Vehicle title lien in WA state?

speeder · speeder's Garage

I posted this over on the PNW sub-forum but in case someone sees it here first, does anyone know how WA state marks liens on vehicle titles? I'm looking at buying a car from WA and just want to make sure it's truly free and clear.

Thanks.

speeder · speeder's Garage

Too late, car is sold.

Still curious as to how other states do it, though. CA. Prints it on the front of title and some other states give the title to the bank until it's paid-off.

Jeff Higgins · 11-14-2014, 06:43 PM

I believe Washington shows the lien holder as the "legal owner" on the title. There is not a separate block to show any other lien holders. I can see where that might get pretty dicey on a vehicle with a loan against it, showing the bank as the lien holder, and, say, a mechanic's lien against it as well. Not much info available from our illustrious DMV on that matter, unfortunately. So now you have me wondering, too. One lien holder seems pretty straightforward, but multiple liens looks a little cloudy...

speeder · speeder's Garage

I of course googled the question first and wound up on the WA dmv info page but there was no info on it.

ossiblue · 11-15-2014, 07:18 AM

Here's something I found on the Washington DMV site:

What is a lienholder?

If you have a loan (or lien) on your vehicle or boat, the person or company in charge of the loan is the lienholder. They’re listed as the legal owner on the vehicle or boat record (title and registration).

Sounds like the same as California.

speeder · speeder's Garage

Somehow missed that. Thanks.

island911 · 11-15-2014, 08:41 AM

The titles have two major blocks; one for registered owner, one for legal owner. (side by side)

It's pretty obvious if there's a bank lien.

If there is no bank lien then the one block will read: same as registered owner (iirc)

speeder · speeder's Garage

Same as CA. In MN., at least in the old days of 20 years ago, the bank or lien holder actually took physical possession of the title until it was paid-off. No title in hand, you could not sell or trade-in the vehicle, (at least not without making arrangements for the lien). There was no lost title form like in CA. now where if you misplace the title, you can sell without it.

In the really old days in MN., (early '70s and before), there was an incredibly analog system where the bank was supposed to call-in the loans to some office of the local govt., (city atty?), and when you bought a used car, you had to call this office and check the car for loans. I know this because my dad bought a 1 year old 1972 Datsun 240Z from one of his clients and it had a "hook" on it that the guy failed to mention. My dad was a defense lawyer and the client was a con-man, so he checked diligently with the appropriate office and it got an "all clear" from them.

A short time later, he got a call from a bank wanting their note on the car paid up. It seems that someone either at the bank or the city office, (can't remember which), had neglected to file the index card or whatever the fk they used back then to register the loan. The long version of this story and of how my dad got revenge on the guy is family lore and quite hilarious. Suffice it to say that the seller paid off the loan.