Can You Sell a Car That is Not in Your Name

If you decided to sell off your vehicle, you probably started gathering all the necessary papers that you’ll need, and at that moment, you realize that you don’t own the title. Of course, this is a major problem, nevertheless, there are various reasons why you might not have it with you.

For instance, you might have damaged or lost it, it might have been stolen, there might be some bills you owe on it, you might have never obtained the ownership when you first bought the vehicle, or maybe your parents bought the vehicle for you when you were starting college. Nonetheless, even though you might not be able to barter your car in all states, there are still some ways that you could do it.

Fortunately for all individuals that found themselves in this situation, the article below might help you by shedding some light on the entire topic. So, without further ado, let’s take a closer look at what you can do in order to sell your vehicle without having the title in your name:

Before Anything Else, Try to Get it Transferred

Before you choose to do anything else from this list, one of the first things that you should try doing is transferring the ownership to your name. By doing so, you won’t need to worry about finding a method for selling your automobile, and more importantly, you’ll make the entire process easier.

Keep in mind, if you have a signed title, you may be capable of selling the car to a buyer, but, this is something that can cause legal troubles and it will depend on the location you live in. This means that you’ll also want to check all the laws and regulations your state has, which leads us to our next point…

Check All The Laws And Regulations

If you’re unable to transfer the title from the person you have bought the vehicle from, your next step is to check all the laws and regulations your state has imposed. Why should you do this? Well, in some states, not having the title is actually okay, which means that you could sell it in the end.

Now, you should know, in most cases, this revolves around a vehicle that is older – some 15 to 25 years old. If you are in this situation, you’ll have to obtain or have the bill of sale. If you do, you can simply choose an online company such as www.cashyourcaruae.com and sell your old car right away.

You Could Get a Notary

If you have the bill of sale, you should know that some states will require it to be notarized, but generally speaking, this isn’t a bad idea. Why should you choose to do this? Well, it’s quite easy, if you have a state official witness that the ownership was transferred over to you, you’ll be capable of easily making the entire transaction legal.

Depending on the state you live in, the laws and regulations might vary, which means that you’ll have to check with your local government in order to learn whether or not you could get the bill of sale notarized. Hence, you must ensure that the laws actually apply to you in the state you live in.

Notify Your Local Government About The Sale

You should ensure that the state the vehicle was sold in with a bill of sale gets notified about you selling the car. Why do you have to do this? Well, it’s quite simple. First of all, you’ll ensure that the entire process is legitimate, and second, you’ll be able to avoid unnecessary fees.

Hence, once you find a buyer or when you sell the vehicle, notify the DMV as soon as you sign the bill of sale. If this is something you choose to do, you’ll be able to avoid any legal troubles, but more importantly, you’ll be able to avoid any taxes and fees revolving around the vehicle and sale.

Always Keep Copies of The Papers And Records

Before, during, and after the sale takes place, it is important for you to keep all the copies of the documents revolving around the car you sold, as well as the entire sales process. After all, you can never be entirely sure about the new owner of the car and trust me, you don’t want to be held liable for anything that might happen with the car later on.

Besides the copies ensuring that you aren’t legally accountable for the car, it could help you with other things as well. For example, if there are ever any ownership questions in the future – let’s say that someone called you and made an abandoned car claim – you’ll be entirely covered by the documents you have saved and kept. Hence, ensure that you save every single copy of all the documents revolving around the car, the person you sold it to, and the sales process.

Be Honest With The Buyer

Last on our list, but not least important is the fact that you can always choose to be honest with the person looking to buy your vehicle. Hence, if you don’t have a title or if you simply cannot obtain one – which is the case with older models and makes – ensure that you are honest with the person thinking about buying your car.

If you still owe some money on the vehicle, most lending companies will require you to pay the debt off, and once you do, they’ll probably release the title to you. Remember, you might be capable of arranging a transfer through the lending company if the purchaser is willing to pay off the leftover payments and fees.

Conclusion

Selling an automobile without the title being on your name is possible. Now, before you choose to post an ad for your car on the Internet, remember to do everything in your power to get the title transferred to you, and more importantly, check all the laws and regulations your state has.

So, now that you’re aware of all the things you can do, you really shouldn’t waste any more of your time. Instead, you should return to the beginning of this list, and start with the first step we recommended – which is checking and determining whether or not the title can be transferred to your name and surname.