Are you a licensed automotive repair shop or a storage facility stuck with an abandoned vehicle? If so, you may be eligible to file for a mechanic’s lien or storage lien to recover the costs of repairing or storing an abandoned vehicle.
A mechanic’s lien is a legal right that attaches to real property (in this case, the property being the vehicle) and protects mechanics who have done work on a car. Mechanics are able to file liens against cars after they have performed repairs/repairs on them because they have been damaged by the owner. The purpose of this law is to prevent mechanics from having their work go unpaid by people who abandon their cars before paying for repairs.
A storage lien is similar in nature to a mechanic’s lien, but it is allowed to be filed by storage facilities that do not necessarily repair motor vehicles and requires that you first store the abandoned vehicle before filing for one. The storage lien gives you priority over other creditors who may want to claim their property back from storage facilities.
The mechanic’s lien process starts with your filing a lien claim with the county clerk’s office in the county where the vehicle is stored. To file a mechanic’s lien or storage lien, follow all instructions for notification of the owner and lienholders. You will likely have to post ads in a circulating newspaper and will likely be required to auction off the vehicle at a public auction after the mechanic’s lien process is complete. If you don’t take action within the appropriate time frame, you risk losing your right to collect on your mechanic’s lien or storage lien claim.
A mechanic’s lien or storage lien must be filed within a specific amount of time. Your county will determine the applicable time frame.
In most states, the deadline for filing a mechanic’s lien is 30 days after you’ve been paid in full. If you don’t file within that time frame, you may lose your right to file a lien claim. In some states, the filing deadline is longer than 30 days after payment. You should check with your county clerk or DMV to find out what the deadline is in your state. Some states allow mechanics to extend this deadline if they can prove that they made every reasonable effort to notify their customer of the need for payment but were unable to do so because of an unforeseen event such as fire or natural disaster.
When it comes to filing a mechanic’s lien, there are several steps that you must take. While the exact steps depend on your state laws, you will typically need to file a notice at the courthouse where the vehicle is located, publish a legal notice in a local newspaper, send a notice to the owner of the abandoned vehicle, and place a notice on the car itself. The benefits of filing a mechanic’s lien or storage lien are immense for automotive repair and storage facilities. Before filing, make sure you know your state’s process so you can get the payday you’ve been waiting for.
CarTitles.com takes the hassle out of filing a mechanic’s lien. Get started with us today!
Ready to file a storage lien? StorageTitles.com is the premier provider of storage lien filing support and assistance.
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Can you get a car title with a bill of sale? Yes, you can get a car title with a bill of sale, but only in certain situations.
A bill of sale is proof of the vehicle transaction. The bill of sale does not prove ownership of the vehicle, just that the sale of the vehicle occurred. A bill of sale is a legal document used to transfer ownership from one person to another. It can be used as proof of ownership when selling a vehicle privately or through a dealership. In all states, the seller needs to complete and sign the bill of sale before handing over the title.
For more tips regarding your bill of sale, check out our article How to Write a Bill of Sale.
There are a few circumstances where a state will allow a vehicle to be registered with only a bill of sale. Those circumstances generally are:
The Vermont title loophole, more formally known as the Vermont registration process, is one of the most common ways to get a title for a vehicle using only a bill of sale. While vehicles that are 15 years or older can be registered in Vermont, they cannot be titled under Vermont law. This means that the registration document provided by the Vermont DMV is legally equivalent to a vehicle title in that state. With this legal proof of ownership, you can use this in lieu of a prior title to obtain a new title in your name.
Learn more about the Vermont title loophole!
If your vehicle doesn’t meet the model year criteria for the Vermont title loophole, a bonded title is another valuable way to obtain a title using a bill of sale if your state allows for this method. Currently, only 35 out of the 50 U.S. states allow for a bonded title process. A bonded title requires you to obtain a vehicle title bond, or surety bond, to secure your claim of ownership.
Learn more about the bonded title process!
In some states, titles are not required or optional for certain model-year vehicles. Typically, these model years vehicles are upwards of 25+ years old. For example, in Georgia, you can obtain a vehicle registration that is equivalent to a title for model years 1962 and older. Because titling is not required for these vehicles, similar to the Vermont title loophole, the Georgia registration document is equivalent to a title for that vehicle.
Overall, unless your vehicle meets these specific requirements, it will likely not be possible to get a title using only a bill of sale. But if your vehicle meets this criterion, these are very valuable and reputable methods to obtain a vehicle title. CarTitles.com takes the hassle out of applying for a title for your vehicle. Our team of title experts can help prepare your paperwork for any title method provided.
If you are trying to title your vehicle in Florida, but find that you are missing important ownership documents, a bonded title may be a valuable alternative method to title your vehicle.
A bonded title is a type of title recovery method that requires the purchase of a surety bond, also known as a vehicle title bond, to secure the ownership of the vehicle. This is because, in order to receive a bonded title, you must have a major lack of proper documentation. The DMV in your state is essentially taking your word that you are the owner of the vehicle. The vehicle title bond provides security for the DMV to assign the ownership in the event that there is an ownership discrepancy after the bonded title is issued.
To get a bonded title in Florida, you must provide the following completed official documents to your local DMV:
To apply for a bonded title, Florida law requires that the vehicle identification number (VIN) and the odometer be verified. The number on the odometer of the vehicle must be accurately reflected on this form. Federal and state law requires that this information be accurate and failure to provide accurate information may result in fines and/or imprisonment.
VIN verification requires a physical inspection of the VIN of the vehicle. This is an official process and must be completed by an authorized agent such as a Florida licensed dealer, law enforcement officer, military police officer, or the Florida Compliance Inspector. VIN verification is required to ensure that the vehicle is permitted to be titled under federal and state laws. Certain VINs or replacement parts may be found in the NMVTIS database and unable to be titled if the vehicle was rebuilt or previously damaged.
