Paging Oppo attorneys, car selling/buying pros

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
08/01/2019 at 20:40 • Filed to: None

D ue to the fact that I never managed to title my last Volvo, the guy who bought it and drove it to Arizona is having trouble getting it in his name. (it also had a serpentine belt snap 60 0 miles into the trip home but that’s neither here nor there...) He sent me the above pdf, saying he thinks that if I get that filled out with an attorney’s aid, he’ll be able to title the car.

Does that look/sound legit? I’ve never seen this document and have zero experience here. Who exactly should I look for to sign the thing? Any rough idea on cost?

Some classy commuters for your time

DISCUSSION (30)

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion
08/01/2019 at 20:51

I’m a little disappointed that you sold that thing without fixing the title issue. What the heck happened? Was it the emissions testing?

facw > AestheticsInMotion
08/01/2019 at 20:53

I am not an attorney or a car buying pro, but I’m not sure what you signing this would get him since the problem is that you never officially were the owner to begin with.

Also, despite being called a power of attorney, I wouldn’t think you’d actually need a lawyer involved (though a lawyer would certainly know better what powers you were giving away, and what the repercussions of that are). An attorney-in-fact is just someone authorized to act on your behalf, as opposed to an attorney-at-law, who are the real law-talking guys.

Since the form specifies the VIN, I’d imagine your exposure would be low, but I don’t know if it would allow them to do things in your name that would be charged to you.

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
08/01/2019 at 20:55

Problem was with the late title fees and blah blah blah, it would have cost me a ton to get it titled in my name. Like, $400+. I'm pretty sure it would have passed emmisions with no problems though.

Once I got it running again, I literally had 10 people a day begging to take it off my hands, title issue and all so... Seemed easiest to just leave it as is.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > AestheticsInMotion
08/01/2019 at 21:05

Filling out a power of attorney is standard fare when buying car from a dealer (allowing them to title and register it in your name). This doesn’t need to be filled out by an attorney. The “attorney- in- fact” is the person you’re authorizing to do this for you (it sounds like the seller, in this case). It needs to be notarized , but that can be done by any n otary.

Now, should you fill this out in this case is another question. It sounds to me like he is trying to get the car titled in his name after the fact, and then get you a title that will allow it to be titled in your name in Washington. I’m not qualified to offer an opinion on whether you should do that, or if this is the correct way to go about doing it.

However, you might look into your state’s bonded title process. That is often how broken chain of title situations get fixed. That usually works along the lines of taking in whatever documentation you have and putting up a bond against the car (say 10%). They’ ll give you a bonded title in your name that will allow you to register the car. If after a certain amount of time no one challenges the bonded title, you’ll get a clean title in your name for it.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion
08/01/2019 at 21:05

Well, then if you're at peace with it, you need to go all the way and remind the guy he bought your car as is. It's the buyer's burden to know if/how to title a car in his state without a proper title. Hopefully you didn't sell him that it "shouldn't be a problem" or anything.

M.T. Blake > AestheticsInMotion
08/01/2019 at 21:10

Looks legit to me. I’m not attorney. That form would only be for him to sign your name. If everything is legit with the sale and whatnot (no one committed fraud to get here) don’t worry about it. http://az-mvd.com/forms/Power_of_Attorney_%20MVD.pdf

dogisbadob > AestheticsInMotion
08/01/2019 at 21:16

It’s your job to get the car titled in your name. It’s the law in all 50 states.

What you did is what curbstoners do. Not titling it in their name.

If you’re concerned about a particular form being legit, you can always go on Arizona’s DMV website

MM54 > AestheticsInMotion
08/01/2019 at 21:16

This is why I didn’t buy the LS400 I looked at in LA - the lady had a stack of paperwork instead of a title.

RPM esq. > AestheticsInMotion
08/01/2019 at 21:19

Yes, that sounds legit. It’s a standard form that most DOL/DMV provide for just this situation—as seller you sign it to authorize the buyer (as attorney-in-fact) to do whatever they need to do in Arizona and Washington to get it titled without having to involve you further. You shouldn’t need an attorney but here I am—put the buyer in as attorney-in-fact, yourself in the lower part (and designate yourself as seller somehow—maybe just circle it) and go sign it front of a notary at the bank. Hell, come by my office tomorrow and somebody can notarize it for you.

ETA: to clarify an apparent conflict between my accurate advice and someone else’s confusion: as a buyer one could also use this form to authorize a seller to do the titling stuff for them, as one does at a dealer. It’s a catch-all standardized form.

