Sold a Car, Signed Title, Canceled Insurance, Texas Dept of Insurance Letter

**dawn14320** · 03-15-2012, 10:55 AM

My question involves vehicle registration or title in the state of: Texas
My dad sold a car to someone (through my brother), neither one of them know the buyers name, all they have is a phone number that he wont answer anymore. The buyer told my dad he was going straight to get the title changed... yeah right! Within a few days of buying it the man sold it to someone else. Now my dad called the title company and they said he needs to hire a lawyer to fight this because the man legally couldn't sell a car that he didn't own. My dad go a letter from the Texas Dept of Insurance saying that he wasn't carrying insurance on a vehicle that he owned, what does he need to do about all of this chaos? Please help me help my Dad.

**flyingron** · 03-15-2012, 11:09 AM

How do I notify TxDMV that I have sold my vehicle?

Let us know the vehicle is no longer yours by filing a vehicle transfer notification. You only have 30 days from the vehicle's sale date to submit the vehicle transfer notification to protect yourself.

After we receive your transfer notification request, we will update the record to show the vehicle as sold. When you file the notification within 30 days, you cannot be held responsible for such things as parking tickets and toll violations that may be committed by the person who bought your vehicle.

Another way to protect yourself, is to always keep your license plates whenever you sell a vehicle. You can transfer the plates to another vehicle.

**dawn14320** · 03-15-2012, 11:23 AM

Its been 4 months... and my dad didn't keep the license plates, I know it sounds crazy. I don't even know what he was thinking. What kind of trouble can he get in?

**flyingron** · 03-16-2012, 05:57 AM

He is likely to get charged with all those things mentioned: failure to insure, parking tickets, toll violations, etc...
He might get off in court if he could provide convincing evidence that he in fact bona fide sold the car prior, but things are stacked against him.

He should run, not walk, to the DMV and report the same NOW. At least that will prevent further things from acruing (but doesn't fix the stuff he's already been cited for since he missed the 30 day window).