[blparent] OFF Topic: Question about Car Titles

[Michael Baldwin]

Jo Elizabeth,

Hi, I am blind, and have owned several cars in the state of Iowa and
Nebraska.  Each states laws on car titling is different, so it is hard to
say in your situation.  But normally, when you buy a car from an individual,
or a dealer, you need to get at least two things.  A signed title from them
as the seller, and a signed receipt, with the date the car was sold, any
warranty on the car, or sold as is, and the sales price, and weather or not
it was paid in full, or if any payment terms need to be met.  Most states
DMV (department of Motor Vehicle) will have the information on their
website.

Then you take that title, where the owner is signing the car over to you,
and the sales receipt to your local DMV office, and they will make the
change in their computer system, issue you a new title under your name, give
you a current registration, and a new license plate with a sticker that
indicates the expiration of the plate.  

So, you do not even get the registration until the car is in your name.  As
far as needing insurance to get the plates, that is pretty common anymore.
But there is no reason your insurance agent can't insure the car with you as
the owner.  They just include you on the policy, and list you as a
non-driver.  I have used progressive, and American family, and both
insurance companies were able to do this.  They will also need to list
anyone else that is driving the car.

If your not able to get around the issue, you can right up a promissory
note, which states that  the daughter is to make payments, listing out the
payment details, and you're a lean holder on the property, which is the car
until the promissory note has been satisfactorily completed.  In this case,
the daughter will be the main owner on the title, and you will be listed as
a lean holder on that vehicle.  The vehicle can not be sold unless the lean
has been removed.  This also gives you more legal rights, IF it were to come
to that.  Might also be less expensive in the long run.  If the title is in
your name, then you give her the car after it is paid off, the title has to
be switched in to her name, and there are fees and taxes associated with
that.  This also puts the responsibility for insurance in the daughter's
court, and removes you from any problem if she were to get sued because of
an accident or something, because as the owner of the car, you are
ultimately responsible for the actions of anyone driving that car, weather
it be an accident, drugs, or whatever.

Hope this helps some.

Michael Baldwin
Got print, need Braille?
http://www.ReadWithDots.com

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Jo Elizabeth Pinto
Sent: Thursday, December 31, 2009 4:28 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: [blparent] OFF Topic: Question about Car Titles

Sorry for the off topic post, but you all are a great resource, and I was
hoping someone could answer a question about car titles for me.  If you want
to take this off list, that's fine, please write to me at
jopinto at pcdesk.net.  Thanks.

The situation is that I would like to buy a used car for Gerald's
eighteen-year-old daughter to drive, and have her make payments to me till I
get my money back and then the car is hers.  We found a safe, reliable,
practical used car, which wasn't an easy thing to do.  The problem is, to
get the car title in my name, I need registration.  To get registration, I
need proof of insurance.  And to get proof of insurance, I need a valid
driver's license, which I can't get, for obvious reasons.  Is there any way
around the problem besides putting the car in Gerald's name?  I can do that
if I have to, but I'm thinking there has to be some way of working it out.
It's just like owning any other property, I would guess, except that I
wouldn't actually get behind the wheel.

Any help is appreciated.  Thanks.

Jo Elizabeth

Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify
the hunters.--African Proverb
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