buying trailer without title

Over the years almost a dozen times i’ve either purchased from individuals or estates vehicles with lost titles or just found them in a land clearing deal. You’d be surprised how common this is. Life happens and People just lose paperwork over time. Texas is pretty easy. You file for lost title and set up an appointment for a Texas Rangers vehicle theft detective to inspect the unit. If you cannot move it to their location they will come to yours. This takes a little time sometimes but easy. They check to make sure numbers look legit and run them thru the data base. If they come up clean and lien free you get a new title in your name. Previous owner/ owners doesn’t matter anymore. The title will look like you are the first owner.

 

I had a free car one time during detectives inspection come up with a lien from a credit union still on it. So we contacted them and they inspected it and ultimately released the lien because it did not run and they could not resell it. They released the title to us for $200 to cover basic gift tax and bank process fee. Lol!

 

So what part on a trailer can't be replaced? I've had trailer wrecked in the front, rear, both sides and the only thing that had to be replaced was the vin plate. And that had to be done through the dealer/manufacturer.

 

Register it in Maine, no title needed

 

Back in the day when NJ motor vehicle agencies had a 'dealer' window that also handled pre-IRP tractor registrations, etc. including the once per year trailer registrations for the whole state every March.

We had an abandoned van trailer in the back of the yard that the boss filed with stuff he was giving away.

Explaining this to the grand-motherly lady who did the dealer work and she issued a homemade title, gave me the serial no to stamp on it and a plate that was used once.

We left it in the parking lot of the business who got the 'stuff' inside and brought the plate back.

 

Lots of reasons for this.

But I agree. No title, no money.

If a seller is legit, they will go through proper channels to obtain a title.