AestheticsInMotion > dogisbadob
08/01/2019 at 21:20

I guess? My county doesn’t allow a car to be transfered into my name unless it passes emmisions first, and... The car broke down and therefore couldn’t drive to the emmisions place immediately after I drove it up from California. Not a lot I could do there

RPM esq. > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
08/01/2019 at 21:23

You have it backwards. Aesthetics is the seller who sold it without a title. The buyer needs him to sign this so he can go get a title.

Tekamul > dogisbadob
08/01/2019 at 21:35

I’m not really looking to throw my hat into a ring I don’t care about, but that bit about all 50 states is not true.

In VT, that car doesn’t even get a title. It is bought, sold and registered by Bill of Sale only. It’s too old for a title.

VajazzleMcDildertits - read carefully, respond politely > AestheticsInMotion
08/01/2019 at 21:41

I sign one of those when I make the dealer do paperwork for me for the MVD here.

They charge way more than they probably should - my average doc fee is around 300 but since I’m usually shopping “last price before auction” sales I don’t haggle that bit much.

Mercedes Streeter > dogisbadob
08/01/2019 at 21:44

Meh...If I titled every motorcycle I’ve purchased I would have been forced to get a dealership license ($500+ plus classes you pay for a nd you’d need an established place of business that's not an apartment ) when it came time to sell them.

I don’t know what AIM’s title situation was, but if I’m only buying a bike for the thrill of fixing it then selling it again, I’m not signing the title. Of course, I’m immediately upfront about it and none of my buyers have reported having issues.

Mercedes Streeter > Tekamul
08/01/2019 at 21:46

Same with motorcycles! VT is very funny when it comes to titling vehicles. lol

Tekamul > Mercedes Streeter
08/01/2019 at 21:50

Yes, they are.

When I bought my Zero (via a credit union loan) it came with the title, becau se VT doesn’t title electric motorcycles, so they sent the credit union some other BS document that only VT uses, and I got the title.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > RPM esq.
08/01/2019 at 22:12

You’re right. I had him as buying the car, which isn’t the case rereading.

DipodomysDeserti > AestheticsInMotion
08/01/2019 at 22:19

Why in god’s name would someone from Arizona buy a car from Washington?

AestheticsInMotion > DipodomysDeserti
08/01/2019 at 22:22

Good question. Believe it or not, BOTH of my Volvos were bought from Arizona locals and driven back, sight-unseen

Tristan > DipodomysDeserti
08/01/2019 at 22:28

Arizona has un-rusty cars, but the PNW has un-rusty and un-sunbaked cars.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > dogisbadob
08/01/2019 at 22:30

To be fair, AiM made negative dollars on this car, so it was a malicious act.

DipodomysDeserti > Tristan
08/01/2019 at 22:35

Fortunately, metal is more resilient than retired white people flesh.

DipodomysDeserti > AestheticsInMotion
08/01/2019 at 22:36

Weird. Old volvos here are both cheaper and generally in better condition than up north.

AestheticsInMotion > DipodomysDeserti
08/01/2019 at 22:57

Volvo enthusiasts are a strange breed in general. Never in my life have I seen a beat up old car with major issues get so many out of state offers, so quickly. As a 5 speed turbo wagon in a real color , sure it’s rare, but not THAT rare. I had guys calling from the east coast....

AestheticsInMotion > RPM esq.
08/01/2019 at 23:13

You’re the man.

One of these days you're going to ask an in-depth window cleaning question and I'll.... Well... Probably write up something long and intricate only to have kinja send it spiraling down into the darkness before rage-quitting the internet for the day.

RPM esq. > AestheticsInMotion
08/02/2019 at 01:11

Joke’ s on you. This was me buying a house this spring with very tall living room windows: Mrs. RPM - “are big windows like this going to be hard to clean?” RPM - “I have no idea, but I know a guy who would know , I’ll ask him.”

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
08/02/2019 at 01:43

Was NOT***

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > AestheticsInMotion
08/02/2019 at 08:59

My county doesn’t allow a car to be transfered into my name unless it passes emmisions first

How do they handle project cars? You can’t get a title until it’s fixed?

Tristan > DipodomysDeserti
08/03/2019 at 12:53

Metal, yes, but the paint, rubber, cloth, plastic and vinyl- not so much.

DipodomysDeserti > Tristan
08/03/2019 at 13:53

If you can find a shady spot stuff will last a while. Except German plastic. Those fuckers haven’t figured out ho w to make plastic yet.