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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Posts
    1

    Default Buying a Car from a Third Party Where the Title Owner is Deceased

    My question involves vehicle registration or title in the state of: SC

    A little back groud.... I recently purchased a 1967 Austin Mini Cooper from FL. The seller did have a title, unfortunately it had not been transferred for some time.... and he was not the gentleman on the title. So what I have is the original 1968 title from Ohio from the original owner. Signed over to someone (not the seller in 1970) who bought the car for $175. At some point in time, I believe this car was simply parked in his garage because of minor body damage (simply not worth fixing back then).... 30 years slipped by and he never bothered transferring the title. I actually do have the application he filled out for a title but never submitted from 1972.

    I attempted to track down the purchaser, but it seems he died in 1998. His son was also named shared the same name (Jr.), but he died in 2005. So the best I can piece together, the car was likely sold by a family member after they passed -- who passed along the title they had. I believe it was intended to be parted out by the last purchaser but instead it sat in a warehouse for another 16 years. I could not find anything on the seller -- I did find one guy that might be him but he would be 96 years old. There is simply to little info on the title to track them down.

    I stumbled on the car. I have great hopes to restore it; to get it back on the road. But that will only make sense to do if I can get the title transferred to my name. I am hopeful that there is a way to do this -- considering this title is 46 years old. The lady I spoke with at the DMV felt it should be possible with a court order - I have no clue what I would need to show them or how I would go about getting that. Any information on whether or not this is possible, and what the next steps would be, would greatly be appreciated.

    It would stink to permanently park a car because someone did not properly transfer ownership that long ago. The car still has a 1970 ohio tag on it.

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    18,340

    Default Re: Buying a Car from a Third Party Where the Title Owner is Deceased

    Quote Quoting mikes1098
    View Post
    The lady I spoke with at the DMV felt it should be possible with a court order - I have no clue what I would need to show them or how I would go about getting that. Any information on whether or not this is possible, and what the next steps would be, would greatly be appreciated.
    What you do is call around to local attorneys to find out who is experienced in that kind of thing and then you pay him $300 per hour to handle it for you.

    Quote Quoting mikes1098
    View Post

    It would stink to permanently park a car because someone did not properly transfer ownership that long ago.
    It would be nobody's fault but your own for buying a car with such an obvious title issue.

    Some states allow an owner to post a bond. I did not find anything to indicate that South Carolina allows that.

    However, North Carolina and Georgia allow it:

    http://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/vehicle/tit...d/default.html

    http://dor.georgia.gov/getting-georg...ed_links-486-1

    You might try to get the car titled in one of those states by posting a bond. I don't know if you can do it as a non-resident unless you can trump up an address or have a resident title it in their name and then convey title to you.

    No matter what you do it's going to cost you lots of money to get this resolved. The car's probably worth it.

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