DMV Title help required on recent Guzzi Purchase :/

[NCAmother]

Hey guzzi brothers and sisters,
I recently traded some tools for a 1975 850T that had been stored in a barn. The story goes, someone back in the '80s if he could swap his bike to a farmer for a riding mower.  The bike sat untouched for 25-30 years.  The bike does have registration in the toolbox, but the original owner died in 1991.  I checked the VIN number and it is clean.  So here's where I need your advice.  I have the California registration card, no title, a handshake for a bill of sale, and a '75 Guzzi.  I live in California, how can I get a title from someone who has passed away years ago? I'd love to work on this bike, it's complete and original, I'm sure the motor needs a once over, but besides that, looks really good.

[oldbike54]

 The first thing to do is contact the California DMV and ask them what to do .

  Dusty

[Green1000S]

This should help you...
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=655441

[rocker59]

Check with your dmv. You should be able to apply for a bonded title

[NCAmother]

This should help you...
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=655441

Thanks, sounds like a viable option

[NCAmother]

The first thing to do is contact the California DMV and ask them what to do .

  Dusty

I'm a little paranoid contacting the DMV before I get all my ducks in a row.  It has a clean vin, motor matches, and an old (1988) registration card owned by a deceased person.  I guess I'm kind of afraid they would "red light" the bike and send it off to the crushers (or as we call it in california, the recycler)

[NCAmother]

Check with your dmv. You should be able to apply for a bonded title

I'll have to look up "bonded" title, thanks

[Testarossa]

For the Triumph I went thru Vermont per the advrider thread. It would help to get an informal bill of sale from guy you got the bike from. Just "I, Joe Blow, have been in possession of motorcycle VIN# _____________ since the death of Name Here in 19**.  For value received I hereby transfer ownership to NCAmother."

Signed and dated by "seller."

To calculate the tax it will charge, Vermont is going to value the bike according to "market value," so actual sold price is irrelevant.

[rocker59]

I'll have to look up "bonded" title, thanks

http://blog.suretysolutionsllc.com/suretynews/california-dmv-lost-title-register-a-car-without-proof-of-ownership

[guzzista]

Since the bike was last registered in 1991 it is now "off the books" or no longer in the records at least  here in California.  I would't worry about it getting repo by the state , unless  you know it was reported stolen at some point. If you believe it is clean , once the DMV Vin officer, or a CHP Vin Officer checks and signs off on the VIN Verification application, you are good to go. In the cases  where the  circumstances were found dubious, the ( car  in those cases) simply did not get registration/ approval and had to be disposed of. Only when it turned out the vehicle had been previously stolen, it was confiscated  by  the CHP. This is simply what I have  witnessed over the last 40 years living in Cal, registering old vehicles, and or what I have heard from friends working for the CHP. Good luck on your upcoming title

[NCAmother]

Since the bike was last registered in 1991 it is now "off the books" or no longer in the records at least  here in California.  I would't worry about it getting repo by the state , unless  you know it was reported stolen at some point. If you believe it is clean , once the DMV Vin officer, or a CHP Vin Officer checks and signs off on the VIN Verification application, you are good to go. In the cases  where the  circumstances were found dubious, the ( car  in those cases) simply did not get registration/ approval and had to be disposed of. Only when it turned out the vehicle had been previously stolen, it was confiscated  by  the CHP. This is simply what I have  witnessed over the last 40 years living in Cal, registering old vehicles, and or what I have heard from friends working for the CHP. Good luck on your upcoming title

Thanks Guzzista, so once I have the bike running, I can just go to the CHP with the old registration, get a VIN application, then title in my name?   Also, could I just bring the frame/motor/ID plate and get it titled "non op"?  thanks :)

[NCAmother]

So, today I called the CHP about my situation.  Apparently most of the footwork and loopholes are done at the DMV, last step is vin verification by the CHP.  If the bike is complete, but not running, you can still go thru this process.
But... I also discovered online that you can apply for a title transfer without probate (if the previous owner has been deceased more than 40 days)  This process looks easier, but I'll have to see it to believe it.   Right now there is a pyramid of milk crates full of parts that I need to put together

[not-fishing]

Your a very brave man.  I'd have made up a "bill of trade" for us to sign just so I'd have something to show the CA DMV.

Funny how 30 years ago I did $100,000 of changes to a new church with only a handshake with the Father but that was anther time

[NCAmother]

Your a very brave man.  I'd have made up a "bill of trade" for us to sign just so I'd have something to show the CA DMV.

Funny how 30 years ago I did $100,000 of changes to a new church with only a handshake with the Father but that was anther time

I wish it would be simple by just bringing a bill of sale, unfortunately there's a lot of other stuff required nowadays.  Honestly, I've been thinking of the out of state/vermont registration option because it's a lot easier

[Kentktk]

That Vermont or Maryland thing works. I used it in Washington state. The only issue was convincing DMV here that those states only title back 10 years. Once they checked on that all was good.

[Tom]

Find the executor of his estate and get a power of attorney for the bike.

[canuguzzi]

Be very careful (perhaps you've already got this sorted).

If you contact the DMV and for any reason give out the VIN# they will enter that info and from there on out you are stuck in whatever position you are without the ability to change the circumstances. That means if you try to register/title it out of state and then try to register in California you will effectively be discovered and it gets very nasty for you.

When you try to go around the registration system in California and manage to get the VIN# recorded by the DMV, when you get to the DMV counter having circumvented the CA system you might find out that registration is the least of your concerns, legal issues will pile up and extracting revenue from you becomes some cubicle workers dedicated job.

Whomever gave you the handshake should be able to write you a bill of sale. So long as everything was with the intent to do things right, the worst that can happen, in all probably it some additional paperwork to get things in order.

If you try to circumvent the system, sure you might get away with it but the DMV has people working for them and some of them are named Murphy. They have relationships with people that work at the FTB (Franchise Tax Board) and they too are named Murphy. If any one of those named Murphy figure that you are the one to be made example of, the window during which you can still board a plane for a flight to Nigeria is short.

If you've already got this sorted, good for you.