TL;DR: Buying a car with Oregon reg, owner lost title & is waiting on replacement. Unable to do TX reg without it (as far as I know)

Long Version:
My wife's grandmother moved from OR to TX (moved in with wife's parents).
We bought her car from her, as she isn't driving anymore & it's a lot cheaper to run than my prior Mercedes, but she lost the title, and has applied for a replacement.
6 months later & OR still hasn't sent a replacement title, but they have cashed her check that she sent with the application (~6-8 weeks ago, IIRC).
She called earlier this week & they said to go to the TX DMV & they'd be able to assist.

As far as I'm aware, there isn't much the TX DMV can do without being able to prove that she's the owner of the vehicle.

Anything further we can do outside of just wait? We're all in TX & travel to OR isn't really an option.

Was the car financed? Perhaps she never received the title from the lien holder.

To my knowledge, she had the title & lost it in the move.

Can you do a bill of sale, register it in TX in your name and have TX issue a new title.

https://www.txdmv.gov/motorist...and-foreign-vehicles

A vehicle must be titled in your name within 30 days of the date of sale to avoid delinquent transfer penalties. Additionally, you must register the vehicle within 30 days of bringing the vehicle to Texas, and the vehicle must pass a Texas inspection before it can be registered. After having it inspected, take the following to your county tax office to title and register the vehicle:

Proof of Inspection (Vehicle Inspection Report)
Proof of liability insurance meeting State of Texas minimum requirements
The vehicle's odometer reading if it is required
An original out of state title or other valid ownership evidence (Do you have the current OR registration)
Proof of sales tax payment or current foreign/military ownership document
Completed Application for Texas Title and/or Registration (Form 130-U)
The following fees:
Registration fee (base fee of $50.75 for passenger vehicles and light trucks),
Title application fee of $28 or $33, depending on the county,
State portion of the vehicle inspection fee (up to $30.75)
Local county fees (up to $31.50)
6.25% vehicle sales tax,
$1 Insurance verification fee
$4.75 processing and handling fee

Bonded title

https://www.txdmv.gov/motorist...ehicle-with-no-title

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Can you do a bill of sale, register it in TX in your name and have TX issue a new title.

https://www.txdmv.gov/motorist...and-foreign-vehicles

A vehicle must be titled in your name within 30 days of the date of sale to avoid delinquent transfer penalties. Additionally, you must register the vehicle within 30 days of bringing the vehicle to Texas, and the vehicle must pass a Texas inspection before it can be registered. After having it inspected, take the following to your county tax office to title and register the vehicle:

Proof of Inspection (Vehicle Inspection Report)
Proof of liability insurance meeting State of Texas minimum requirements
The vehicle's odometer reading if it is required
An original out of state title or other valid ownership evidence (Do you have the current OR registration)
Proof of sales tax payment or current foreign/military ownership document
Completed Application for Texas Title and/or Registration (Form 130-U)
The following fees:
Registration fee (base fee of $50.75 for passenger vehicles and light trucks),
Title application fee of $28 or $33, depending on the county,
State portion of the vehicle inspection fee (up to $30.75)
Local county fees (up to $31.50)
6.25% vehicle sales tax,
$1 Insurance verification fee
$4.75 processing and handling fee

It's on Veteran OR plates (lifetime reg, IIRC). Not sure if any registration docs were lost along with the title.
They were not anywhere in the car when I detailed it. Only relevant docs to the car was the invoice for the Michelins that are on it.

Call Harris County S.O. and ask for somebody in Auto Theft. Explain your situation, ask if they can do a 68A inspection (vin verification) on your out of state car, so you can take it to the tax office, apply for title, and have it registered in Tx.

quote:

Originally posted by MRBTX:
Call Harris County S.O. and ask for somebody in Auto Theft. Explain your situation, ask if they can do a 68A inspection (vin verification) on your out of state car, so you can take it to the tax office, apply for title, and have it registered in Tx.

Thanks, I'll try to call MCSO tomorrow (brother in law works there) and see what they say.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Can you do a bill of sale, register it in TX in your name and have TX issue a new title.

No, a bill of sale will not do the trick. You will need some official record of ownership. Think of what a boon to thieves and those who wanted to cheat lienholders it would be if a mere bill of sale (which anyone can generate) was enough.

I think you need raise holy hell with Oregon about how long it is taking to get the replacement title. Perhaps there is some titling service in Oregon that can help.

I'm getting some info 3rd hand, but supposedly it was a 'title lawyer' in OR that told her to contact TX DMV.

I'm thinking similar with JHE, that it's going take keeping on with pestering OR DMV to get it rolling.

FWIW: ~2006 I paid off my wife's car early (Credit union), they mailed me back the title and I filed it away. Fast Forward 10 years; I'm selling the car and notice the title is still in the credit unions name, it just has some kind of "Lien Released" stamp and signature on it...

I figured If I went to the DMV to get a new (Clear) title in my name they would somehow check with the bank... Problem is our little credit union closed down ~3 years prior, there was no one for them to call...

I ended up giving them the old title and a notarized sworn statement. ~$40 title fee and they gave me a new one in my name free and clear.

YMMV, but suggest you go to your DMV and just give it a shot

quote:

Originally posted by BigSwede:
Bonded title

https://www.txdmv.gov/motorist...ehicle-with-no-title

This is your answer here; my brother just got done doing one. Easy peasy.