THSCC Forums

I am looking into getting a new car and they are all out of state. I know several tarheelers have purchased cars out of state, any suggestions besides the obvious carfax report.

thanks
Marcus

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Silver Honda
Green Ford
Blue/White Suzuki
Red Triumph
Grey BMW

"Never let life be shaped by fear of its end"

No, you're a towel!

Make sure they have the title. It makes it a lot easier. Have them sign the title and a bill of sale. Get those notorized and you are set. Don't forget the taxes that you will pay when you register the car in NC...

I have bought two cars off eBay in the past 3 years and have not had a problem.

If they don't have the title...make the check out to their bank. Get a bill of sale and the car. You will have to trust them to notorize the title and send it to you.

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Jim Pastorius
2008 Silverado VortecMax
1992 Camaro CMC#92
2002 BMW R1150R

2009 3rd Place CMC Mid-Atlantic Championship
2009 CMC Hyperfest Winner

Thanks Jim.

I will be financing the car. Maybe I could get the banks to handle the title if they do not have it in hand.

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Silver Honda
Green Ford
Blue/White Suzuki
Red Triumph
Grey BMW

"Never let life be shaped by fear of its end"

No, you're a towel!

Your bank will handle all the paper work for you. You will need the VIN number and probably a notorizied bill of sale. They can tell you exactly what they will need.

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Jim Pastorius
2008 Silverado VortecMax
1992 Camaro CMC#92
2002 BMW R1150R

2009 3rd Place CMC Mid-Atlantic Championship
2009 CMC Hyperfest Winner

Since I have recently gone through this as well -- be thinking about how you want to transport the car.

Example: NC DMV will not give you Temp tags for out of state cars. You are up to the state you are visiting to drive the car 'legally'. For my purchase, the least expensive legal method was keeping the state tags the 'old' owner had on the car, drive it to NC, register it here, and mail those tags back.

That may be common sense to you, but that hit me 2 days before, and after talking to the NC DMV and Mass DMV, I realized this was the only legal alternative I had other than registering in Mass, driving here, and registering in NC ($texas). Hopefully, you will have a seller who is willing to work with you on that point if you are driving it back.

I know Whitney did *something* for his M3 from Ohio, so he might have more input as well. Just see what the state you are getting it from has to say.

I purchased my car out right, and the owner owned his car as well, so THAT part of the transaction was simple.

- dow

Whitney has a trailer and hemi power

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Dustin Fredrickson
-- I'm a nobody --

FWIW, I would never do this either as a buyer or seller ... to many open questions and possible problems.

Most states will issue (for a small fee) a 30-day tag for a vehicle when presented with a signed and notaruzed title. Best sure-fire bet is for both you and the seller to take the clear title over to the DMV and do all the paperwork there, and pay a few bucks for a temp tag.

Some states require notarization of the seller's sig, others don't. Call the state DMV that you're travelling to and discuss the situation. That's what I have always done.

When I got the bus from PA, I did it the "right" way. We both went to the PA DMV to sign and notarize the title and I got a temp tag for like $20. It was pretty painless. Drove it back and took the signed title to the NC DMV and got it titled and registers, no problem.

When I flew up to buy my M3 from Ohio, I planned to get a temp tag per discussions w the OH DMV. We just signed the title and bill of sale at his kitchen table since no notary was needed in OH. It was getting late -- so I took the risk, slapped a NC plate that I brought with me onto the car and drove home at a reasonable speed! Titled it the next day at the NC DMV.

Now for the Subaru, I went to pick it up with the trailer so I didn't need a plate, and I forgot all about the notary thing. He signed the title and I dragged the car back to NC, went to register at the DMV, and was told that I needed to go back to PA to get the title notarized. That one took a little creativity to settle.

So, if I were you, I would ask the guy to schedule an appointment at the bank where they can sign off the lien on the title and hand it over to you when you present payment. I'm not sure how that can work if you're financing the vehcle yourself and can't provide payment. Ever look into Home Equity loans? Then go with the seller to the DMV and get the temp plate.

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Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

Ma doesn't issue temp tags, and the insurance company handles all title information and transfer/leins for them. So, between NC and Ma, there was a HUGE disconnect, and the reason for my situation (when getting a car from Ma).

For me, there was no 'legal' way other than borrowing his tag unless I wanted to pay money.

Depends on the state you are working from being compatiable with NC, honestly. I *tried* to do it the right way, but I am not double registering my car.

- dow

Who cares? What are you getting?

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

Wow, you're right. I just scanned the MA RMV and they explicitly state that they do NOT do temp tags. That's freakin ridiculous.

Looks like anyone looking to buy a MA car and drive it home is kinda between a rock and a hard place. Any other states a PITA like that?

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Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

Rumor has it that he's interested in an orange Chevette with a lift kit. I think it's in Kentucky.

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Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.

I think the selling point was the vast collection of ABBA 8-tracks that came with the car.

If I had my guess, I think he is looking for an RS hackmobile.

- dow

Don't forget the bonus BeeGee tapes that went with it (new fangled stuff I hear, the wave of the future )

When I purchased a car in Maryland I asked my insurance agent about plates. He advised taking a NC plate off a car I owned and putting that on the car I purchased for the trip to NC. Sounded bogus to me, but he assured me I would be fine.

Never was stopped to find out ....

Frank

Oh, that is WAYYYY illegal... as I thought about doing that with the STi on the RS (and I asked the Ma RMV about this as we went through different scenarios on this on how NOT to pay $texas... I had to 'read betwee the lines' to find a solution). That is a criminal offense, as you would technically have a plate registered to a different car on your NEW car. Basically, it looks like you stole the car. With the old owner's plate on the car, the plate is registered to the car, so it isn't illegal in any way/shape/form. In my understanding, he just let you take it on an extended 'test drive'.

Regardless, the amount of cops I KNOW I had run the plate for the car I was in (although it was registered to the previous owner), was MUCH 'safer' than having a plate of the WHITE STi on a RED RS.

Don't do that. I it's bad, and I thought about it.

- dow