Title Question
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 37
Likes: 42
From: Boise Idaho
2017 C3 of Year Finalist
Title Question
I live in Idaho. I bought a 1960 Corvette from a guy who has owned it since 1970. When he bought it, he lived in Washington and had it titled there in his name. When he moved to Idaho ten years ago, he brought the car with him but since the car was not operable, he never transferred the title to Idaho. When I bought the car, he could not find the original title. Of course Washington has no record of a 40-year-old title. In Idaho, we are able to still get the car titled on what is called a "conditional title". These are issued for vehicles ten or more years old when the applicant is unable to present ownership documents sufficient to satisfy normal titling requirements. The titles are issued with the following brand: Issued on Statement of Applicant, Brand Exp: mm/dd/yy. After three years, you can apply to have another titled issued that does not have this verbage noted on it. My question is, is this common, does hurt the value of the car and will it affect resale desirability?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,345
Likes: 87
From: Northern MN
St. Jude Donor '13-'14-'15-'16-'17
I live in Idaho. I bought a 1960 Corvette from a guy who has owned it since 1970. When he bought it, he lived in Washington and had it titled there in his name. When he moved to Idaho ten years ago, he brought the car with him but since the car was not operable, he never transferred the title to Idaho. When I bought the car, he could not find the original title. Of course Washington has no record of a 40-year-old title. In Idaho, we are able to still get the car titled on what is called a "conditional title". These are issued for vehicles ten or more years old when the applicant is unable to present ownership documents sufficient to satisfy normal titling requirements. The titles are issued with the following brand: Issued on Statement of Applicant, Brand Exp: mm/dd/yy. After three years, you can apply to have another titled issued that does not have this verbage noted on it. My question is, is this common, does hurt the value of the car and will it affect resale desirability?
If you hold it for three years I wouldn't worry about it. If you bought it for resale, I would say "yeah" it will hurt it because the buyer can't be sure the car wasn't stolen more than 10 years ago. JMO
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,237
Likes: 357
From: Albuquerque, NM
I don't think it'd really hurt unless you need to sell within three years. It'd probably be worth having the police run the VIN through the NCIC computer to make sure it's not stolen or something like that (since you're not getting a title). No sense worrying about it now though, after you bought the car.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 37
Likes: 42
From: Boise Idaho
2017 C3 of Year Finalist
I have already done all the NCIC stuff. I am confident it is not stolen or anything like that and that the background on the car is accurate. I am just concerned about the notation on the title for those three years.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 420
Likes: 2
From: America's North Coast Minnesota
Washington should have some record of the car. Just because it is BC doesn't mean it is not out there. Someone at their DMV might have to expend some extra effort.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 140
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From: Seaside Oregon
If the car was titled in Wa. they still have a record of it. I bought a 56 corvette that was out of a wrecking yard in Bellingham Wa. in 72. The only thing I had was a bill of sale and an application for a title. I live in Oregon now but took what little paperwork I had with a great deal of apprehension to a DMV in WA. in 2006 when I traded it off for another Corvette. A few clicks on the DMV computor using the VIN and Lic. plate number plus a chewing out for taking 30 years to get a title one was issued. I was suprised they still had record of it but was told if it wasn't crushed the title is still active. Tell the guy you bought it from to file for a lost title. If there isn"t a record something else is going on.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 37
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From: Boise Idaho
2017 C3 of Year Finalist
Both the original owner and I have tried several times through Washington and we are repeated told that there is no way they can find a record of this title, especially since the car hasn't been registered since 1972. Consequently, they are also telling him he can't file for a lost title in Washington. So we are left with this "Conditional Title" option.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 765
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From: Hudson North Carolina
I lost the title to the 56 I bought shortly after purchase. The last titled owner about seven years earlier lived in PA. I got hold of him and he filed for lost title. When he received it he forwarded it to me. Washington state has a record and the previous owner can apply for lost title. You just need to contact someone in the DMV that doesn't have their thumb up their azz or too lazy to work. However you may have to make several hundred phone calls to find that person.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 13,671
Likes: 14
From: Down on the bayou in south Louisiana
St. Jude Donor '10
Both the original owner and I have tried several times through Washington and we are repeated told that there is no way they can find a record of this title, especially since the car hasn't been registered since 1972. Consequently, they are also telling him he can't file for a lost title in Washington. So we are left with this "Conditional Title" option.
