How To Get An Abandoned Vehicle Title in Kansas

If you are a landlord or private property owner in Kansas and a tenant leaves a vehicle on your property, you may be eligible to use the abandoned vehicle process to sell the vehicle. In this state, if a vehicle is left abandoned after a tenant’s lease has expired, the landlord can take legal steps after 30 days to sell or dispose of the vehicle.

What is considered an abandoned vehicle in Kansas?

For this purpose, an abandoned vehicle is a motor vehicle, not a mobile or manufactured home, that is left unattended by the former legal tenant in the possession of the property owner for a period of at least 30 days. It is important to note that the abandoned vehicle process in Kansas cannot begin until the vehicle has been abandoned for at least 30 days. Attempts to begin the process before 30 days will be denied.

Abandoned vehicle title process in Kansas

To begin the abandoned vehicle title process, first, download the Landlord’s Affidavit (TR-125). This document will be used throughout the process. On this document, you must provide the following:

• Dwelling address (the property address where the vehicle was abandoned and the tenant was residing)
• Vehicle make
• Vehicle year
• Vehicle style (Sedan 4DR, Coupe, Truck, SUV, etc.)
• Vehicle identification number (VIN)
• Tenant’s name
• Date the vehicle was abandoned/surrendered*

*This date is crucial to your application and all future timelines will be based upon the date provided in this section. You cannot begin the abandoned vehicle process until the vehicle has been in your possession for at least 30 days.

Public notification

At least 15 days prior to the intended sale, you must place a notice in the newspaper or another circulating publication. The sale must state the following information:

• The former tenant’s name
• Vehicle year
• Vehicle make
• Vehicle identification number (VIN)
• Planned date of sale or disposal

In to this, you must request the current registered owner and lienholder information from the Kansas Department of Revenue.

Verification of the registered owner

The owner of the vehicle is the individual or people listed on the front of the vehicle title and it may not be the same person as the former tenant. You must request registered owner and lienholder information from the Kansas Department of Revenue using the Request of Vehicle Record form (TR/DL-302).

At least 7 days after the newspaper publication, you must make a copy of the publication and send it to all current owners and lienholders as provided by the Department of Revenue. This must be made by certified mail and the receipts will be needed later in the process. If there are no claims of ownership or other discrepancies, the sale or disposal may continue as planned.

Selling the vehicle and applying for a title

All documents, including the landlord’s affidavit, must be presented to the purchaser at the time of sale. Within 60 days of purchase, the purchaser is responsible for submitting these documents to the county treasurer’s office when making the application for title or title and registration. For this case, you must apply for registration and title at the county treasurer’s office, not the DMV.

The following documents are required to accompany the Landlord’s affidavit when applying for title and registration:

• Proof of the former tenant’s residency (lease agreement or equivalent)
• Copy of the newspaper publication
• All certified or registered mail receipts from letters to owners and lienholders
• Verification of the last registered owner (from the Department of Revenue)
• If the last registered owner was not the tenant, the landlord must provide proof that they attempted to contact those individuals according to the record provided.
• If the vehicle was not last titled and registered in Kansas, you must complete a Vehicle Identification Number Verification (MVE-1) which comes with a minimum fee of $20.

The abandoned vehicle process is a useful tool for Kansas landlords working with former tenants who leave behind a vehicle. This process removes the hassle of navigating disputes with tenants and the burden of upkeep or removal from the landlord. As long as the landlord meets certain criteria and carefully follows the timeline of events, success can be found using the abandoned vehicle process.

For more information, let us help you get started on your Abandoned Vehicle Process.

Want a CarTitles.com professional to do it for you?

For as little as $159 for most processes, we will save you the headache and prepare all of the car title paperwork needed to get you a new title. Simply choose the title recovery method you’d like to use and we’ll get started!

Select your title recovery method:

Order Vermont Title LoopholeOrder Deceased Owner Title TransferOrder Bonded Title ProcessOrder Abandoned Vehicle ProcessOrder Prior Owner ContactOrder Lien Release Request Letter