Need Lotus Europa Title - Ohio

In reply to tr8todd:

That's tax evasion. It's illegal too.

I won't sign a title over to a buyer who hasn't signed it. I want a copy, showing the transfer.

Otherwise, I am still the owner, regardless of what nefarious things he does with the car.

Sofa King wrote: I don't want to circumvent the system, but the Ohio system is not set up to deal with this. I want to do this as legally as possible, but trying to keep the process as painless as possible.

OH most certainly is set up to deal with it. By asking to buy a title, you are directly circumventing the system illegally.

Sorry, they WANT it to be painful. They don't want it to be easy. That's a good thing.

The only help I can offer is that there is a web-based tool that will allow to to search by VIN to see if the car has been reported stolen: https://www.nicb.org/theft_and_fraud_awareness/vincheck

Missing a title or having a title that isn't properly executed is a real PITA. Pretty much anything you try to do will result in a felony unless you do the legwork of tracking down the guy whose name is on the title and have them transfer that title to you. I think all the processes for getting a title issued for an abandoned vehicle start with a requirement that you be a storage or repair business. You're probably best off taking this as a lesson learned. It might be really hard to prove that there was funny business with the VIN but the downside involves not being able to vote or own guns and creative conversations with future employers when the background check comes back.

Using a friend's repair business is another good idea. They have to do the background check with abandoned vehicles. After a few months they get a clear, transferable title and it's all legal.

I may try the mechanics lean route. It might be the simplest way to get a legal title.

I wouldn't want to upset SVreX!

Sofa King wrote: I may try the mechanics lean route. It might be the simplest way to get a legal title. I wouldn't want to upset SVreX!

I wouldn't be as worried about svrex as I would about the "fuzz". You need to track the original owner down, I'd honestly take this post down as what you are asking isn't just "technically" illegal.

I would have police check if stolen. if so, find out how to get out of it legally. if not, befriend a shop who will do a lien on it, or try to do the abandoned vehicle way.

Ohio is set up for sure to do this. If you own a shop you're good, if you're joe everyguy you buy a car with a title or you don't buy the car. I was given a 1954 belair parts car by an old guy who bought it out of an old junkyard for the power seats and windows. I had to befriend the junkyard up the street before they would let me drop it off so they could crush it. Disposing of a no title car in ohio, no matter how not stolen and legally obtained, consists usually of cutting it to bits and scrapping it in multiple trips, or finding that last backwoods wrecker who could care less that it was sold 3x with no title because person one got a payday loan and didn't pay it back. I gather there are very few of those anymore. If i were the police I'd look at craigslist since half the sub $800 cars have no title and the seller is brash enough to say it has a lien or they got a loan and didn't pay it back. I know of an old guy who makes his living buying them for $300 or less and cutting them to bits. I've seen him drop off 2 cars at a time in the scrap pile at the recycler I go to, and I've talked to him about how he makes his $.

I know what I would do, after figuring out that the guy you got it from got it legally where he found it and nobody is looking for it, but I also won't say what that course would be.

One of my cars was bought at auction by PO in north carolina on a bill of sale, no title but not stolen/liened. His family owned a shop, went through the mechanic's lien process, and had it titled to the company.

Problem with Ohio's laws is they are targeted against skipping on liens, making it harder to do anything but chop up stolen cars, and stuff like that but it puts guys like us in a bind when we find something sitting in a field, grandpa left it there in the 40's and it legally belongs to the family that has owned the land since 1867, but nobody knows where grandpa's title could be and the state has no record of ownership. So instead of having a nice easy legal way to title that old iron, it's easier to either leave it sit there forever, scrap it, or "purchase historical documents that are for collectible purposes only" and get creative with where i'm heading here. My old 42 chevy truck was bought out of a barn in rural ohio. Seller brought out 2 titles and asked me if i wanted it to be a 42 or a 46 because the number tags rusted off the two trucks long ago and he didn't care which title i took.

In reply to Sofa King:

You won't upset me a bit.

But I'll miss you.

If you have a VIN you can register a pre 95 vehicle in Maine without a title. Maine doesnt title older vehicles so once you have a Maine registration in your name you can then transfer it to your state and get a title. This is how a lot of title companies work except they charge $800+ for the service.

Mechanic's lien is the best way to clear other liens. You wouldn't want to finish building it up and have someone show up with a title and claim it. I have done several in Indiana and never had anyone show up at the sale date. The last one I had was 04 sentra and a finance company was involved, they never contacted me about it. I received a clear title and sold the car.

Dusterbd13 wrote: Where are these mythical $0 Europa? Cause I have lust.

They exist only because they're a succubus of the wallet.....then they'll burn to the ground just after taking all your money.

In reply to stan_d: That's the kind of info I was looking for! I am willing to walk away from this car with the money that I have invested, but I don't want to commit any more time or money and then loose it.

Unfortunately the only friend that I have in the business has no experience with mechanics liens. I need to keep looking.

Look in the back of "Rat Rod" magazines. They have advertismnts for titling your old junk, or some such. I've never investigated them, and suspect they are a lot like Pseudosport describes, but worth a try. (Opinion).

In reply to Sofa King:

Does the car actually have a VIN?

You said it is on the registry, so I am assuming so.

I am pretty sure S2 VINs only appear in 1 location (the VIN tag), and that it is pop riveted to the fiberglass car.

If there is no VIN, it would be impossible to prove it was or was not stolen.

Which should also mean it can be re-titled as a kit car or home built with an assigned VIN.

Even though most of the dash is gone there is a VIN tag. It is barely legible, but as best as I could tell it matched a VIN on the Lotus registry. And that listing matched where I was told the car came from. I sent an e-mail to the e-mail address that was listed and received no response.

http://www.motorecyclenow.com/title-service.html

In reply to Jumper K. Balls:have you used them?

Sounds like I need to start picking up these "no title" cars that are pre-1987 and start selling them in Georgia. Anything older than 1987 sells on a bill of sale, no title required. I always took it for granted and probably flipped 20 cars this way a decade ago.

In reply to slefain:

Yeah, but you still technically need a dealer's license.

keithj wrote: In reply to Jumper K. Balls:have you used them?

Not yet. Starting the paperwork for a motorcycle I have had forever. Hope to find out soon.