Bought a car without a title? Live in Pennsylvania? Vintage Car Law® can help!
It’s a question I get regularly. How can I legally title a car that I bought on a bill of sale, where I did not get a title? You have probably seen websites offering “work arounds” through various states and social media posts offering “historical paper”, but as you have read in my prior posts those are not good avenues for many reasons. Not the least of which is possible criminal prosecution. For example – see here https://www.vintageautomotive.net/?p=379.
If you live in Pennsylvania and have a vehicle without a certificate of title Vintage Car Law® can help. The process that we employ involves investigating the history of the vehicle to the fullest extent possible then assembling the results of the investigation into an appropriate legal filing in the Court of Common Pleas. Through the process, the Constitutionally required due process is respected and the end result is hopefully a judgment or decree declaring that you are the lawful owner of the vehicle to the exclusion of all others and extinguishing any liens or claims, if any. You can then take the Court Order to Penndot to have it processed as an involuntary motor vehicle title transfer.
Once you tell us go we start immediately. You work with Attorney Bryan W. Shook every step along the way. Not only do you potentially learn more about your vehicle but you have the piece of mind knowing that you went about correcting the title defect in a most legal and ethical manner.
If you would like more information on how to legally title your vehicle or project please contact Attorney Shook today! If you prefer, call 717-884-9010.
Bryan W. Shook, Esquire is the founder of Vintage Car Law®, Shook Legal, Ltd., and Motor Study®. Attorney Shook is changing the way the law looks at old cars and making the process more enthusiast friendly. Bryan Shook is a litigation attorney based with offices in Central Pennsylvania although he is regularly called upon to try cases across the country and represent clients around the world. Email or call today for more information. 717-884-9010
Can you get a bonded Title in Pennsylvania?
I get the question regularly, can you get a bonded car title in Pennsylvania? The answer is no, that process is not available in Pennsylvania. Some states offer bonded titles as options to cars that do not have a title or for which the title has been lost. This is not the case in Pennsylvania.
It can be argued however that Pennsylvania has a better solution. If you buy a car without a title in Pennsylvania you must go through the Court of Common Pleas and seeking a decree that you are the owner of the car. Attorney Bryan W. Shook of Shook Legal, Ltd. can assist you.
When you hire Bryan W. Shook, he takes case and does the work for you. He thoroughly researches the vehicle’s history and puts everything together for the Court’s consideration. Through the process, the Constitutionally required due process is respected and the end result is hopefully a judgment or decree declaring that you are the lawful owner of the vehicle to the exclusion of all others and extinguishing any liens or claims, if any.
After you get the Court Order, you take that to Penndot for processing as an involuntary vehicle transfer and should end up with a clean Pennsylvania Certificate of Title.
Please contact Bryan W. Shook for more information. He can be reached at 717-884-9010 or by email. Bryan W. Shook, Esquire is the founder of Vintage Car Law®, Shook Legal, Ltd., and Motor Study®. Attorney Shook is changing the way the law looks at old cars and making the process more enthusiast friendly. Bryan Shook is a litigation attorney based with offices in Central Pennsylvania although he is regularly called upon to try cases across the country and represent clients around the world. Email or call today for more information. 717-884-9010
Are there Fraudulent or Fake Titles in Your Vehicle’s History?
Is your Serial Number or VIN authentic to your vehicle?
Have you recently purchased a car, truck or motorcycle and wondered about its history? Perhaps it is freshly restored or an old original barn-find. How good is the title that you received with it? Is the serial number or vehicle identification number (VIN) authentic? Has it been tampered with, altered, changed or replaced?
Recently it has been noticed that there has been a significant uptick in the number of fraudulent and fake titles for sale on the internet. Some the most prolific concern old Harley Davidsons, Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes and traditional hot rods such as Model T and Model A Fords and 1932 V8 Fords, etc. An additional problem is fraudulent, fake or remade VIN or serial number tags. These titles and tags are very convincing and look legitimate but when scrutinized and compared to the extensive Vintage Car Law® library they are clearly identified for what they are. This is a very concerning problem because you may have purchased a car with a nefarious title history. Worse yet, you may not even “own” the car you think you purchased.
How can you help to protect yourself and have confidence in what you are already own or are buying? Order a Motor Study®! Vintage Car Law® is proud to offer this one of a kind forensic vehicle title abstract and provenance confirmation service. For more than a decade Bryan W. Shook, Esquire and Vintage Car Law® have established themselves as the leader in vehicle research. This experience is now available to the public in the form of Motor Study®.
