Buying/selling a used car in New Jersey hurts those that can afford it least

drcoastline · 04:07 PM

I am going to start this here but have little doubt it will end up in PARF.

Out of the kindness of my heart I am helping a window dispose of an estate that has little value. One of the tasks is disposing of a vehicle.

Yesterday morning at about 6AM I listed a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis in great condition for it's age on FB for $2,500.00. By 10AM my messenger was swarmed by buyers. By noon I had cash in hand and all paperwork signed.

As you would expect the people buying an 18 year old, $2,500.00 car as their primary vehicle don't have much. Chances are this will be their most valuable asset.

At around 11AM the young man with his girlfriend/wife and two kids under the age of three come to my office in the borrowed car they were driving and pay cash, sign the title and BOS.

I said to the young man take the title and BOS to the DMV (about three miles away) title the car in your name and come back. I will have the tags removed and hand you the keys.

About Two hours later my office phones me and says the young man is back. They put him on the phone, He states he waited in line at the DMV. Due to COVID they only let a few people into the building at one time. He gets to the door and the guard asks why he is there. He states he needs to change title to a vehicle. The guard then states they no longer do titles at this location and hands the young man a pamphlet and tells him to go online and make an appointment.

The young man informs me that he went online to make an appointment the next available date and time are 10AM April 29th in Cherry Hill, we are in Cape May. That is approximately seventy five miles and an hour and a half drive one way. Even if other locations performed this service the closest location would be about forty miles and forty five minutes one direction.

He states he has no way of getting there plus he doesn't want to wait that long can he have his money back? Normally I wouldn't balk as there are plenty of buyers.

The problem is the title is now marked up and in order to sell the car I need a replacement title. So I would then be charged with the task of making the appointment driving an hour and a half, seventy five miles and getting a new title, if I can as I am not the executor. So maybe the elderly widow would need to do it?

The state of New Jersey is damaging a young family with little money by hindering their ability to purchase a car that would allow them to get to and from their minimum wage jobs and take care of their children.

In addition they are hindering an elderly widow with no income to dispose of an asset to get some cash to pay her bills.

Just another Liberal state mess.

blucille · 04-01-2021, 02:46 AM

Keep in mind (to make matters worse) there are no “temporary tags” available to private car sales. I had this problem, bought a car, imported it from Europe. It took 6 weeks for NJ dmv HQ to turn around the paperwork and since I had no idea when I’d get it back, I had to wait until I had title in hand, so another month before I could go to the dmv due to their appointment system. And they’ve shut down many dmv locations, so it’s a long drive into a not-so-great neighborhood to find a dmv that handles registration.

Crazy.

dad911 · 04-01-2021, 03:43 AM

Glitch in their system would not let my son renew driver license online. Next appointment? May 29th.

Yet you can get 1 or 2 day appointments to renew a registration in NJ.

cabmandone · cabmandone's Garage

Don't they do 30 day temp tags in NJ?

Shaun @ Tru6 · 04-01-2021, 04:14 AM

Don, when I registered the Cayenne I went to the MA RMV web site and read all about what you can and can't do. Here there are dropboxes with 1 to 4 day turnaround time. You drop your title and BOS off and then come back to pick up paper plates. 2 friends have had 1 day turnaround times. You get a paper temp plate with plastic sleeve and real plates mailed to you. I elected to make an appointment at the RMV to do everything in person. 2 week wait time for something close. Could have done it in a day or two driving out in the boondocks.

Anyway, they need to go to the NJ DMV and see what to do, I would hope they do something similar as MA. If they live close, I'd at least follow them home and take the plates there and warn them not to drive with attached plates, it's a felony here.

drcoastline · 04-01-2021, 04:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dad911

Glitch in their system would not let my son renew driver license online. Next appointment? May 29th.

Yet you can get 1 or 2 day appointments to renew a registration in NJ.

To change address on a DL in person you need six point of ID including either a Birth Certificate or a passport as primary ID and then five lesser forms as well.

Or you can go online fill out the form with no proof and they will mail you the DL.

masraum · 04-01-2021, 04:29 AM

NJ, nice place to visit but no way in hell I'd live there. (and the "visit" part is also questionable)

drcoastline · 04-01-2021, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cabmando

Don't they do 30 day temp tags in NJ?

Only through a dealership new or used. Not private sale. Historically all DMV's performed all functions. No longer. You could just walk in to any DMV with signed title and a BOS fill out the form show proof of insurance pay the fee. They enter the info into the system print you a title and registration and hand you your plates.

I assume the process is still the same. But now you need to make an appointment with a DMV that does title transfers. I assume they will also do the registrations and plates?

I don't care if he registers the car so long as the title is out of the sellers name.

1990C4S · 04:35 AM

As a buyer I would just drive the car with the marked up title, with insurance, until I could get the title changed. I've done it before. If I got ticketed I would got o court and take my chances. Where I live the fine for no insurance is big, the fine for not transferring title is small.

