Any of you guys had any dealings with applying for a lost title?

Here's the story. A chick asks me if I wanna buy her car. I know the girl, Ive seen the car. I know the girl has never screwed me over but I wouldn't put it past her. She "lost" the title but says she can apply for a new one. I know, never buy a car without a clear title. But it was only $600 and I was gonna build a drag car anyway. But I'd like to have it registered so I can drive it on the street. We write up a BILL OF SALE, I sign it, she signs it, and two witnesses sign it. I didn't write the VIN # on it because the car wasn't there yet and no title. Well she has the car towed to my shop. I look it over, needs work. NO big deal. About what I expected. I notice the windshield is busted and the dash cap is missing. No biggy, I'll just replace them both. Then I notice the VIN plate is gone, and the car has been repainted so no vin stickers anywhere. SO now I'm thinking she just bent me over, cause there's prally a lean on the car.

Well today, i'm out scrounging through the car, pop open the glove box, clean all the trash out and there its... a glowing haze from the glove box, angels decending from heaven sustaining one long heavenly note... and the VIN sticker on the inside of the glove box... SO now what do I do? Call the court house and see if there's a lean, or see about applyng for a lost title?

I wonder why the VIN plate was removed anyway? Was it because she borrowed money against it and didn't want the tow truck driver to be able to read the VIN when he came to repo it? Or did someone else have a VIN plate missing problem and now its on there car?

What should I do?

 

Each state is different. I looked on the Mississippi state DMV's website and found this:
http://www.mstc.state.ms.us/title/forms/78006001.pdf
(click "NO" on the popup advertisement)
they also list the following form if the VIN has been altered, is missing, etc:
http://www.mstc.state.ms.us/title/forms/78017021.pdf

poke around their website, looks like all kinds of stuff depending on the details..

 

DAMN! Thanks man, That looks like it might work.

 

will carfax will tell you if there's a lean, who was the last owner

 

If it's anything like here, to get the title you'd have to put up a bond based on the value of the vehicle and they issue you a title. From the sound of it, it'd be less then $100, and after 3 years you get the bond amount back if no one can show a rightful claim to the vehicle.

 

I've heard it's a lot easier to get a title by saying "my shop caught fire and the title was in there", then it is to file for a lost one. A guy I know messes with old cars and gets his titles this way all the time.

 

I seem to remember when my wife sold her Civic, she called the DMV about getting a new one b/c she lost the original. The DMV showed there was still a lien on the car. She had to go to the bank she financed through to get paperwork stating that there is no longer a lien on the car. After she got that, with yet another trip to the DMV & photo ID, the title was hers. But, that's just Louisiana.