Hypothetical question about vehicle titles

[Naptown]

say I know somebody who wants to purchase a used trailer. The trailer was sold new to Joe from a trailer shop who issued a certificate of origin with the company name and Joe's name showing where the trailer came from. 2 years later, Joe wants to sell the trailer. What must take place for Joe to legally sell the trailer to anyone else? Joe never titled the trailer. Can Joe sell the trailer to somebody and give them that C of O with his name on it? What is required to obtain a title if the second party buys the trailer from Joe?

Discuss.

 

[Suprtek]

If the trailer has a VIN already, you want to get a bill of sale and the C of O to take to the BMV. The bill of sale needs to state the purchase price so they know how much sales tax to charge you. Since the C of O shows the trailer is 2 years old and its never been registered, they may want to collect the excise taxes for those years. It depends on what branch you go to and what person is taking care of you that day. Sounds crazy but its true, I've seen it done different ways.

If there is no VIN, you will need to apply for one through the BMV. There is a form for that. The BMV can instruct you on the procedure for that. Some cities send an officer to your home to fill out the application because it is technically illegal for it to be on the road without a VIN, title, and registration. If they tell you to bring the trailer to the BMV, get a name and number of the person telling you that in case you get pulled over for no plates.

Good luck. It can be a pain, but you only have to do it once. After that, the plates get renewed just like any other vehicle.

 

[Naptown]

do I need to mess with a state form 39530? It's an affidavit of police officer? I had another source tell me I'll have to have a LEO come out and verify VIN.

Any thoughts? Any LEO in the area South of Castleton that wants to come shoot the **** for a couple of minutes?

 

[Gabriel]

Suprtek is right on. You'll probably have to have an LEO come out to do a VIN check also.

 

[Naptown]

Suprtek is right on. You'll probably have to have an LEO come out to do a VIN check also.

Done. I'm armed with a IN 39530 signed by a badass IPD cycle cop.

I'll post an update on how the BMV goes.

 

[Suprtek]

I had to go through pretty much the same procedure for the buggy you see in my sig because it is considered an "assembled vehicle" and had no VIN.