I got a 69 cutlass out of Michigan from a guy. He has owned the car since 84 and last titled and driven in 97. It had sat in a body shop for years and never finished. He had moved a couple of times and lost the title.
I have contacted the Michigan Department of State and they are unable to help since it has been so long.
Does anyone now some process to go about getting a title? I am in Ohio.
Thanks

 

Does Ohio title cars that are that old? Some states don't.

 

I don't know about your state, but here in California, I will never do it again, they make it very hard to do, they think they wright all the rules for every state. Even on a old car from a state that just offers a bill of sale, Cal, say you must have a title. To get the car registered in Cal I bought form NH,I had to pay to take out a bond. Never doing it again, not worth it in Cal

 

There are "TITLE" companies out there. I used Broadway title many many times years and years ago. Back then it was $250 but today it cost almost $1200. Not a difficult process just costly.

 

Might try these guys. I have no affiliation with them.

https://legaltags.com/survey?fbclid=...MlG4lEsxC9h_Kw

 

Yes, there are companies that can get you a title. Several are listed in Hemmings.

 

Yes, they do. Thankfully I've never had to deal with a missing title or an out of state title, much less both at the same time.

I bought by ''69 from an estate. That took a while with multiple trips to the BMV and notaries.

To to OP, don't know how legit it is, but I've seen ads for getting titles in states like Montana with minimal paperwork required. I would expect any route you take though will come down to the person at the BMV and how they feel that day. I think there will also be inspections involved too.

 

The owner of the car (the guy that you bought it from) can apply for a lost title if it was titled and registered in his name. How do you know he is the actual owner and was there a title in his name to start with. Yes there are companies that do that sort of thing.

 

^^^^^^^^
Never buy a car without a title. There are many threads on the HAMB regarding cars without titles, what a rabbit hole

 

The only inspection in Ohio is to have the VIN verified; many dealeships do this, and it's free.

And Amen to the person at the BMV! I bought a car in Connecticut, a state that doesn't title cars more than 20 years old. I took a copy of the registration and bill-of-sale to BMV-1 (in the hood), who demanded an original registration. I took the same documents to BMV-2 (suburb/country), and was titled in 10 minutes. Your situation, without title or registration, is going to be tough.

 

I can title a car here in Texas. Once titled here you could then transfer into your name where you live.
this is not a bonded title, a legit Texas title.

 

If I remember correctly, you have to physically get the car to Texas in order to do this:
FromTexas DMV:
If the vehicle has never been titled or registered in Texas, then a vehicle identification number inspection is required from an auto theft investigator on the Law Enforcement Identification Number Inspection (Form VTR-68-A). Authorized inspectors can be found by contacting a local law enforcement agency, an Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority (MVCPA) grantee organization or by contacting a TxDMV Regional Service Center.These inspections are not offered by TxDMV. Upon completion of the inspection, the inspecting officer will provide you with a Form VTR-68-A.

Bought a Vehicle Without a Title? | TxDMV.gov

 

@Oldsguy bought a Vista Cruiser as a parts car in TX but ended up selling it. You might ask him how it worked in TX.

I really think the only use for an untitled classic car is for parts. Unless it happens to be a 42 98 convertible, or maybe a 40 98 Phaeton. Yes, even a 71 98 non-titled coupe is only good for parts.

 

I brought my Mom-in-laws 07 Dodge Avenger to TX from AR after she passed, couldn't find a title for it and used a co. out of Tyler to get us one.
Yes, they send you paperwork and the VTR-68-A is one of them. We were able to drive it to the inspection station and have them sign the form.
Send all that back to the company, they send you back final paperwork to take to the DMV, get new plates and registration, wait 4 to 6 weeks for the title to be mailed, good to go.
If I remember, it was about $350 and postage.

 

Broadway quoted me $500 to title a '53 Pontiac coupe in the mid - late 10's. It has to be considerably more now.

 

What's this?? California making life difficult on people with regulations?? I'm shocked!!

 

This is from
https://itstillruns.com/obtain-title...o-7492149.html

The State of Ohio discourages any vehicle purchase that is not executed with a certificate of title. Additionally, the state does not allow bonded or surety titles, which are used to record provisional proof of ownership in most states around the country. If you have purchased a vehicle without a title and the seller is unavailable or unwilling to apply for a duplicate certificate of title, the Ohio BMV suggests that you contact a county title office, which reviews vehicle purchases without titles on a case-by-case basis.

