Car title lists a (I think) disolved corporation as owner. Now what?
 

I am trying to help my elderly neighbor sell her 1986 Mercedes 560 SL. Her husband (who has had multiple brain embolisms and remembers nothing) handled all of their affairs.

The title of the car says it is owned by something like 'Ephrata Lake House', and lists an address in that area. This couple has lived in Seattle for 40 years, but they used to own rental property in eastern washington, and I can only assume the car was owned by a corporation her husband had set up for their properties. She says all of those properties are gone. She has no clue about the corporation.

The title was signed by she and her husband, which makes sense if they were the corporate officers.

Am I reading this wrong? I don't even know where to start. I assume the first thing to do is find out if the corporation is still functioning. If it is, I'm going to get her an attorney who can take care of putting her in charge. What if the corporation is gone?

Any thoughts on dealing with the car, or on helping her get a handle on their financial affairs?

Any help appreciated.

I'm a layman, but just because all of the properties were sold this not mean that the corporation was necessarily dissolved. This may not be as bad as it seems. Just open dialogue; no answers, sorry.

Go the Washington Secretary of State's website, or whatever state the corporation may have been formed in, and search the accurate name. May still be active, or inactive, but it will at least give you something to go on.

There should be a business entity registry in Washington. I know Oregon has it online. It will list the corporate officers and whether it is active or inactive. Should be somewhat straight forward.

Larry

I doubt the DMV would give 2 schits when you go to transfer it. If a title has signatures in the right place(s) and no one disputes it, through the meat grinder it goes and out pops a new one in the buyer's name.

Just a cautionary note to protect yourself, and find out if they have children, or someone who has power of attorney.

If you google "washington state business license" that will take you to the website that shows if a business is active or inactive in this state (and also the principal officers, I think). I have no clue about the rules for corporations.

_

Swap title into her name. She's on the original title, it should be easy.

Then sell.

What is the exact name of the corporation or LLC on the title? I did a quick search for 'Ephrata Lake House' and all the permutations I could think of and couldn't find anything.

If the company truly dissolved it should have disposed of all its assets. Since title is still in the company's name, the company probably wasn't dissolve; it probably has been left dormant and it is merely inactive. The state might administratively close corporations or LLCs after a number of years.

But just off the top of my head, if she and her husband signed on behalf of 'Ephrata Lake House' then, there isn't any reason to think she can't do it now. She should still have the same legal standing and authority as she had when she and her husband bought the car.

Are there any records showing what law firm in Washington set up the company?

I think Denis is correct, but there might be taxes due because of the form of ownership. Normally a used car sale is treated as personal property as most of the time there is no profit. In this case the property is being transferred to an individual who is then gaining.

So, I HOPE Denis is right for the lady's sake.

This is exactly how it works here as well. Signatures are the only thing that matters.

DMV isn't gonna look. If you have the title and it's signed F and R that's all that matters.

The very fact you possess the title and presumably, the car and it's licensed to the new owner makes it for a very lax procedure.

rjp

I'd like to know who exactly the DMV employs to check the legitimacy of every single signature on vehicle titles, according to some of your imaginations?

That is not the way that govt tax collecting bureaucracies work, for starters.

If you need help with this, shoot me a PM and we can talk after the holiday.

CA assumes that the signatures are valid.