Two Names on the Title in Texas

[gizmo0923]

My husband co-signed on a car for one of our daughters in 1997. She has left the state and is no longer speaking to us. The car has been left here in Texas. We fear that the car may be towed, leaving us financially liable. Barring contacting her, (which could prove to be a very confrontational and non-productive situation ) is there a way for my husband to get his name off the title?

[aaron]

Are you sure he's on the title? Being a cosigner usually means that you're only on the loan, not the title.

[gizmo0923]

Yes. The loan was paid in full and we have the title in hand. Thank you for your reply, aaron. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. (I've been in the hospital.)

[aaron]

If you're on the title and don't have keys, you should be able to get a set of keys through a dealership, and you can use them to move the car. That doesn't resolve all of the issues, but at least the car won't be towed.

[gizmo0923]

We have the keys, so that won't be a problem. We're just very puzzled as to how to resolve the title issue. As we understand it, one or the other must sign over the title to sell the car, then register it again in a single owner name. Is that correct? Thanks.

[aaron]

Is the title "Dad and Daughter" or "Dad or Daughter"? If it's "and", and she won't sign the title over, or you can explore what type of court order you could obtain to bypass that requirement (and how much it would cost) - but that's not what I would consider a particularly good or efficient manner of resolution.

[gizmo0923]

The title just lists his name on one line and her name on the second line.