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There have been many instances where people who buy junk cars without title have been victims of junk car buyers and their act of title jumping. Selling vehicles without a title is against the United States law and is illegal in all the states. Title jumping is an act of avoiding sales tax that many have resorted to maximizing their profits. Legit and registered junk car buyers will not commit such a crime and will not purchase a junk car from anyone without a title. If they were to purchase a junk car with a title, they would ensure that all the documentation is complete and they have applied for a duplicate title. From thousands of junk car buyers in America, you’re bound to come across a couple of shabby ones. If you’re one of those people who buy junk cars without title for personal use not aware of the crime, then read on as we will share with you some of the consequences of becoming a victim of title jumping and what you can do in such situations.

People who buy junk cars without title: Consequences

If you are one of those people who buy junk cars without title, you may have fallen victim to title jumping and that’s not uncommon in the states. Like we mentioned, out of thousands of junk car buyers you may come across a few illegal or unregistered ones. Those that have been registered as junk car buyers will not sell a vehicle to anyone without a title and will not buy a junk car from anyone without a title. Before you find out the options that you have, here are some of the consequences faced by people who buy junk cars without title not knowing they’re becoming victims of an illegal act.

DMV problems

Dealing with a DMV can be a real headache if you’ve been a victim of title jumping. You need to approach your local DMV to apply for a duplicate title. Since you’re not the owner of the vehicle, you need to track down the right owner to sign off the papers to release the vehicle from their ownership. This is a huge hassle as the DMV will not help you out and you would have to approach the owner yourself.

Tracking down the owner

Since the DMV will be of no help in connecting you with the previous owner except give you details of who owns the vehicle, you will need to track down the previous owner. Calling the owner or dropping by their place to convince them to transfer the vehicle title to your name is a shot in the dark as you don’t even know whether they would be more than willing to help out. However, a sensible vehicle owner understands the risk associated with title jumping and will transfer the title to your name.

In most instances, it’s very difficult for people who buy junk cars without title unintentionally to track down the previous owners. So, what do you do next?

Bought a junk car without a title? Here are your options

If you purchased the vehicle from an individual, then your next best step is to ask the individual to help transfer the title to your name. In such situations, it is much easier to ask for your local DMV to assist you because the seller is willing to transfer and the title jumping might not have occurred to the private seller.

If you’ve purchased the vehicle from a junkyard or a business, then you should know that these activities are considered illegal in all the states and action needs to be taken against such businesses. This is to help stop the crime so that the business does not seek out more victims. Register a complaint against the business. Head to the DMV business regulation section or the licensing board with your concern. They will help you file a complaint against such businesses promoting illegal activities. You can also approach Better Business Bureau, an online agency that can spread out your message to the online community through re-assessing their rating about the junkyard or junk car seller.

Your last option if none of the above works out is to get a bonded title. You are eligible to apply for a bonded license if you’ve lost your title, damaged it, or are among those people who fell victim to title jumping. However, it is a bit difficult to get a bonded title as not all states allow for bonded titles. Search online to find out if your state offers a bonded title because if they don’t then you’re out of luck as there is no way around it. If you’re lucky to be in a state that allows for a bonded title, complete the paperwork and purchase your surety bond. Head to the DMV to hand in your completed paperwork, the required documents, and your surety bond to apply for a bonded title.

If you’re out of luck, then think about junking the vehicle or selling some spare parts to cover your losses. Junk cars no title or registration is a huge hassle to deal with and it’s always better to let the hassle go by selling the vehicle to a junk car buyer who will take a vehicle without title to scrap the spare parts. The question then is how much do you get for junking a car? There are a lot of factors that answer the question “how much do you get for junking a car?” like make & model, mileage, age, running condition, and more. Be sure that you’re not one of those people selling a car that doesn’t run to a junk car buyer. They will throw a lowball offer at you which is not worth considering.