As a seller I would get a receipt, cancel insurance and move on.

drcoastline · 04-01-2021, 04:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

Don, when I registered the Cayenne I went to the MA RMV web site and read all about what you can and can't do. Here there are dropboxes with 1 to 4 day turnaround time. You drop your title and BOS off and then come back to pick up paper plates. 2 friends have had 1 day turnaround times. You get a paper temp plate with plastic sleeve and real plates mailed to you. I elected to make an appointment at the RMV to do everything in person. 2 week wait time for something close. Could have done it in a day or two driving out in the boondocks.

Anyway, they need to go to the NJ DMV and see what to do, I would hope they do something similar as MA. If they live close, I'd at least follow them home and take the plates there and warn them not to drive with attached plates, it's a felony here.

To the best of my knowledge we don't have drop boxes or anything like that. Typically people would drive from the busier areas lie Atlantic City or the NJ suburbs around Philadelphia down to us as turn around was much faster (less population) so lines weren't as long.

I had a house until a few weeks ago in the NJ Philly suburbs it was faster and easier for me to drive back to Cape May and do my DMV work then it was for me to get in line in Turnersville, Cherry Hill or one of the other DMV's in the area.

drcoastline · 04-01-2021, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

As a buyer I would just drive the car with the marked up title, with insurance, until I could get the title changed. I've done it before. If I got ticketed I would got o court and take my chances. Where I live the fine for no insurance is big, the fine for not transferring title is small.

As a seller I would get a receipt, cancel insurance and move on.

And that is exactly what he wants to do, but, I won't give him the car until the title is changed. What is stop him from not carrying insurance or even changing title, tossing the title and BOS and driving the car?

cabmandone · cabmandone's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by drcoastline

Only through a dealership new or used. Not private sale. Historically all DMV's performed all functions. No longer. You could just walk in to any DMV with signed title and a BOS fill out the form show proof of insurance pay the fee. They enter the info into the system print you a title and registration and hand you your plates.

I assume the process is still the same. But now you need to make an appointment with a DMV that does title transfers. I assume they will also do the registrations and plates?

I don't care if he registers the car so long as the title is out of the sellers name.

Damn that seems crazy. In OH we can get temp tags whether the sale private party or dealer purchase.

cabmandone · cabmandone's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by drcoastline

And that is exactly what he wants to do, but, I won't give him the car until the title is changed. What is stop him from not carrying insurance or even changing title, tossing the title and BOS and driving the car?

He can get insurance without a transfer of title. I'd have them provide proof of insurance and send them on their way. As long as you have the BOS, I can't see any liability on the part of the seller for what the buyer does after the sale. But then again... Jersey.

drcoastline · 04-01-2021, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by masraum

NJ, nice place to visit but no way in hell I'd live there. (and the "visit" part is also questionable)

It's a nice state screwed up Government. Centrally located, great Beaches, history, woodland areas, etc. Wishfull thinking but if we could fix Government and stabilize taxes it's a nice place.

id10t · 04-01-2021, 04:44 AM

Hrm... OP if you are an AAA member they may have a service to assist you

1990C4S · 04-01-2021, 04:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cabmando

He can get insurance without a transfer of title. I'd have them provide proof of insurance and send them on their way. As long as you have the BOS, I can't see any liability on the part of the seller for what the buyer does after the sale. But then again... Jersey.

Agree. I have sold a lot of cars, I've never forced the seller to prove he transferred the title.

Get a receipt and a picture of his driver's license.

drcoastline · 04-01-2021, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

Agree. I have sold a lot of cars, I've never forced the seller to prove he transferred the title.

Get a receipt and a picture of his driver's license.

Title transfer proves change of ownership. Even with a BOS and signed title ownership has not transferred. If anything happens the legal owner of the car can be held liable.

What is to stop the buyer from dropping the signed title and BOS in a shredder and driving the car?

Not worth the risk for $2,500.00.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 04-01-2021, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drcoastline

And that is exactly what he wants to do, but, I won't give him the car until the title is changed. What is stop him from not carrying insurance or even changing title, tossing the title and BOS and driving the car?

Don, that's not how it works. When he gives you cash and you sign the title over, the car is no longer yours. At all. You just give him the car. Done.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 04-01-2021, 04:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drcoastline

Title transfer proves change of ownership. Even with a BOS and signed title ownership has not transferred. If anything happens the legal owner of the car can be held liable. Not worth the risk for $2,500.00.

What is to stop the buyer form dropping the signed title and BOS in a shredder and driving the car?

you are not the legal owner of the car when you receive money and sign the title over.

masraum · 04-01-2021, 04:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drcoastline

It's a nice state screwed up Government. Centrally located, great Beaches, history, woodland areas, etc. Wishfull thinking but if we could fix Government and stabilize taxes it's a nice place.

Yes, pretty place, screwed up govt, cool history.

"Great beaches?" I have a hard time with that since I'm from FL and spent many years going to the FL Gulf coast beaches, and I haven't been to or seen the NJ beaches, but OK.