Buying an out-of-state car, with expired tags, and no title. Some help please? Cali.

[Teh Luckinator]

Well fuck, where do I start.

I'm currently in the process of buying a car. Conditions:

Person I'm buying it from is not the owner
Car has Utah tags
Tags expired in 2007
Don't have the title
Original owner is in Utah
Original owner tried getting a duplicate title, they won't give it to him because of back fees
Doesn't wanna pay back fees (fucker!)

Basically the dude I'm buying the car from is a handyman or some shit, he did a job for some guy and the guy gave him the car since he couldn't pay. Well, the car was never registered under the handyman's name (person I'm buying it from), thus, no paperwork. I'm not even sure if the handyman can get a hold of the original owner.

The car is a fucking steal, but I'm wondering how to go about this.

First thing that popped up in my mind was to do some sort of lien sale, so I talked to my buddy who works at a towing yard, and he said that it would cost around $700, and would take 45 days because of the process. Fuck.

It'd be a lot easier if I had the title, but I don't.

Any ideas? If I could get my hands on the title that would probably solve a lot of problems, but I'm assuming I couldn't even get it if I tried, because I'm not the original owner.

I'm in California btw.

[I LUV MY S13]

dont buy it

[Teh Luckinator]

good advice.

[Bubbles]

Originally Posted by I LUV MY S13

dont buy it

Originally Posted by Teh Luckinator

good advice.

Truer words man.

[I LUV MY S13]

i mean what are your plans for the car? track or daily?

i mean if its gonna be a track car then fuck it go for it, just trailer it to events...but as a daily, not worth it

[SeXi_BaRbEe_Drifter]

+2 dont buy it

[negrosx13]

Back fees??????????

Soo He needs to have the title to sell that car,no if or but. Or be ready to have headache of problem getting one. I almost lost the title of my car before i even had chance to register it..lol. best part was the title was still under the owner 2nd or 3rd owner and i was getting ready to register as the 4th.Long story short...There is ways of getting a title thru DMV but its PAIN THE ASS.

PS-I did end up finding the title in some random book but i had already started the paper work with dmv to get in contract with pass owner

[ayuaddict]

since you're not on AIM.

get a title-less-transfer-form from the DMV and just mail it to him, have him mail it back signed (forge that shit with his consent).

[BustedS13]

expired tags are not your concern.
the fact that it HAS NO TITLE should send up a red flag. i would never buy a (less than 25 years old) car with no title, especially a 240sx in the western US, because it's stolen.
i'd get a carfax, just for fun.

[theicecreamdan]

no title in state is no problem

Out of state you need the title.

[SlideWell]

no title and not registered owner = DONT buy it. car fax it just to see if its stolen, then make another phone call to a his local department in necessary

[BoostSlideWayz]

DUDE do not do it.. i sware to you its a lie... i was in the same position as you... i saw a supra for sale... he was far away.. i talked to the person who claims to have the car.. we literaly were a few clicks away from sending him the 10k and then i started to see usual supras for alot more.. so we called this car shipping company and they said its good we called cuz it sounded to them like a scam. dude im telling you your not gonna get a car.. ur just gonna send your money and wait and wait and wait.

[alpha180sx]

dont buy it, thats a lot of hassle specially it is out of state. even the price is a steal it gives u a headache in return.

[D.Adams]

1 never buy a car from someone that isnt the owner

2 it sounds like a scam.

3 if you cant see / touch / drive the car do not buy it

4 ask for the vin call your local police station and have them run it. Most will do it for free i have had that done to all my cars

[LimeLite Racing]

What kind of car is it?

[jimmytango00]

this is how it works......


1. call his local police department and give them the VIN number and tell them to check to see if the car has been reported stolen.

2. Run a car fax.

3. you can apply for a lien sale, but this is where it gets tricky. They will register the car to you but they will contact the last registered owner and if he/she wants the car they can reclaim it and that leaves you with no money and no car. They have about 90 days to respond to the DMV , so if no one claims it after 90 the car is yours.


I personally wouldn't do it, to risky.

[Teh Luckinator]

Sweet I got some good feedback.

I should have mentioned, I got SOME paperwork, I'm not exactly sure what. Let me go check.

/goes and checks

"Vehicle Registration Certificate"

Has original owner's address, VIN +, year make and model of the car, blah blah blah.

I guess I should have mentioned that I test drove the car too. I touched it, etc. Dude seemed legit, but like you guys said you can never be too sure. I have the VIN though, anyone have Carfax?

4S3BK6354S6315204

I think ayuaddict hit it on the money though, I like your idea. Deleted that's why I IMed you last night hahaha.

The deal with the dude I'm buying it from, he has paperwork with the signature of the original owner, so I can forge it. And he has the original owner's phone number too, but he said something about the guy being in the process of moving or some shit.

[BustedS13]

Originally Posted by Teh Luckinator

Snip that's why I IMed you last night hahaha.

now you fucked up
now you fucked up
you have fucked up now
now you have fucked up

[Teh Luckinator]

Originally Posted by BustedS13

now you fucked up
now you fucked up
you have fucked up now
now you have fucked up

WOOO WOOO

DATS DA SOUND O DA POLEEES

WOOO WOOO

DATS DA SOUND O DA POLEEES

Good thing I'm black.

[Teh Luckinator]

I just realized though, Yuta, does that titleless transfer form work for an out-of-state car? Wait so let's recap

Car is in Lodi
I'm In Stockton (15 minutes away)
Sat in it, test drove it, smashed in it, got VIN number, etc
Handyman doesn't own the car, but knows the guy who owns it
Handyman got the car because the original owner he did work for couldn't pay
Original owner doesn't want the car, gave the car away already
Original owner doesn't wanna pay back fees, BUT doesn't mean he wants to keep the car
I have signature of the original owner (let's forge some shit)

Here's the paper I got:



Yeah I don't know, WTF Utah.