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Alright guys its me Brendan back again in need of some help. Ive posted twice here before about issues with this 98 vette that I just picked up. I have now run into more BS and nothing at all is adding up with this car, im hoping you guys can help me out. You have all been a huge help to me thus far and I appreciate it greatly. This post will detail in full my current situation with this car, and the problems/questions I have.
Ok so i picked up a 1998 c5 about a month ago in NY. Read my other threads if you want to hear the horror about that, anyways that isnt important right now. The seller told me the title was clean. I was given an unbranded title during the sale.
Fast forward to when I go to register the car (I did not know the car was a salvage at this point). I hand the lady my unbranded NY title that I was given. The lady at the dmv told me that the car was a salvage, recorded the salvage in her computer, printed me a salvage title, and told me the gut-wrenching process I need to go through in order to register the car.
Ive come to understand that the car was salvaged.... at one point. In 2004, However it has been registered in multiple states, gone through multiple owners, and 50,000 miles has been put on the car since then. It was obviously rebuilt and cleared to drive in multiple locations...Right? The title
that I was given during the sale was UNBRANDED, meaning that the large words SALVAGE were not present across the title. The seller told me the car had a clean title, and handed me in fact what looked like a clean title. This to my understanding is a completely legal process as the title can be cleared after a certain amount of time. HOWEVER, now I cannot register the car until I go through a salvage inspection, pay 200$ and provide a ton of information ie part receipts and pictures of the car after the accident that occurred 16 years ago!
Why was I given a salvage title on a vehicle that did not have a salvage title when I bought it?
Is the DMV at fault here?
I went there today to discuss with them the issue, and they told me that I handed in a salvage title to them.....and they have in the system that the car was registered as a salvage in 2004 and in 2019! (the day I went to register the car) WTF? And they are telling me that there is nothing that can be done.
If I handed them a salvage title, that would mean that the guy gave me salvage title, which he did not as it was unbranded and it was legally registered in NY and had not been salvaged since 04.
Am I missing something here?
Is it possible that the car went 16 years without ever being legally rebuilt, and only now it is catching up to me?
But then how would it have been registered in NY which has a strict salvage registering process?
Did I get scammed? Or is the dmv at fault?
Is there anyway for me to find out if this car has been legally rebuilt?
Is there anyway for me to obtain a copy of the title that I handed into them to register the car to prove to them it was not a salvage title? Or maybe it was a salvage title and, somehow, it went 16 years under the radar?
I don't know guys but its just a massive headache right now. My first time registering a car so I have absolutely no idea how this salvage title branding works. I just want my car on the road.
Thank you guys. im in NJ btw. VIN is 1G1YY32G5W5118976 if anybody wants to run a Carfax, maybe that would show me something im missing here.
Last edited by brendancafaro; Jan 6, 2020 at 01:36 PM.
Do you have a copy of the title that you handed DMV a month or so ago?
Without that, I think you are SOL.
Your other posts indicate that DMV told you the title you had was fraudulent. Since you don't have a copy of that, I don't think you even have recourse with the seller.
Do you have a copy of the title that you handed DMV a month or so ago?
Without that, I think you are SOL.
Your other posts indicate that DMV told you the title you had was fraudulent. Since you don't have a copy of that, I don't think you even have recourse with the seller.
that’s what they said which lead me to want to seek legal action but I think they were wrong. As someone in the prior thread posted, I think the title was legally unbranded (over 8 years old) and because there was no indication of a salvage, she thought was fraudulent and therefore still a “salvage”. The people at the dmv or atleast the nj dmv are not very good at their job and I know of multiple situations where they have screwed up like this.
no I don’t have a copy of the title that I handed in which I am kicking myself for, but I could have never predicted me needing it. I am wondering if there is any way to get a copy of that title.
Last edited by brendancafaro; Jan 6, 2020 at 02:41 PM.
I had a horror story with my 95 Z28. Was living in Huntsville and flew to Atlanta to get it. Spent some time with friends - got back home - got to looking for the "title package" in the mail - and was told that in the interim the dealer had folded up! I recall dealing with a "title agency" (specialist) of some kind to sort it out. I didn't get a clean title for almost a year....
did you contact the attorney general? DMV investigators? or any of the other law enforcement people that was suggested before
no. Like I said, I don’t believe fraud was committed anymore.
i believe that the title was cleared legally, which I did not know existed previously. Now I am focused on dealing with this dmv bs because I believe they are the root of these issues giving me a salvage title on vehicle that was legally registered last year in New York.
“Registration renewed in NY. Passed safety inspection”
okay there it is. Last year the car was cleared to drive in New York. Now why the **** do I have a salvage vehicle that I can’t drive without being towed.
To my understanding New York has even stricter laws than NJ. So wtf?
I feel for you on this one, but I think you are fishing in the wrong pond here on CF. This is not a Corvette issue, it is a legal issue. You need legal advice.
Maybe there is an attorney that can help somewhere here on CF, but the laws governing this situation are state-specific so that limits the pool of folks who can REALLY help you.
If I were you I’d probably sell the car, take my lumps and learn the lesson. It sounds like that may be the path of least resistance and expense.
NEXT TIME RUN A CARFAX FIRST. In addition to the valuable information it provides they also have a buyback guarantee had the previous salvage info not been on the report.