 

Again, the OP is in Ohio, he'd have ship/drive the car to Texas for this process.

 

I live in Missouri and bought my 72 U code Supreme out of New York and that state does not require titles on cars of a certain age. I feared I was entering into some type of scam, but my Credit Union assured me that it was legit. Turned out to be totally legit and the seller was a very nice, honest guy. So not every 50+ year old car will have a title.

 

New york issues transferable registrations for older vehicles which is essentially the title. If the seller didnt have that paperwork you would have been screwed. So it's not really safe to say the car had no title, or or that some 50 year old cars dont. Every state that doesn't issue a title for old cars uses a transferable registration that the other states recognize as a title, and will require it to transfer ownership. A handful of states will transfer ownership with just a bill of sale, but those loop holes are closing.

 

Hopefully you at least have a bill of sale? If not get one from the seller and have him put the VIN on it and have it notarized. That will give you a starting point. Get proof from Michigan that they can not help. Then jump through Ohio's hoops. Does Ohio have 3rd party DMVs? They are more willing to help than the state.

 

More Ohio fun:..
Ohio titles are issued by Clerk of Courts title offices, not the BMV;.
If the car is registered in a non-title state, the seller's Certificate of Registration with a Notarized Bill of Sale is required

Source: https://clerkweb.summitoh.net/title-faqs

 

In Massachusetts, title is preferred, with a bill of sale, and a complete RTA form, with insurance stamp. If one does not have a title (on a car 20 or 25 years or older), copy of the registration, with the owners name and address, a bill of sale, and an RTA form. There's a third way- involves a bond, and other paperwork. The Mass RMV worked with me (!!!!!!!!!) on a 1969 Buick GS, that I bought from a "yard clean out"....
1. Compose a letter to the previous owner, who is dead, outlining that (you) purchased the car.
2. Send the letter certified mail, to the owners last known address
3. Draft a "summation of ownership, to the best of your knowledge". Type out what you know about the car's ownership history.
4. Bring this letter and have it notarized.
5. Have your local police department complete the VIN visual inspection form.
6. The notarized letter you sent to the last owner should be "undeliverable", and be sent back to you.
7. Complete the RTA form.
8. Bring all of this to the RMV, and ask for a supervisor.
9. Supervisor will contact whomever in the Boston headquarters, who will then approve the title.

I did this and got a clean, Massachusetts title.

 

BTW, @SIXPS let's see some pics of your new Oldsmobile.

 

I bought a car out of Michigan without a title several years ago. I live in Ohio. I stopped into the Michigan Secretary of State (SOS) and inquired about a title. They told me I need a bill of sale and the VIN #. Then they would do a search to see if the car was reported stolen or had a lien on it. The caveat was I had to be a Michigan resident. I had my friend who is a Michigan resident take the paper work to the SOS and did the title search. The car was clean and he was able to have a title made by the SOS. Then he transferred it to me. I hope this helps.

 

The Massachusetts title law requires that all motor vehicles and trailers be titled within 10 days of purchase. Passenger vehicles with a model year of 1980 and older, purchased before November 26, 1990 are exempt from titling
BUT 1980 and older car Titles are available for a fee (which I do)

What is title jumping in Massachusetts? > Illegal in Massachusetts / It skips paying sales tax as the owner / Happens all the time when you buy a car and have the seller NOT fill in your name or date on the title, he just sign it ... and later you fill it out to who ever buys it from you - Dates on the Bill of Sale or Title can mess you up sometimes +-

Title jumping is the act of buying a vehicle and selling it without registering the vehicle in your name. The title “jumps” from one owner to the next, without any record. Title jumping is also known as a jumped title or floated title.

 

Sales tax is just the start. It also skips excise tax every year.

When I bought my 68 442 for $2000 in Roxbury, MA in 2003 it cost the seller $1500 in sales, back excise tax, and penalties to get me a clean title in his name. The title had been floated through at least 2 previous owners but he made the mistake of signing the floated title as the buyer. Had he just left it in the titled owner's name and given it to me I would have been stuck with paying all of the back excise myself. I never titled it myself in MA when I lived there and when I moved to NY and registered it in 09 I only had to pay sales tax on the original purchase price.

