I want to buy a Tahoe from MD. The seller is insisting that I need to get the title notarized and turned over to me before he can sell it. Reason being he can't take off his insurance or tags unless there is a transfer of ownership (so he says). Is this the case?
All the cars I've bought have been in NJ. I pay money, seller signs the title, and I sign my part when I get around to registering it. I want to treat it as a NJ sale as it will be brought to NJ, however the seller won't let it happen.
The state the car comes from matters more than where it is going. Example: PA where I live requires title signatures to be notarized. If I sell you a car to take to NJ and just sign the title and you take it, it would technically not be a valid transfer of ownership back in NJ, someone at either the NJ or PA DMV might catch that, or might not. It works the other way too, I can have a non notarized signed NJ title and register it in PA no issue, as the law of the title state was followed.
Damn, looks like the seller is right. Makes it that much harder
In ohio the ownership isnt transferred unless the title is notarized. I would never let someone leave with a car i sold without doing so. Its the law in my state.
MD does not require notarized titles. I just sold a car last year to a forum member who lives in NJ (I live in Frederick, MD). All I had to do was sign the title and hand it to him. We did do a Bill of Sale just in case. I kept my tags and turned them into the DMV and told my insurance agent to drop the car since I had sold it.
Sonic wrote: The state the car comes from matters more than where it is going. Example: PA where I live requires title signatures to be notarized. If I sell you a car to take to NJ and just sign the title and you take it, it would technically not be a valid transfer of ownership back in NJ, someone at either the NJ or PA DMV might catch that, or might not. It works the other way too, I can have a non notarized signed NJ title and register it in PA no issue, as the law of the title state was followed.
Yup. When you try to title something out-of-state in PA, they go to a book and look at what the OTHER state requires. If it comes from a state that doesn't require notarizing, they don't need it. I tried to get a NJ title notarized before bringing it back to PA and no notary would touch it. Basically, notarizing a title that doesn't have a spot for notarizing is against the law. The best I could do is get him to notarize an affidavit on a separate piece of paper. Then when I got back to PA I realized I didn't need it at all.
The important thing is to ask YOUR dmv or check their website for the requirements for out of state titles.
Well, we'll see how this goes. I got the truck, and got the title notarized. Bill of sale also notarized.
Will see what the NJ DMV says. Last time, they didn't give much look to my VA title as the seller and I signed it. Didn't pull out a book or anything. Hope I can get it registered.
curtis73 wrote: Yup. When you try to title something out-of-state in PA, they go to a book and look at what the OTHER state requires.
PA resident here as well and I've never seen a title place care about a notary for an out of state title. In state, oh yeah. Out of state, no way. Then again, I've only titled vehicles from Indiana, Washington, NJ, MD, DE and New York. Not sure if those places require a notary though...
Well, time to follow up. It's registered. Definitely no notary would have been easier, but after a little conversation with the lady at the desk, I was good to go with my new title and tags.
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