I bought an 81 xs650 with matching Title but the DMV wants me suffer. they seem evil

natedeel

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So I hate that my first post as a member has to be about the most agonizing part of purchasing a vintage bike but hear it goes. I bought a running 81 xs650 at a swap meet for 300 bucks with a title, the PO gave me the phone # of the guy who he bought the bike from. I talked with this guy who unfortunatley got the bike from the widow of his friend who had bought it several years earlier from either the guy who's name is on the title or another person who had bought it from another person... this bikes been around but the original Title has stayed with it everywhere it has gone. I have spent alot of time working on the bike and it runs like a top now so after I got insurance on her I went to the DMV to get it registered tags all that stuff, well they did not want the process to be easy for me, so they said I could wait 3 years for the bike to be an antique and then title it or I could pay them alot of money to get a hush hush quiet title (if the judge would decide to award it to me was undetermined but I would still have to pay hundreds of dollars to hear his decision) I cant track down the original owner so should I forge the bill of sale and title to make it appear that I had bought the bike from the last owner on the title? Would I go to jail if it didn't work? Is there any situation where I can make this bike legal to drive that doesn't involve me spending more money than I bought the bike for or possibly going to jail? I really just want to forge the documents and be done with it. :banghead: Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated, I have already found so much useful advice in these forums so I cant thank you guys enough but this problem did not seem to be addressed yet on any threads so what do you guys think?
 
Forge it. They are making it difficult for you on something that is absolutely stupid. It's not legal, but I say go for it. If that doesn't work my next step would be to look into a bonded title if they aren't too expensive where you are.
 
sounds to me like you found the previous owner on the title and he was able to provide you with a bill of sale and sign the title...what a stroke of luck!:thumbsup::bike:
 
natedeel,

I don't think that ownership of a motorcycle is worth going to jail for, or having a record, even it is a misdemeanor. This happens so often. Buying a bike with an uncertain or no title, putting a lot of time and money into the bike before getting the title sorted out.

You may want to consider finding a good frame with a good title and just move all your parts over to the titled frame. Otherwise, you will have to find the person whose name is on the title and get him to sign it over.
 
Forge it. They are making it difficult for you on something that is absolutely stupid. It's not legal, but I say go for it. If that doesn't work my next step would be to look into a bonded title if they aren't too expensive where you are.

The problem with this idea now is he has already gone to the DMV with his sad story and they will be waiting for him to do something stupid. The other possibility is that the person whose name is on the title did not sell the bike in the first place and that's why his signature is not on the title and there is no bill of sale.
 
The problem with this idea now is he has already gone to the DMV with his sad story and they will be waiting for him to do something stupid.
You give the DMV too much credit. If he did not acturally give them the title (sounds like he didn't) there is no file they just gave him advice and he went home to think about it. If he can, mail it in with a "real" bill of sale and wait at the mail box every day for a while. I have a kinda similar deal going, state is basically saying wink wink send us the stuff with a signature and you can get the title. I haven't spent another penny on a nice complete bike I paid $125.00 for but it's just too good to part out.
 
Any idea what the charges could be? How serious the consequences are have alot to do with my decision.... The PO that I called and talked to said that I could forge it myself or pay a Title Service to do the exact same thing. Also I did not take my story to the DMV exactly... I took it to the county treasury department that doubles as vehicle registration department. Could I now just take it to the DMV instead?
also the lady at the registration department gave me a bill of sale and told me to track down the original owner and get him to fill out the bill of sale to me directly, which if I'm not mistaken is also forgery because I never gave him money for the bike
 
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As others have said go to the guy who's name is on the front of the title. If it has been signed on the back then get the guy to get a replacement title. It may cost $20, Pay it. When it comes in, Get him to sign the back, Get him to sign a bill of sale.
Now take all this to a diffeent DMV office than you went to before.
You should be able to get the title transfered to your name for a small fee + sales tax. Now with the title in your name they will issue you plates.
Leo
 
I have no Idea where the original owner is.. this was last on the road legally in 1989, who knows where that guy is, and conveniently his name is william king, there are thousands of people out there by that name, I've looked hard already
 
You give the DMV too much credit. If he did not acturally give them the title (sounds like he didn't) there is no file they just gave him advice and he went home to think about it. If he can, mail it in with a "real" bill of sale and wait at the mail box every day for a while. I have a kinda similar deal going, state is basically saying wink wink send us the stuff with a signature and you can get the title. I haven't spent another penny on a nice complete bike I paid $125.00 for but it's just too good to part out.