Judge Rules that disgruntled ex-wife can sell husband’s rare 1968 Camaro
Pottsville, Pennsylvania – Vintage Car Law and Bryan W. Shook, Esquire where recently successful in defending and proving the title to a rare 1968 Chevrolet Camaro Rally Sport. Bryan W. Shook, Esquire acted as lead trial counsel to the buyer of the rare 1968 Camaro. The buyer purchased the Camaro from the ex-wife of the last titled owner. When the husband found out his Camaro had been sold he sought to get the car back. Attorney Shook petitioned the Court of Common Pleas of Schuylkill County for an order declaring that his client was the sole lawful owner of the Camaro and to extinguish any claim the husband may have to the car. The court ruled that the wife had the power to sell the car even though she did not have the Certificate of Title in her name. The Court’s Opinion can be found here – Judge Rules that disgruntled ex-wife can sell husband’s 1968 Camaro.
Bryan W. Shook, Esquire is the principal of Vintage Car Law Attorney Bryan Shook has helped hundreds of Pennsylvania residents properly title their antique and collector cars through petitioning the Courts. If you would like information on how Attorney Shook can help you get a title to your antique or collector car please email him at bshook@shooklegal.com.
Cruisin’ Ocean City 2009 – May 14-17, 2009
Attorney Shook to present Car Collecting 101 Seminar on Friday, May 15, 2009 1pm – Ocean City, Maryland
By: Bryan W. Shook, Esquire
Email: bshook@shooklegal.com
Special Event Productions, Inc. presents Cruising Ocean City 2009 on May 14 through May 17, 2009 in beautiful Ocean City, Maryland. The event is SOLD OUT with more than 3,000 pre-1977 hot rods, customs, street machines, classics and antiques. The epicenter of the event can either be considered the inlet parking area or the Ocean City Convention Center at 40th Street. There will be manufacturers and venders of specialty automotive parts and supplies at both locations. Additionally, there will be approximately 30 shows throughout Ocean City that are sure to attract some of the best cars around.
On Friday at 12:00pm Express Auctioneers will hold their 2nd Collector Car Auction during Cruisin’ Ocean City. Back by popular demand, the Auction is chocked full of great cars that anyone would enjoy cruisin’ up and down Coastal Highway in during the weekend. Anyone having an interest in selling their car or buying a car should contact Bernie at 443-807-8883 or email him at cholhaus@expressauction.com. For more information on the Auction, be sure to visit http://occollectorcars.com/. The auction is free to attend for all Cruisin’ participants and spectators.
Attorney Bryan Shook, has been chosen to present his seminar, Car Collecting 101 prior to the Auction at 1pm. Car Collecting 101 – How to Avoid the Most Common Pitfalls & What you Need to Know plus Questions & Answers
Discussion Topics include: Collecting Basics, How to determine what to spend, Importance of papers/history, Protecting yourself, Pre-purchase inspections, Appraisals, Proper Insurance, Collection management, What’s Hot & What’s Not, and the Latest Trends in the collecting hobby
Remember a well prepared buyer is usually a happy buyer!
Attorney Bryan W. Shook is a devoted automotive enthusiast, but is also an experience litigator who devotes a large portion of his law practice to helping other collectors and hobbyists understand today’s market. Attorney Bryan Shook is available throughout the United States for consultation, advice, and information. If you’d like more information about this topic or would like to speak with Attorney Bryan W. Shook please email him at BShook@shooklegal.com
Bid with Knowledge; Buy with Confidence – Vintage Car Law
32nd Annual Spring Carlisle Swap Meet & Collector Car Auction – April 21-26, 2009
32nd Annual Spring Carlisle Swap Meet & Collector Car Auction
By: Bryan W. Shook, Esquire
Email: bshook@shooklegal.com
The 32nd annual Spring Carlisle Swap Meet & Car Corral are about to get underway. Officially the event runs from April 21 through April 26, 2009, but large vendors are starting to arrive today. Carlisle’s swap meet offers what might be the best selection of automotive treasurers of any swap meet in the world. For the automotive faithful that make their annual trek to Mecca, the weather for this year’s Spring Carlisle looks to be better than most years, with forecasted highs in the low to mid 70s and clear skies! I know, the diehards will be depressed … “What no rain, how can it be Carlisle without rain???”
