We’ve all been tempted to restore a classic or rescue a vehicle from a local barn. Looking for these barn find cars is part of the fun in the process. You don’t have to actually discover them in the barn, however; any local field will work just fine as well.
The trouble comes when you attempt to title a barn find. Many people don’t know where to start. The reality is that most of these vehicles don’t have a title. They’ve been sitting in that barn for twenty, sometimes fifty years. They’ve been lost and forgotten about, but now that you have discovered it, it’s time to learn how to title a barn find. The process varies by state and by car, so check your local laws in conjunction with this guide.
Before we move on, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t find these cars anymore. They are everywhere; you just have to do a little digging. Ditch your GPS and head out into the country for a little while. You’ll be amazed at the things you find.
What Barn Find Cars Can You Get Titles For?
The first thing we must do is take a minute and define a barn find in the scope of this article. It’s a car you stumble upon that has been left in a barn, field, or other place. It might even appear abandoned. Maybe you found the car through an auction, estate sale, or good old-fashioned exploration. Either way, you aren’t the legal owner, and you might not know how to find out who is.
The legal owner might be entirely out of the picture with a barn find. Maybe they’ve abandoned the car or passed away; we don’t know. The point I am getting at is that the person may not be reachable.
If instead, you find a car on someone’s property and you find the owner who agrees to sell it to you, this can also be considered a barn find. The truth is, it’s better that way. As you see in a minute, it’s much easier to title that car than the one that doesn’t have an owner – though taking ownership of an abandoned vehicle is possible in many circumstances.
Is a Bonded Title the Answer?
This is where everything gets a little tricky. While each state has different laws, some states require that you bought the car from the legal owner (or you are the legal owner) in order to file for a lost title.
In cases like estate sales, auctions, and one-off situations where you are granted possession of a vehicle, physically possessing the vehicle may go a long way toward making you the owner in the eyes of the law. Therefore, if you possess the vehicle and can’t find the owner, and nobody contests it, your state may see you as the owner and you could get a bonded title. You can’t go steal a car and claim to be the rightful owner, of course, just to be clear.
If you choose to pursue a bonded title, here are the steps you’ll want to take.
1. Attempt to Contact the Owner
Every effort should be made to contact the legal owner first. It is often illegal to skip this step.
2. Purchase a Title Bond
First, the DMV will run the VIN to ensure the car isn’t stolen. They will also perform a title search. Then, the vehicle must be appraised for its value. You would be wise to do this ahead of time to avoid any surprises along the way.
3. File Paperwork
You need to purchase a bond that is about one and a half times the appraised value. This number does vary by state, so make sure you follow all local rules. You’ll have to fill out some paperwork and then turn that bond into the state where you want a title. If the paperwork is approved, you’ll receive a bonded title.
How does a bonded title work? Basically, the bond covers the state in the event that the real owner comes back and wants their car. The bond gets paid out to the owner and the state isn’t held liable for giving away their car. If nobody comes forward in a specified time frame, you become the legal owner of the car.
How to Avoid the Hassle Entirely
To title a barn find the easiest way, you’ll want to get in contact with the owner. Having the title or registration from them and a bill of sale makes the entire process much smoother. Knock on doors, go through the phone book, and ask local business owners about the property in question to try and identify the car’s rightful owner. If you already have legal possession of the car, you could run a detailed VIN check to attempt to find more information.
If they had the car titled or registered at one time, they could apply for a replacement title which takes far less effort and time than a bonded title. If the seller states that they will provide you with a title, but you never get it, don’t turn over the money. Wait until the title is produced. This is a common scam on sites such as eBay and Craigslist. One of our writers was even a victim of this scam – it’s an easy mistake to make, but you will only make it once.
Make sure you get as much paperwork as you can. Get a notarized bill of sale or have the seller register it first if they are in a non-title state. That registration can be used to title your vehicle if needed. At very least, you need to document how, when, and where you came into possession of the car to the best of your abilities. You could then pursue a lost title replacement the usual way.
Using a Title Recovery Service
Of course, if you can’t find the owner but find it impossible to resist that barn find, you always have Dirt Legal on your side. The first thing we recommend doing is running a VIN Check to ensure that there isn’t already a title floating around out there.
Your state isn’t going to issue two active titles, but if the car hasn’t been registered in about five to seven years (time frame varies by state), the records may have been purged.
We know how hard it is to walk away from a hobby that provides hours of adventure and excitement. If that barn find is calling your name and you need help, we are here for you. We’ve completed this process too many times to count and it goes something like this.
Our first step would be to ensure that the car isn’t stolen. We would need the VIN from the chassis, not the engine since that might have been swapped out at some point.
Then, we investigate the title and determine if the owner is reachable. If it isn’t stolen and doesn’t currently have a title, we can help you get a title and license plates.
You’ll have a few papers to fill out. Later, the car will need an inspection from the state or licensed repair facility as per your DMV regulations.
The DMV will the VIN again and if everything looks good, you will become the proud new owner of a barn find.
Click the button below to get started.
Been there, done that? What’s the best barn find you’ve ever owned? Was it worth the effort to get a title? We would love to hear your stories in the comments below.
We are not attorneys. This article is not legal advice. Cover image source
Some states don’t allow people to move abandoned cars. Others require law enforcement to do it.