Well, that depends on whether or not the title is from another state. Here in South Carolina, the DMV routinely requests a report from the other states DMV to see if the bike was stolen or has any liens on it. Normally, a lien from a finance company or bank is recorded in the states data base and the title is in the hands of the lien holder, but you can put a lien on a vehicle, especially a mechanics lien, without the title, for obvious reasons. Considering that the bike has not been on the road since 1989, it was probably worth a lot more then so there could be a sizable lien on it. Liens never die.

This is a lesson in risk vs reward. You can break the law, maybe get away with it, and be the proud owner of a $300 motorcycle. Or not get away with it and have a record for that same $300. In my world, the reward would have to be a lot bigger.
 
I had the exact and I mean exactly the same problem. 3rd owner before me was the last guy on title, everything else was a BOS. I was lucky in the fact I'm in the military so I had multiple states I could use to try and get the bike registered. Ended up getting it registered in GA where a title is not needed on anything older than 1985. Once its registered in my name there I can get it titled anywhere in the country with a letter from them and the current registration.

Depending on how the title looks and what is signed/not signed would steer me in what direction to take with it. If it isn't singed or anything on the back then that would be an easy decision for me, otherwise it becomes complicated and you will have to try for a bonded title, new frame, etc.
 
well the back of the title has been signed and notarized once by the original owner and public notary dude, and stamped. but it says the notary public commission expired in june 04. If I "get his signature on a bill of sale" do I need to have him sign the title over to me and have it notarized or not? could I just take the bill of sale and Title as is?
 
If the back of the title is signed and notarized already doesn't it mean when he signed it over he did it in front of a notary and it's a open legit title?
 
The problem you will run into is great you have a perfectly legal title transferring the bike to someone else, and then as far as most states are concerned nothing else. The person that it was transferred to would have to get a new title in his name and then sign it over to you in front of a notary for it to be legal (in most states). You are pretty much SOL to do this cheaply unless you have some buddies you trust in other states. It looks like there are a few different title options for you and one of those is secured. I do not know exactly what that means but it sounds like a bonded title, so you will want to ask about that.

This is was the Kansas site has regarding your question.
If the seller does not give the buyer a properly assigned title and cannot be located, the buyer must consult with an attorney and go to court to obtain a court order authorizing the Kansas Department of Revenue to title the vehicle in the name of the petitioner (quiet title action).
 
Look into the possibility of securing a title through a mechanic's lien. This was a pouplar way of cleaning up titles in Texas until the legislature (brilliant minds that they are, not common folks) changed the rules 'til you had to have a signed work order authorzation to do repair work, and subsewquently had to submit that work order with the lein paperwork. Anything you can get going by just tearing up the title you have would be an advantage. Just went through getting a bonded title for a car we got with a "locked up" title, I.E. signed over to someone else 3 years earlier. We just "lost" it and went bonded. I'd put the money into it if you have a good bike there. Hell, 2 car payments is a grand nowadays. If the bike costs you that to get on the road, you're still golden in my book.
 
Call all the Kings in the county that's on the title and find this William. Get him to sign the bill of sale the lady gave you and put $1 as the amount and give him a dollar. Take it back to the lady. If he's dead already get his widder to sign it.
 
in ohio just need a signature and a notary stamp and bmv will do it up, no questions, at least by my experiences. dunno how it works in other states though. time to make friends with an ohio notary, i know one that likes beer ;)
 
well the back of the title has been signed and notarized once by the original owner and public notary dude, and stamped. but it says the notary public commission expired in june 04. If I "get his signature on a bill of sale" do I need to have him sign the title over to me and have it notarized or not? could I just take the bill of sale and Title as is?


The title has been signed by the seller AND notarized but with no purchasers name?
Hoosierland is a reciprocal state with a lot of it's laws. I've purchased bikes from out of state and if the other state does not require a notary signature then our dmv/bmv doesn't recquire a notary, if it does recquire a notary then we recquire a notary.
Now it's my understanding that both the buyer and seller must be present for a notary signature---so if the seller has signed and the notary has stamped and there's no purchaser signature I believe that I would sign as the purchaser and get it titled....so what that it's been 8 years.....
Total different ballgame if the purchaser has signed.
 
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