A change for this year’s event is that the Collector Car Auction will be held on Thursday and Friday nights, April 23 & 24, 2009 at the Carlisle Expo Center. Also new for Spring Carlisle is a cruise-in to be held on Sunday at the grandstands. This follows last fall’s successful Sunday cruise-in. I look for several hundred cars to attend.
As for the auction, there are several very appealing lots. With more than 250 vehicles scheduled to cross the auction block, there is certain to be something that appeals to everyone! See you in Carlisle! Http://www.carlisleevents.com.
Attorney Bryan W. Shook is a devoted automotive enthusiast, but is also an experience litigator who devotes a large portion of his law practice to helping other collectors and hobbyists understand today’s market. Attorney Bryan Shook is available throughout the United States for consultation, advice, and information. If you’d like more information about this topic or would like to speak with Attorney Bryan W. Shook please email him at BShook@shooklegal.com.
Bid with knowledge. Buy with confidence. – Vintage Car Law
GM F-Bodies – 1982-2002 – Can’t Miss Investments
Can’t Miss Investments – Even in this Economy
GM F-Bodies 1982-2002
As I recently stated during a seminar, and I continue to stress, we are in a buyer’s market. Given the market conditions, there are several cars that I forecast as “can’t miss investments.” These are vehicles which have hit their rock bottom price and have a tremendous opportunity to appreciate. In this article I have chosen to look at the 3rd and 4th generation GM F-Bodies, better known as Camaros and Firebirds.
1982-1992 Chevrolet Camaro & Pontiac Firebird/Trans Am (a/k/a 3rd Generation F-Bodies)
These cars reached their bargain basement price structure during the first part of this century, good solid, low-mileage, well kept, examples trade anywhere from $3,000.00 to $8,000.00, with exceptional cars trading for much more. While the 350cu optioned vehicles are always popular, the only way to get a 5spd manual transmission with a V8 engine was to order one of the 305cu engine offerings.
· Camaros poised to appreciate:
o 1982 Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car replica
o 1983-1986 RPO L69 High Output 305cu 4bbl 190hp (especially rare, at least in decent condition is the 1983 variety, considering its late introduction)
o 1985-1990 IROC Camaros
o 1987-1992 convertibles
o 1989-1992 1LE Camaros (basically showroom ready SCCA prepared racers usually very sparsely equipped)
§ Of particular desirability is a 1992 1LE Camaro optioned with luxury or appearance options, such as a deluxe leather interior or the RPO Z03 Heritage Package – Extremely Rare
o 1991-1992 B4C Camaros (similar to the 1LE option but titled “service special” developed especially as pursuit vehicles for law enforcement.)
· Firebirds poised to appreciate:
o 1982-1992 Trans Am (in general)
o 1982-1984 Recaro Edition Trans Am
o 1983 Trans Am Daytona 500 pace car replica
o 1984 15th Anniversary Edition Trans Am
o 1983-1986 RPL L69 High Output 305cu 4bbl 190hp
o 1989 Turbo Trans Am 20th Anniversary Edition – Indianapolis 500 pace car replica
§ Hardtop cars are especially desirable given their rarity
o 1989-1992 1LE Trans Am (no 1LE GTAs were produced)
o 1991-1992 Firebird/Trans Am/GTA Convertibles
§ Especially desirable when equipped with 5spd manual transmission
o 1991-1992 Firebird Firehawk
A detractor from the collection of these vehicles is an adequate supply of good quality examples are quickly disappearing. With the recent spike in scrap prices, many of these cars failed to survive the high scrap prices. (Note: I witnessed scrap prices as high as $15.00 per every 100 pounds – read $300/ton.) Another detractor is that GM has all but cut off this generation from its service parts support and has therefore shifted the burden of parts supplying to the aftermarket industry, although good New Old Stock (NOS) parts can still be found. The viability of the automotive restoration parts suppliers in today’s economy remains to be seen.
Solid, well kept examples of the above referenced Camaros/Firebirds, will enjoy a marked appreciation, much like we are currently seeing with the second generation (1970-1981) Camaros and what we have already seen in the first generation Camaros (1967-1969) Camaros.
