Abandoned Vehicle Titles

So how do you go about getting a title for an abandoned vehicle? First, let’s talk about what it means to be an abandoned vehicle. Definition of an abandoned vehicle means that the owner of the vehicle has intentionally abandoned the vehicle. They have disclaimed all need and want for that car. It’s not an alternative method of getting a title for a car that you’ve acquired another way. If you purchased a car or bought it off Craigslist or somehow it was transferred to you, but you just lost the title on the paperwork, that’s not an abandoned car. An abandoned car is one where the owner is intentionally disclaiming rights to the vehicle. Truly abandon means that the legal owner has intentions they don’t want it. That triggers an abandoned vehicle law.

The Legal Process
Now that law will allow for a title to pass over to a new owner, but that process isn’t just as simple as Finders Keepers. Whoever finds the car, it’s a process of going through being towed from where it’s located by a licensed towing company. That towing company has to be part of the towing rotation for that jurisdiction. The police department is usually involved; they call the next towing company out of rotation. It’s towed from wherever it is, it’s held for a certain period of time, and then it’s auctioned off. That way it protects the right of that vehicle owner so that whatever the value of the car is will go to the vehicle owner. Now it’s subtracted out for the price of the towing, for the storage, usually there’s not much left over for the vehicle owner.

Protection Against Loss
But the reason why that process is in place is to protect against a very high-value vehicle. Let’s say there’s a car that’s worth ten or fifteen thousand dollars that somehow is abandoned or lost track of. That value isn’t absorbed by somebody or doesn’t become a liability to the owner to lose their car. So it’s going to go through a legal process so that the value of the vehicle when the car is auctioned is paid to the towing company, but they first subtract their fee for towing and storage. The rest is given to the last title donor.

Alternative Methods
So if you have a car that is abandoned somewhere, you can go through that process. But if the only reason you’re looking at an abandoned vehicle process is to get a title for a car you’ve acquired otherwise, there are other processes to go through that actually cost less money and are more of a direct process for you to get a title.

Consider Other Scenarios
There’s another thing to consider. The car that you think is abandoned could have a legitimate scenario. It could be in storage, the person could be on vacation, they could be overseas in the military, there could be a number of reasons. It also could have a lien on it. The person could have left it because they didn’t finish paying the payments. In that case, the bank owns it. It’s not abandoned, the bank just doesn’t know where it is.

Conclusion
So there are laws for abandoned vehicles to pass over title, but it’s not a substitute for title recovery just because you don’t have a title for a vehicle or it’s difficult to get. If you think the title is difficult to get, contact us at our website, consumerstitle.org. We can have our title experts look at your scenario and find a way that you can figure out how to get a title all by yourself.

Visit Our YouTube Channel for more insights and discussions on various topics. Consider subscribing to our YouTube channel. Click here!

Illinois Lost Vehicle Title

So how do you get a duplicate car title in the state of Illinois?

Application Process
In Illinois, you apply for a duplicate title through the Secretary of State using form VSD-190. You can fill out the form online, print it out, or submit it.

Duplicate Car Title Fee
If you had lost your car title in Illinois, look very hard to find it because their duplicate car title fee is $95. It’s one of the highest in the country. Most states charge ten or fifteen or twenty dollars. Illinois charges almost $100, so look very carefully for that title before you go through the lost title process.

Completing the Form
If you fill out that form, make sure you complete the mileage section. Without the mileage filled in properly, they will reject the form and they won’t send you a title.

Out-of-State Residents
Also, out-of-state residents may not apply for an Illinois duplicate title if they purchase the vehicle without a title from an Illinois resident. You have to have that Illinois resident fill out that form.

Receiving the Duplicate Title
Once it’s done and you submit it, they’ll send you this piece of paper with your name on it evidencing you’re the owner of the car. But make sure you look hard or try to find that title before spending $100 to get another one.

Visit Our YouTube Channel for more insights and discussions on various topics. Consider subscribing to our YouTube channel. Click here!

Colorado Lost Vehicle Title

So how do I get a lost car title in the state of Colorado? Colorado is one of the least expensive states to get a duplicate replacement title.

Form and Cost
They have form numbered ER to 539. It’s a very simple form to fill out at all. It costs eight dollars in Colorado and is done through the Department of Revenue.

Identification Requirements
You need to show ID with that application to make sure you are the legal title owner. Be sure to fill out that form carefully because there’s no refund if there’s an error. They don’t send it back with your check; they just send it back saying it was an error, and they keep your $8.00.

Receiving the Title
Once it’s done, they will send you exactly this right here in a legal title document. If for some reason your address has changed, you’ll need to show an ID to make sure that the new address is reflected on the title.

Mailing Address
If you do it by mail, they’ll send it to that new address only if your ID shows that that’s your new changed address with them.

Power of Attorney
They will also accept a power of attorney from the legal title owner, but that will need to be notarized.

Visit Our YouTube Channel for more insights and discussions on various topics. Consider subscribing to our YouTube channel. Click here!

Indiana Lost Vehicle Title

So how do you get a lost car title in the state of Indiana?

Application Process
In Indiana, you apply for a lost duplicate car title through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. They have a very specific form you can download. You can even get it from our website at cartitles.com.

Identification Requirement
Do you need a valid ID to apply for that title? They want to make sure that you are the legal title owner and that you provide ID to prove that.

Online Application
There’s an online application you can use. They also have a speed title. This is something very rare among the states for duplicate car titles.

Speed Title Service
If you go through their speed title online, they will actually send that by FedEx Ground to your address once it’s done and you send it in.

Receipt of Title
You’ll receive this legal title document from Indiana, and that will evidence your ownership of the vehicle for that particular VIN number.

Visit Our YouTube Channel for more insights and discussions on various topics. Consider subscribing to our YouTube channel. Click here!

Can you get a new VIN# for a Vehicle?

So is it possible to get a new VIN number for a vehicle? First of all, you have to understand that VIN numbers are only issued by the DMV. A person can’t make up a VIN number, a company can’t make up a VIN number; they’re issued by government agencies. The VIN number also corresponds with the vehicle: the type, the year, the series of car, and the history of that particular line.

Standardization of VIN Numbers
Since 1980, VIN numbers are very standardized. They are 17 digits long and they correspond to different manufacturers. Prior to that, it was a little less formal of what the VIN numbers are for. So the reasons that a VIN number is issued has to do with the DMV and a national standardized process for what that VIN number goes with.

Issuance of New VIN Numbers
So if you have a kit car, if you have a vehicle that the VIN number’s been damaged, or a composite vehicle, you may be able to have a VIN number issued. That is only done by the government agency of that state, Department of Transportation, DMV, what-have-you. Depending on the state, you will need very specific documentation for why you need a new VIN number.

Inspection and Documentation
They’re going to inspect the vehicle, they’re going to go through the documentation, and they’re going to make sure that all the component parts of that vehicle are acceptable, first of all individually and also as a group, to make sure it’s safe for the road and that they do correspond to the need for a new VIN number. You can’t just magically make up a VIN number for a vehicle just for a random reason.

Valid Reasons for a New VIN
There has to be a very specific reason: either it was a composite vehicle, the VIN number of that original vehicle was damaged or was removed. And if that’s the case, you may need some other legal documentation. So if you need a new VIN number for the vehicle, make sure you have a good reason why prior to entering into that process with the DMV.

Visit Our YouTube Channel for more insights and discussions on various topics. Consider subscribing to our YouTube channel. Click here!