Just a quick note… if you purchase a vehicle which requires it to be titled (and tagged if for use on the roads) in Missouri the party you are purchasing the vehicle from MUST be the title owner on the title that they are endorsing to you as the new purchaser with a bill of sale to go along with it. This includes motorcycles, cars, trucks, trailers, as well as boats and outboard motors. Off-Road vehicles must also have transferable title as described hereinabove. Although they don’t have to be tagged they must be have proper title. This is because Missouri is a pure title state… that means if your name isn’t on the title YOU DO NOT LEGALLY OWN THE VEHICLE… you may be in possession of the vehicle but YOU DON’T OWN IT.
There are ways to clear up this problem if you bought a vehicle… I see it A LOT with vehicles purchased via EBay… there are some easy ways through the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) with the cooperation of the seller / previous owner and then there is a petition for declaratory judgment of ownership to obtain a court order against DOR to issue a title.
If you or a client of yours has an issue like this please get in touch.
Matt
i lost my car title before i registered to my name. it’s been almost 7 month ive been so many office but none of them can’t help me or give me any advice at all. so please let me know if you can help
Are you located in Southwest Missouri, Nin Za?
Hi, I just moved to Missouri and my car has a Texas title. It was towed by a towing company on May 28th while I was out of state. I did not come back until August 8th. I was never notified by the towing company, so I never knew my car was towed. I came back and could not find my car. The towing company told me they hold my car over 30 days, and then they sold it to a salvage yard with a Bill of Sale. They never apply for a title, so all they have is a Bill of Sale. Do I have claim on the car?
Thanks.
Call me this week and let’s see what we’re can figure out. Matt
Where in Missouri are you located?
I have a 1984 Porsche 944 that doesn’t run that was left on a friend of mines property for 8+ years. The original owner had died about 7 years ago. We have no contact information to realatives, if I purchase this car is there a way to get a title.
No storage fees have been paid in eight years.
Where are you located? Feel free to give me a call. I think this should be pretty easy to fix if you are in my neck of the woods.
Matt
How do I fill out a declaratory judgment claim I have the paperwork printed off I just have no clue how to fill it out I can’t afford a lawyer I have the title the guy that I bought it from did not send off the title to get it in his name I have all the paperwork from the lien release to where he had temp tags on it I have a bill of sale I’m being told this is the only way I can get my vehicle in my name I live in hickory county Missouri
This is not a matter that I would recommend doing on your own. At a minimum, discuss the matter with an attorney in Hickory County. The cost should not be more than about $500.00, but I cannot speak to what lawyers in your area charge.
I Live in Camden County, and purchased a 2001 F150 the seller has only a bill of sale as he bought it from someone out of state who had lost their title, now I am trying to get this truck titled. Is this a difficult and expensive process?
I sent you an email with a referral to an attorney in your area.
We moved from Virginia to Missouri and have lost a title to one of our vehicles. We have called the state we moved from & they say they don’t have it & Missouri won’t help us because we’ve never been able to provide a title to even get tags. What can we do? Can you help us?
We have owned our Jeep since 1994 – 1996 & have had a title at one time. When we moved from Texas (where we originally purchased the Jeep) to Virginia my husband took the title to the VA DMV & he thinks they actually kept it but they said they didn’t. When we moved from VA to Missouri we have not been able to get tags for the Jeep because we can’t find our title. Can you recommend an attorney we can call to get the help we need. Missouri has been no help to us because the Jeep was not titled here. When we contacted Texas for a replacement they said they didn’t have the title because they mailed it to another State (Virginia).
Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Where in Missouri do you live?
MBO