I have a DC registered 97 Jetta that got totaled in Delaware, and currently sits in a body shop yard waiting to be salvaged in DE. They told me i need the title, but if the car is more than ten years old, do i really?
(yes, i cannot find the title)
Many states have made it illegal for a salvage yard to accept and process a totalled car without having the title signed over to them from the previous owner.
Purpose is to prevent title fraud. In my area, the answer to your question is yes, when you turn over the car to the salvager, you must provide a title. The states around me allow no exceptions for vehicles over a certain age.
In this particular case, is your insurance company involved in this process? If yes, then talk to them first before surrendering the title. In any case, since the salvager is not in the local area, when you sign the title over, make a copy of front and back, include a letter with the title and mail it certified (return receipt) or registered mail to make sure you can later prove that the title was delivered by mail to the salvager.
If you don’t have a title, it appears the transaction will be held up until you request and provide a duplicate title.
Thanks. More or less what I figured, but wanted to see if anyone had another take on this. Off to the DMV for me…
If you had a loan on the car, the bank will have the title on file. They don’t automatically send it to you when the loan is paid off.
Yes they do…DMV will give you a duplicate title…