NO TITLE TO MY CAR WHAT SHOULD I DO? – READ THIS FIRST
Buy a title off of eBay?
Register the vehicle in another State? Vermont?
Not having a title to your vehicle is a stressful and sometimes embarrassing situation. There are legal ways of curing your missing title and there are illegal ways. Buying a title and matching VIN plate and attaching them to your car are generally illegal. Likewise it is unwise to register your vehicle in another non-title state (such as Vermont, Alabama, Georgia) and then “transfer” the vehicle back to Pennsylvania using the out-of-state registration and a bill of sale. Sure there are plenty of videos and articles on the web that seem to show you how to game the system and obtain a title off of a bill of sale. BE CAREFUL AND READ BELOW BEFORE GOING DOWN ANY OF THOSE ROADS.
If you do not have a title for your vehicle I strongly recommend against purchasing a certificate of title off of craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, etc. I have recently noticed an uptick in the number of fraudulent or fake certificates of title for sale. Nearly every state’s DMV title application (Penndot Form MV-1) includes a clause, just above where you sign, which states (usually under penalty of perjury or unsworn falsification to authorities) that the information included on the title application is true and correct. If you purchase a title and obtain a matching VIN plate and attach that to your vehicle you are furthering a fraud and breaking the law. Furthermore, with the prevalence of fraudulent and fake titles out there you could wind up in much larger mess.
Think of the situation where you surreptitiously obtain a title to your vehicle using an out-of-state registration or you a bought VIN plate or title and you get a knock on the door or telephone call from the DMV investigator or State Trooper wishing to inspect your vehicle because someone just presented with the original vehicle. (It’s happened).
Most people are unaware that Certificates of Title are considered securities under Federal law and that possession and presentation of falsely made, forged, altered or counterfeited car titles, in interstate commerce, is a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2314 for which a person could be fined and imprisoned for up to 10 years! Likewise it is also likely a violation of state securities law.
Additionally, by purchasing a title you could be unsuspectingly obtaining a title to someone else’s vehicle and be guilty of theft by false pretenses (theft by deception). Correspondingly attempting to circumvent Penndot by first registering your vehicle in Vermont (or another non-title state) will certainly run you afoul of the provision on the MV1 that everything on the form is true and correct and you could find yourself making unsworn falsifications to authorities. Any title obtained under false pretenses or with misinformation or “half-truths” is void ab initio, or in plain terms JUNK and recallable by the state.
In summation buying a title or using the Vermont title trick might seem like the easy way out but it could land you in world of legal trouble which is easily avoided by simply obtaining a Court Order directing the DMV to issue a title to you for your vehicle. Attorney Bryan W. Shook and Vintage Car Law® can certainly assist you in your quest to obtain a valid and lawful Pennsylvania Certificate of Title. Attorney Shook has helped thousands of automotive enthusiasts throughout his career obtain reliable information about and legal titles to their automobiles, trucks, trailers and motorcycles. The cost is generally about the same as buying a title or registering the vehicle out-of-state and switching that over to a Pennsylvania title.
In summation buying a title or using the Vermont title trick might seem like the easy way out but it could land you in world of legal trouble which is easily avoided by simply obtaining a Court Order directing the DMV to issue a title to you for your vehicle. Attorney Bryan W. Shook and Vintage Car Law® can certainly assist you in your quest to obtain a valid and lawful Pennsylvania Certificate of Title. Attorney Shook has helped thousands of automotive enthusiasts throughout his career obtain reliable information about and legal titles to their automobiles, trucks, trailers and motorcycles. The cost is generally about the same as buying a title or registering the vehicle out-of-state and switching that over to a Pennsylvania title. If you would like information on how Attorney Shook can help you get a title to your vehicle please email him at bshook@shooklegal.com.
