The Expert Podcast

So how do you go about getting a title for an abandoned vehicle. Well first let's talk about what it means to be an abandoned vehicle definition of an abandoned vehicle means that the owner of the vehicle has intentionally abandoned the vehicle. They've disclaimed all need and want for that car. It's not an alternative method of getting a title for a car that you've acquired Another way. If you purchased a car or bought it off Craigslist or somehow was transferred to you but you just lost the title and don't have the paperwork That's not an abandoned car. Abandoned car is one where the owner is intentionally disclaiming rights to the vehicle. truly abandoned means that legal owner has intentions They don't want it. That triggers an abandoned vehicle law. Now that law will allow for a title to pass over to a new owner But that process isn't just as simple as finder's keepers whoever finds the car. It's a process of going through being towed from where it's located by a licensed towing company that towing has to be part of the towing rotation for that jurisdiction. the police departments usually involved They call the next towing company on rotation It's towed from wherever it is It's held for a certain period of time And then it's auctioned off. that way It protects the rights of that vehicle owner so that whatever the value of the car is will go to the vehicle owner. Now it's subtracted out for the price of the towing for the storage Usually there's not much leftover for the vehicle owner but the reason why that That process is in place is to preach against a very high value vehicle Let's say there's a a car that's worth 10 or $15,000 that somehow is abandoned or lost track of that that value isn't absorbed by somebody or it doesn't become a law a liability to the owner to lose their car. So it's going going to go through a legal process so that the value of the vehicle when the car is auctioned is paid to the towing company but they first subtract their fee for towing and storage The rest is given to the last title owner. So if you a car That is abandoned somewhere You can go through that process but if the only reason you're looking at abandoned vehicle process to get a title for a car you've acquired otherwise there's other processes to go through that actually costs less money And are more of a direct process for you to get a title. There's another thing to consider At a car that you think is abandoned could have a legitimate scenario could be in storage The person could be on vacation They could be overseas in the military. There could be a number of reasons It also could have a lien on it The person could have left it because they didn't finish paying the payments and that case the bank owns it It's not abandoned The bank just doesn't know where it is. So there are laws for abandoned vehicles to pass over title but it's not a substitute for title recovery just because you don't have a title for a vehicle or it's difficult to get. If you think the title is difficult to get contact us our website Consumers title.org We can have our title experts look at your scenario and find a way that you can figure how to get a title all by yourself.