1993-2002 Chevrolet Camaro & Pontiac Firebird/Trans Am (a/k/a 4th Generation F-Bodies)
The 4th Generation of the General Motor’s F-body has been holding its own since the demise of the F-body in 2002. As I type this article the first 5th generation Camaros are hitting the dealerships. This changes everything, the demand of the 1993-2002 F-Bodies will shrink as potential buyers will be able to quench their thirst with the purchase of a new, more powerful 2010 model. While it may seem that we are about to see a decline in the value of the 4th generation F-Bodies, the reality is that this generation has been out of production for nearly a decade, but from a performance standpoint, remains nearly as powerful and agile as its modern peers and successor. Furthermore, from a nostalgic standpoint, with the discontinuance of the Pontiac motor division, the last rear wheel drive Pontiacs (1993-2002 Firebird/Trans Am) will be sought after by collectors.
Convertibles are always a good buy (no convertibles for 1993), but look for the 1998-2002 Camaro SS and Trans Ams to lead the appreciation charge. New for 1998 was the introduction of the LS1 all aluminum 5.7L engine that was introduced a year earlier in the Corvette C5. Some late 2002 LS1 powered Camaros and Trans Ams were actually built with the stronger LS6 engine blocks, watch for these as they are a desirable oddity. The V8 models will of course always be more desirable than the V6 models however, some appearance packages and the RS package was only available on V6 models.
· Camaros poised to appreciate:
o 1993 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car
o 1993-1999 1LE Camaros & 2001-2002 SLP 1LE Camaros (1LE option was no longer offered by General Motors after 1999 but in 2001 SLP stepped up and offered a modification to bring the 1LE package back)
o 1993-2002 B4C Camaros (similar to the 1LE option but titled “service special” developed especially as pursuit vehicles for law enforcement.)
o 1994-2002 convertibles especially with V8 engines
o 1996-2002 SLP modified vehicles
o 1996-2002 Camaro SS
o 1997 30th Anniversary Edition Camaro (white with Hugger orange stripes & orange hounds tooth interior – reminiscent of the 1969 Indianapolis 500 pace car replica)
o 1997 Chevrolet Camaro SLP Modified with Corvette LT4 engine
o 2002 35th Anniversary Edition Camaro
o Dealer Modified Camaros such as:
§ Berger, Tom Henry, etc.
o 2002 GMMG, Inc. modified ZL1 Camaros – only 69 produced in commemoration of the 1969 Camaro ZL1
· Firebird/Trans Ams poised to appreciate:
o 1993-1999 1LE Firebirds
o 1993-2002 Firebird Firehawk
o 1994 25th Anniversary Edition Trans Am
o 1994-2002 convertibles especially with V8 engines
§ Especially desirable are the 1997-2002 WS6 “Ram Air” convertibles
o 1999 30th Anniversary Edition Trans Am
o 2002 35th Anniversary “Collector’s Edition” Trans Am
o 1996-2000 Formula with “Ram Air” cold air induction system (RPO WS6)
o 1996-2002 Trans Am with “Ram Air” cold air induction system (RPO WS6)
As the aforementioned cars come to market over the next several years, I believe you will see several great buys at auction and throughout car corrals. Look for the cars that are listed above, but don’t limit your search to just those cars. A clean V8, otherwise standard issue Camaro/Firebird is a good investment, but look for the cars listed above to appreciate at a higher rate than the standard issue V8 examples. Nonetheless, investment in a 1982-2002 General Motors F-Body will provide you with a drivable interest-bearing savings account.
Bid with knowledge. Buy with confidence.
This article was written by Bryan W. Shook, Esquire the founder of Vintage Automotive. Attorney Bryan W. Shook is a devoted automotive enthusiast, but is also an experience litigator who devotes a large portion of his law practice to helping other collectors and hobbyists understand today’s market. Attorney Bryan Shook is available throughout the United States for consultation, advice, and information. If you’d like more information about this topic or would like to speak with Attorney Bryan W. Shook please email him at BShook@shooklegal.com.
Who I am
I am an attorney with a specialized interest in the collector car market. From a very young age I have been involved in the antique and collectible car hobby. As a true automotive enthusiast, automobile collector and restorer, I work diligently to combat fraud, misrepresentation and unfair transactions on eBay and throughout the hobby. I am devoted to the education of collectors and car enthusiasts, and I regularly work with other law firms, automotive experts and law enforcement officials across the United States and Canada to actively pursue collector car matters for my clients. My extensive library of auto reference materials and knowledge of the collector car market have established me as a highly regarded individual, hobbyist and attorney among automotive enthusiasts throughout the country.
For more information, I can be reached at 717-884-9010 or by email at bshook@shooklegal.com