Pro
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 556
Likes: 4
From: North of Spokane WA
In September of '06 I did some research through Washington State Dept of Public Disclosure to try to find my old 62 that I traded off in 1972.
The clerk, named Danielle, at tel: 360 902-3780 was very helpful. She explained that their records only went back to 1986, but she said that she would submit it to research and see what they might find.
Danielle called me back and said that the car had been in their system as recently as 2001 and the last registration from WA expired in March 1990. It was last owned by someone on the west side of the state.....but she could not give me the exact location or the owner's name (for privacy reasons).
All I had to give her was the old license plate number and the year and make of the car.
Incidentally she said her Dad had a 61 Corvette.
Good luck and I hope this helps. Doug
The clerk, named Danielle, at tel: 360 902-3780 was very helpful. She explained that their records only went back to 1986, but she said that she would submit it to research and see what they might find.
Danielle called me back and said that the car had been in their system as recently as 2001 and the last registration from WA expired in March 1990. It was last owned by someone on the west side of the state.....but she could not give me the exact location or the owner's name (for privacy reasons).
All I had to give her was the old license plate number and the year and make of the car.
Incidentally she said her Dad had a 61 Corvette.
Good luck and I hope this helps. Doug
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 7,994
Likes: 3,981
From: Cold Harbor, VA
Worth its weight in Gold !
In September of '06 I did some research through Washington State Dept of Public Disclosure to try to find my old 62 that I traded off in 1972.
The clerk, named Danielle, at tel: 360 902-3780 was very helpful. She explained that their records only went back to 1986, but she said that she would submit it to research and see what they might find.
Danielle called me back and said that the car had been in their system as recently as 2001 and the last registration from WA expired in March 1990. It was last owned by someone on the west side of the state.....but she could not give me the exact location or the owner's name (for privacy reasons).
All I had to give her was the old license plate number and the year and make of the car.
Incidentally she said her Dad had a 61 Corvette.
Good luck and I hope this helps. Doug
The clerk, named Danielle, at tel: 360 902-3780 was very helpful. She explained that their records only went back to 1986, but she said that she would submit it to research and see what they might find.
Danielle called me back and said that the car had been in their system as recently as 2001 and the last registration from WA expired in March 1990. It was last owned by someone on the west side of the state.....but she could not give me the exact location or the owner's name (for privacy reasons).
All I had to give her was the old license plate number and the year and make of the car.
Incidentally she said her Dad had a 61 Corvette.
Good luck and I hope this helps. Doug
this information, if it works is priceless.. Gotta love this forum !
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 844
Likes: 2
Normally you'd just bring a hand scribbled bill of sale and application for new title into your local DMV claiming pre-title date of transfer, but I see Idaho has been issuing titles on Motor vehicles since 1927 and Washington since 1933, so apply for lost title with DMV's research dept. seems to be the answer.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 7,631
Likes: 11
From: Rocklin California
In Kalifornia you have the seller sign DMV forms for lost title or application for duplicate title since it was lost. They then do a history search for last registered owner. If it the same person, they can issue a new title with no restrictions. 
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 54,015
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From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
Any caveat or explanation that comes with a title will make a car a little less attractive.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 37
Likes: 42
From: Boise Idaho
2017 C3 of Year Finalist
Well based on some of this advice, I have tried numerous other avenues with Washington, all still without success. I did call Danielle as Doug suggested. She was very nice but told me that their records only go back six years now. She said it used to be 20 years, then 10, now it's only six. That is consistent with what everybody else there has told me too. So I am left with getting a title here in Idaho as I described. It won't be any problem to get one, I just wanted to avoid having that "brand" on it for three years. But, it sounds like that is as good as it is going to get. Thanks to all those who offered input, this is a great forum, Mike.
