Is This A Red Flag - car purchase question

[daepp]

My cousin is bidding on a Triumph out of Rhode Island. Being a car guy he asked me what I thought, and when I read the ad I came across the following, that I've never seen in CA.

Any thoughts? Or have you ever seen something such as this before?

"On Mar-09-20 at 00:50:24 PDT, seller added the following information:
My State will not issue a Title on cars prior to 2010 so car is being sold on a transferable RIDMV Registration. Should be OK in all States but make sure. Thanks

On Mar-09-20 at 01:38:23 PDT, seller added the following information:
Should read "No Title prior to 2000". Sorry"

[Sarc]

Yes, a very common policy in many NE states (NY and Connecticut particularly come to mind).

Here's are several examples of several past RI offerings on BaT where this situation is expressed.

Hope that helps...

[legion]

The root of the problem could be a proactive person and an idiot DMV worker.

A few years ago, I was considering getting a Caterham. Caterham's do no have standard VINs. I had read that residents of some states had trouble getting them titled because of this. I went online to research how to title a car with a non-standard VIN. Not surprisingly (considering the laziness of state employees in Illinois), no such information was available. I went to the DMV to ask what the procedure was for titling a car with a non-standard VIN. First of all, it took me 20 minutes to attempt to explain what a non-standard VIN is. I don't think it was ever understood. They simply could not get the concept that you can legally import a vehicle that doesn't use a standard VIN (or that a VIN could even be non-standard). Frustrating that my line of questions was not yielding any useful information, I tried a different approach: how do you title a home-built vehicle? The worker told me that I couldn't. I know this is false, as I know people who have gotten vehicles titled in Illinois that they have built themselves. The DMV drone asked me if I was building the car myself. I said no, I am buying it from out of state. He said then they will just use the VIN on the title. I explained that that could either be a non-standard VIN or a state-issued (by a different state) replacement VIN. Would that cause their system a problem. Blank stare.

It was clear that this was going to be an exercise in finding out how big a pain I had to deal with after the fact. Long time posters will remember that I had a heck of a time getting my 2007 Chevrolet Silverado title in Illinois because I bought it new out of state and Illinois simply does not have a provision in its DMV systems and procedures for buying a new car out of state. (It ended up taking 4 months and I had to violate some state laws to make it happen.) That experience was why I tried to be proactive with the Caterham. I ultimately decided that I didn't have the appetite for dealing with incompetent and vindictive state employees again.

As for the above, I would consider buying it if I lived in Rhode Island, could meet the seller and the DMV, and could hand them their payment upon successfully retitling. Other than that, you just never know if another state is going to accept one state's nonstandard paperwork.

[billybek]

I bought my SC from a man in Rhode Island.
There was no title and I had a letter from the state with that information so that I could import the car.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

you would think it's suspicious but is normal

[fastfredracing]

All those title companies that used to help you get lost titles for vehicles, used to operate up in those Northeastern states .
You would basically sell it to them on a bill of sale, and they would sell it back to you on a Bill of Sale in that state, registered with plates, and then you could bring it into your state .
I did this a few years back with a motorcycle, and even a few p cars in the past when we used to part them out .
I think that loophole has closed for most cars other than antiques now .

[Zeke]

Same in AL last I knew. 20 years old and you get tags, no pink. (Pink being the color of CA title)

[daepp]

Hey thanks - really appreciate it!

[red-beard]

State of Rhode Island: Division of Motor Vehicles: Titles

[gizmofixer]

True. RI only issues titles on newer vehicles.
Ultimately what matters is whatever CA needs to issue you a title or reg or whatever.
When i bought a RI bike, NJ required a notarized bill of sale and the current registration.
Try to find a notary on a sunday afternoon.......

[wdfifteen]

What is a standard VIN? The only cars I have that I've paid attention to the VIN simply have a 5 digit number.

[javadog]

Since 1981, a 17 digit VIN has been mandated in the US and many parts of the world. Prior to that, cars had serial numbers and those varied in format through the years, anywhere from 5 or 6 digits to about 11.

[id10t]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

What is a standard VIN? The only cars I have that I've paid attention to the VIN simply have a 5 digit number.

Hrm... my 356 vin is 6 digits...

Anyway, in '81 the standard VIN format was created. Before then it was all up to a manufacturer as to format, location, etc.

Check out - https://www.carfax.com/blog/vin-decoding

FWIW I've read about states like Cali using the engine number as the VIN on a 356 as opposed to the chassis number. Which made things difficult for the person when he went to sell it after replacing the engine.....

[javadog]

Technically speaking, VIN only refers to the later 17 digit numbers. Before that you had the chassis number...

[GH85Carrera]

I bought my 1974 914 2.0 brand new in Alabama and back then Alabama was a no title state. So all I received as proof it was mine was a bill of sale. I moved to Oklahoma in 1978. I understood I needed to get a new tag and drivers license soon.

Oklahoma has private enterprise for car tags so I asked my co-workers where to go. They pointed me to a tag agent near by. I am pretty sure they issued cigarettes to employees. It looked like a bar in there, every employee had a cigarette in their mouth. I told them I need a tag for my car and she asked for the title. I said there is no title, and it was like a scene from a move, dead silence, and everyone looked at me. I said I bought the car new in Alabama, and I have a bill of sale.

The lady drug out a book that looked like a prop from a Harry Potter movie. It was HUGE. She started flipping through pages and found verification that I was not a criminal. They had to issue a new title for an extra fee, and then they provided a new tag.

Now days I go to a near by tag agent, hand them the paperwork and by the time I write my check they hand me my sticker, and I am gone. I write a check to avoid the $2.50 "convenience fee" that state tacks on for using a credit or debit card. And the tag agents are smoke free now.

[stomachmonkey]

NY is still is still a pink slip state for older cars.

My 190SL is one.

You sign the back of the regi to transfer ownership.