Every state is different. I've heard Ohio sucks. I think Myolds72 laid out pretty well what the OP is going to have to do.

 

How does Ohio suck for car purchases? You need a title or a current registration along with a bill of sale to get a title in your name. You pay one time sales tax based on where you live.

Cars over 25 years old can get historical plates which is a one time registration fee of $10. No on going annual costs. You can also use a model year plate.

The same problems exist in every state if you have documentation.

 

In NY anything older than 73 isn’t titled. If you don’t have paperwork it’s fairly easy to fill out a few forms, they do a search, and as long as it doesn’t come back as stolen you get a transferable registration. Can you do that in Ohio?

I bought a 89 Mustang in NY with a NJ title, signed by a seller and buyer about three owners prior to me. I filled out some forms, sent my story on how I came about being the owner of the car, they did a title search and issued me a clear title in my name. Can you do that in Ohio?

all I’m saying is Ohio is known as being a very strict state

 

Still working on title. Does any know of a online place to get a vehicle value this old. I need to have some sort of appraisal valve.
Kelly blue book only goes down to 1992 and edmonds only 1990.
if I can come up with something that shows it is worth less that $2500 I might be ok.

 

You can get a starting price from Hagerty.

Does the car run & drive? If so, that might make it a 3 vs. a 4. Most cruisers you see at any local car show will be a 3 or 2. I've only seen a few cars worthy of being a 1.

 

Nada will also give a value.

 

This link might work better. You need to join to see all the valuations. Their drill down navigation doesn't always show all the models, but you can sometimes edit the urls to get your model.

https://www.hagerty.com/valuation-to...mobile-cutlass

MO, I think they need a 5 which is where your car is. No offense but from the single picture, it looks rough and doesn't meet this 4 definition. It could just be the paint and everything else is good, if that's the case you're probably between a 3 and a 4 and would go to a 2 with paint. Body looks solid,. But too hard too what repairs have been done.

4. Fair#4 vehicles are daily drivers, with flaws visible to the naked eye. The chrome might have pitting, the windshield might be chipped and perhaps the body has a minor dent. Imperfect paintwork, split seams or a cracked dash might be present. No major parts are missing, but there might be non-stock additions. A #4 vehicle can also be a deteriorated restoration.

 

Currently it's basically a parts car, so under $2500 should not be an issue. Again I ask, did the previous owner have the car registered and titled in his name at some point? If so, he can apply for a lost title.

 

I will only add that all the discussion about states other than OH don't apply. OP SIXPS lives in OH and that is the state motor vehicle dept that matters, call Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) in OH. Not any other state's rules. At a minimum OP should have a notarized bill of sale (BoS), as OH is one of the states that requires notary on title transfers; helps to be more legit. Plus will need to have the VIN verified, which can be done at BMV, which requires taking vehicle there. Then go to the title office, which yes OH has the title office as a different place than the one that does plates and registration. Talk to the title office and get their input on what may be required in addition to the BoS and VIN verification. For sure it will need a search to check it is not in stolen vehicle database.

 

So far I have gotten as low as $3240



https://classiccarvalue.com/results?...hBUkRUT1AifQ==

 

you can get a Michigan title. It's not that difficult

 

I might be late to the party, but Vermont will allow you to register a car without a title in Vermont even if you don't live in Vermont- or so I was told by a guy who buys a lot of old cars. Then, Vermont will issue a title to you, and with that title, you can go back to your home state and register the car, and they will issue you a new title.

Here in Massachusetts a few years back- maybe 10 years now- I acquired a motorcycle from Maine. 1986 Suzuki, it had belonged to my brother who was KIA in Iraq in 2006. I wanted to restore it, kind of a project to honor his memory. All Mass required was a bill of sale and the most recent copy of the registration. With a expired but formerly valid registration certificate from Maine and a proper bill of sale from the current owner, they ran a VIN check (to be sure it wasn't stolen) and issued a Massachusetts title for the bike.

I've since added the correct vinyl to the bike.

 

You are correct about Vermont - many cars & bikes with title issues end up getting what we call WASHED Titles through Vermont

 

Thanks for confirming Charlie. It was a few years ago and I never actually had to do it myself.