This document must be completed by the surety company that issues you your vehicle title bond. The bond amount needed for Florida is 2x the value of the vehicle. This doesn’t mean that if your vehicle is worth $5,000 that you’ll have to pay $10,000 to get a title. Most vehicle title bonds cost a fraction of the actual value, typically at around $100-$200. The reason that applicants are required to purchase a bond with such a high value is that if there is a true discrepancy in ownership, the terms of the bond may cause you to pay the full amount to cover any damages.
A title bond can be purchased by any surety bond agency that is permitted to sell vehicle title bonds in Florida. Our partners at ProBonds.com are experts at providing vehicle title bonds and can issue title bonds for vehicles in Florida.
A Florida bonded title is a very valuable method to obtain a vehicle title if you are missing ownership documents. CarTitles.com takes the hassle out of applying for a title for your vehicle. Our team of title experts can help prepare your paperwork for any title method provided. Get started with your bonded title process!
Looking for a title bond? Get started with ProBonds.com!
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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!
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Do you currently have a vehicle with an MV907A from New York that needs to be transferred to a vehicle title? New York, like some other states, allows for salvage vehicles to be rebuilt and titled for future road use. Unlike other states, New York is notorious for its rigid and strict inspection and titling procedures for these brands of vehicles.
If you’ve purchased a vehicle from auction, you’ve likely received a salvage certificate known as form MV907A. This form is not equivalent to a vehicle title but is used as official proof of ownership to obtain a vehicle title, according to the New York DMV.
In New York, a vehicle is considered salvage if:
Before a salvage vehicle can be officially titled, the vehicle must be inspected by the New York DMV Auto Theft & Salvage Unit. Using the Salvage Examination/Title Application (MV83SAL), provide the following information about the vehicle:
On the second page of this form, you’ll be required to notate all major parts of the vehicle that were repaired, the type of salvage vehicle you are titling, and itemize all body repairs. Your MV907A form should tell you what type of salvage your vehicle is considered:
For every salvage vehicle, the insurance claim will record the major components that need to be replaced prior to inspection. In order to pass the New York salvage inspection, all of the repairs completed must match the insurance claim. If parts have not been replaced in accordance with the insurance claim, the vehicle will be rejected. Additionally, you must keep all receipts from parts you’ve used as replacements for your vehicle. At the time of your inspection, you must present all original receipts to the inspector and/or ownership documents for any of the items replaced. The receipts and/or ownership documents must present the vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle that the parts were taken. The reason for this is to prevent a vehicle from being rebuilt with faulty or unsafe vehicle parts from previously damaged vehicles.
The New York DMV has provided a checklist to avoid rejection of your application for a vehicle title. To ensure your application is approved, make sure all required forms are included and properly signed:
*When proof of ownership is submitted, it will not be returned.
Once you’ve gathered all of the required documents and receipts, mail your New York Salvage Examination/Title Application to the Auto Theft & Salvage Unit to set up an appointment for the inspection. The Division of Field Investigation will notify you of the date, time, and address of your appointment.
If you’re using the MV907A form, you must complete the salvage inspection process in order to obtain a title. New York’s laws regarding salvage title inspections are so strict, that other states include in their statutes that if someone has an MV907A from New York, no other state can do anything about it. The only way to get a title for a vehicle if it’s been issued an MV907A in New York is to go through the salvage inspection process in the state. This form does not transfer to any of the other 50 states and if it’s received by another state DMV, they are not permitted to do anything with it.
Even though New York is notorious for strict salvage vehicle inspection laws, they still provide the ability to get a title for a salvage vehicle. If you’re looking to purchase a salvage vehicle, make sure to do your research and homework on the vehicle before making your decision.
Looking for assistance with your salvage vehicle? Our partners at JunkTitle.com can help you get a title for a salvage vehicle.
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What do you do when your car title is signed in the wrong spot? It’s a common scenario: You bought a car from a private seller and now you’re in the process of transferring its title and registration over to you. But when you take a closer look at the signed title, you realize something is not right. The seller of your vehicle accidentally signed it in the wrong spot. Now what?
The certificate of title (also known as the “pink slip”) is a legal document that indicates the vehicle’s owner. If your car title is signed in the wrong spot, the DMV will consider it to be invalid. It is important to have a title that is free of errors; otherwise, this can cause major problems for you when attempting to sell or register your vehicle. If you purchased a vehicle and realize the seller signed the prior title in the wrong spot, there are two possible ways to fix this:
Do not try to correct the mistake yourself. It’s best to take the title as it is back to the DMV and see if they will accept it. Depending on the reason why your signature is in the wrong spot, they may still accept it and process your title transfer. If you have made other corrections to the title, such as crossing out incorrect information or adding notes to indicate that information was missing when you received it, your title may be rejected even if everything else is filled out correctly.
Try contacting the seller to get you a duplicate title. This is the easiest way to go about it. The seller will have more success in getting a duplicate title since they’re still listed as the owner of the car and they have all of their identification readily available. If you’re having problems getting the seller to help you, try completing the paperwork for them so all they have to do is sign the duplicate title application. Remember, only the seller can apply for a duplicate title since the prior title has not yet been transferred to your name.
Make sure you check your car title for errors before signing it. It’s incredibly easy to make mistakes at this step in the car title transfer process, so don’t make the same mistake that countless other drivers have made before you. Once you sign on the wrong line and have a hassle on your hands to deal with, it can be difficult to ever make things right again. Remember, if you wait too long to fix your car title error, you could end up having problems later on down the road.
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