how to get a title?

[oldgoat]

hello . i have a friend who owns a motorcycle shop. he has a 84 venture sitting there just like mine. well he worked on it durring the winter. i didnt know he did this or i would have had mine in there. but anyways back to the question on hand. after working on it . he has had it for over 5 months and so far the owner has not called or made any contact with him when he called the phone number its no longer in service? we rode over to the address where the man was suppose to live. and he has been taken to prison. for over 15 years? my friend said he would like to get this out of his shop. i offerd him the cost of the work and parts he done on the bike. plus what it might take to get a title.? i offten heard about something called a mechanics lean/ but cant that get you a title? this bike runs well. looks crappy. but for around $360.00 for the work he done. and what a title might cost it could be well worth it?.

[emtdouggood]

yes a mechanics lien can help. A friend had a jet ski in his garage for six months, the guy never came back to get it. So he went to the court house filed some papers now it is his. Also try international title company. I had a title i three weeks. but that was a bike that was not titled since 1987. Hope this helps.

Edited March 11, 2010 by emtdouggood

[warthogcrewchief]

I think your best bet would be to have your friend at the shop file for a mechanic's lien, and then take possession of the bike for the "services rendered". Then he can legally sell it to you.

 

Another option in some states (not sure about IL) is to file for an abandoned title. This make take longer, and may require more hassle...

[MiCarl]

The law needs to be followed carefully on this one. Procuring a title you're not entitled to would be considered theft.

 

A mechanics lien may or may not be an option. Here in Michigan you can only file a mechanics lien if you have a signed work order with correct language acknowledging the lien.

 

A customer had his crashed 86 delivered to my shop by the towing company. He missed a couple appointments to come discuss the repairs then vanished. Since I didn't have a signed work order I couldn't file a lien. I hadn't done any work on it, just wanted it out. According to the DMV the only way I could obtain the title would be to sue him and win it in court.

 

A salvage yard won't take a vehicle without a title.

 

In Michigan you cannot claim a vehicle abandoned on your property. The only option is to have it impounded by the police, which is what I eventually did.

 

I have a friend that would like to have it (between us we have the parts to repair it). The impound lot has my business card attached to the paperwork and has promised to notify me when/if it comes up for auction.

 

Now, in Michigan, it's very easy to obtain a title for a vehicle that old. If I'd gone to the DMV with the VIN and told them that someone had given it to me and then never came through with the title they would have issued me one. The problem is that he didn't give it to me so I'd be committing fraud. If he ever decided he wanted it back I could be in a world of hurt.

[Cougar]

Off topic for a sec.. Carl, I noticed your picture by your handle.

that is a Honda Mini Trail Correct? I used to have 2 of them when

I was younger. great little bikes! like to find another one one day in good shape.

Jeff

[tsigwing]

hello . i have a friend who owns a motorcycle shop. he has a 84 venture sitting there just like mine. well he worked on it durring the winter. i didnt know he did this or i would have had mine in there. but anyways back to the question on hand. after working on it . he has had it for over 5 months and so far the owner has not called or made any contact with him when he called the phone number its no longer in service? we rode over to the address where the man was suppose to live. and he has been taken to prison. for over 15 years? my friend said he would like to get this out of his shop. i offerd him the cost of the work and parts he done on the bike. plus what it might take to get a title.? i offten heard about something called a mechanics lean/ but cant that get you a title? this bike runs well. looks crappy. but for around $360.00 for the work he done. and what a title might cost it could be well worth it?.[/quote

 

I bought a bike back in 98 from a guy that didn't have a title. I used this place and it worked out just like they said it would. Took a couple of weeks, but no problems.