so they can make a signed statement as a seller.

Sometimes you have to go to a couple of DMV agencies since some of them don't encounter this or are under pressure to turn people away with these kinds of requests.

[3streams]

Originally Posted by Roadrunner

Well I finally got in touch with the owner of an Argosy I found dying in the woods. Trees have fallen on her and she is neglected. Owner doesn't even know year, has no title, has no keys to lock trailer. Owner lives in Maryland and towed vehicle to PA 2 years ago. No plates, no title, no bill of sale no nothing. Should I purchase this trailer...what am I getting into? I live in PA. Thanks for the help!

Bob

Bob-

As we have purchased many a non-titled airstream and live in PA- this is the process for our state. Go ahead and restore it and once you are done- the title will become an issue. Once the trailer is done you can get a reconstructed title once it's capable of passing a state inspections. PM us if you have more questions. But don't let a title deter you from a trailer! Unless you have a salvage title! By the way- you aren't very far away- good luck retrieving it! Sometimes that's the rally fun part!

[redwinefarms]

Man, does this sound familiar!! I recently (6 months ago) took possession of a 1988 Excella from a fellow in Alabama who swore on his mother’s grave that he had the original title. That was back in July of 09. I began to get a little worried and upset when October rolls around and still no title. More a burden on him since I had yet to pay him. I decided at that time to get a little more proactive myself and began the long and detailed road to recovering the misplaced title. I had read a few of the post on this forum and decided that the GA DMV was the best place to start. Our DMV is not as courteous and polite as others I suppose but they gave me what I needed to get the process started. The long and short is as follows: A county sheriff had to come out to inspect the trailer and verify the VIN Number, my insurance company had to process a bond based on the document received from the sheriff, $100.00 and two weeks later the paperwork was taken down to our local DMV. Taxes and tag fees were paid and bonded title application was sent to the state which, per the rep at the DMV, "should return title in aprox 30 days". It's now been more than 60 days and I'm still without a title! ("Delay due to layoffs at the state of GA".)

If the Excella were not in such good condition I would have already returned it back to its original owner and actually volunteered to do just that, eventhough I had put quite alot of effort into refurbing. The orig owner had no interest in getting it back!

Once the title is received (If ever) I will most likely be putting the very nice Excella up for sale.... The next Airstream purchased with be with title in hand before taking delivery!!!!

[silverleeper]

Originally Posted by redwinefarms

More a burden on him since I had yet to pay him.

Wow, So you payed nothing for the Airstream? I also assume that you had no bill of sale...You were very brave to put any money in a referb on the Excella. Hope it all works out.