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Not sure if it would work, but try contacting the NY DMV and request a certification letter from them that the car, when registered there, was not under a salvage title. Present that to the NJ DMV and go from there.
Also, I would imagine that NJ has an appeals process that can be used to contest a decision by the DMV - perhaps through an Administrative Hearing Board. There also is the lawyer route to try and get this mess resolved, but no telling how expensive that might get.
Good luck - hate to see an owner having to go through something like this.
Not sure if it would work, but try contacting the NY DMV and request a certification letter from them that the car, when registered there, was not under a salvage title. Present that to the NJ DMV and go from there.
Also, I would imagine that NJ has an appeals process that can be used to contest a decision by the DMV - perhaps through an Administrative Hearing Board. There also is the lawyer route to try and get this mess resolved, but no telling how expensive that might get.
Good luck - hate to see an owner having to go through something like this.
That's a great idea actually with the ny dmv. Going to try that
If I were you I’d probably sell the car, take my lumps and learn the lesson. It sounds like that may be the path of least resistance and expense.
NEXT TIME RUN A CARFAX FIRST. In addition to the valuable information it provides they also have a buyback guarantee had the previous salvage info not been on the report.
Lastly, GTFO of New Jersey FFS!
Im keeping the car man.
When I posted my first thread I hadn't even spent 10 minutes in the drivers seat and I was overwhelmed with the minor issues with the car. After driving it a decent amount, I can say that she's running great right now. The car drives dead straight, and after I fix these minor issues I know Im going to love the car. Now it's just DMV ruining my day lol.
Ill keep you guys updated with repairs.
Last edited by brendancafaro; Jan 7, 2020 at 01:06 PM.
I feel for you on this one, but I think you are fishing in the wrong pond here on CF. This is not a Corvette issue, it is a legal issue. You need legal advice.
Maybe there is an attorney that can help somewhere here on CF, but the laws governing this situation are state-specific so that limits the pool of folks who can REALLY help you.
Have you contacted an attorney?
I wish you best of luck.
Yeah I didn't mean to stretch it out im just encountering obstacle after obstacle with this car.
An attorney wouldn't help, like I said it's all about settling things with the dmv right now. They misunderstood the situation and gave me a salvage title on a car that was rebuilt many years ago, and it's very frustrating. I don't mean to drag this out on you guys but every thread I make you all provide me with more information than I knew before, and the internet is very sparse with information regarding title registration stuff. I was hoping somebody here had experience with it first hand and understood what was going on in my situation, because I don't.
Alright guys its me Brendan back again in need of some help. Ive posted twice here before about issues with this 98 vette that I just picked up. I have now run into more BS and nothing at all is adding up with this car, im hoping you guys can help me out. You have all been a huge help to me thus far and I appreciate it greatly. This post will detail in full my current situation with this car, and the problems/questions I have.
Ok so i picked up a 1998 c5 about a month ago in NY. Read my other threads if you want to hear the horror about that, anyways that isnt important right now. The seller told me the title was clean. I was given an unbranded title during the sale.
Fast forward to when I go to register the car (I did not know the car was a salvage at this point). I hand the lady my unbranded NY title that I was given. The lady at the dmv told me that the car was a salvage, recorded the salvage in her computer, printed me a salvage title, and told me the gut-wrenching process I need to go through in order to register the car.
Ive come to understand that the car was salvaged.... at one point. In 2004, However it has been registered in multiple states, gone through multiple owners, and 50,000 miles has been put on the car since then. It was obviously rebuilt and cleared to drive in multiple locations...Right? The title
that I was given during the sale was UNBRANDED, meaning that the large words SALVAGE were not present across the title. The seller told me the car had a clean title, and handed me in fact what looked like a clean title. This to my understanding is a completely legal process as the title can be cleared after a certain amount of time. HOWEVER, now I cannot register the car until I go through a salvage inspection, pay 200$ and provide a ton of information ie part receipts and pictures of the car after the accident that occurred 16 years ago!
Why was I given a salvage title on a vehicle that did not have a salvage title when I bought it?
Is the DMV at fault here?
I went there today to discuss with them the issue, and they told me that I handed in a salvage title to them.....and they have in the system that the car was registered as a salvage in 2004 and in 2019! (the day I went to register the car) WTF? And they are telling me that there is nothing that can be done.
If I handed them a salvage title, that would mean that the guy gave me salvage title, which he did not as it was unbranded and it was legally registered in NY and had not been salvaged since 04.
Am I missing something here?
Is it possible that the car went 16 years without ever being legally rebuilt, and only now it is catching up to me?
But then how would it have been registered in NY which has a strict salvage registering process?
Did I get scammed? Or is the dmv at fault?
Is there anyway for me to find out if this car has been legally rebuilt?
Is there anyway for me to obtain a copy of the title that I handed into them to register the car to prove to them it was not a salvage title? Or maybe it was a salvage title and, somehow, it went 16 years under the radar?
I don't know guys but its just a massive headache right now. My first time registering a car so I have absolutely no idea how this salvage title branding works. I just want my car on the road.
Thank you guys. im in NJ btw. VIN is 1G1YY32G5W5118976 if anybody wants to run a Carfax, maybe that would show me something im missing here.
Please help me with this title mess
