Whether you’re trading in your car, trying to get it repaired, or giving it away as a gift, there may be necessary steps that you need to take to make sure you don’t get into any legal trouble later on.
A valid driver’s license and a car title are both necessary for driving. If you sign a car title wrong, it may cost you more money and time than necessary down the road. First and foremost, don’t panic. You have some options, but you need to take action quickly. Here are the steps you should take:
Stay Calm and Get Experts’ Assistance
The first thing you should do is to keep yourself calm. Getting angry or worried will only complicate things, making it harder for your car title to fix. Getting your car title right may cost you considerable time, money, and energy. You can get help from experts at 5 Star Registration. No matter how complex the issue is, they can fix your car title while saving you time and money. They will get your vehicle title correctly and help you avoid legal issues.
Call Your Insurance Company
The first thing you need to do is make sure your insurance company knows what happened. Depending on where you live, your car may be considered legally totaled or declared as such by your insurance company.
Even if it’s not counted, depending on how much of it is physically damaged and how much repairs will cost, your insurance company may decide to total it for you. If that happens, you’ll need to get another vehicle and sign over ownership of your current one before you can get a new policy. In any case, call your insurer immediately and let them know what happened so they can take care of things from their end.
File an Auto Insurance Claim
If you don’t have car insurance, or if your policy doesn’t cover car title transfers, you can still get your vehicle registered by filing an auto insurance claim. By filing an auto insurance claim with your state’s department of motor vehicles (DMV), you can legally transfer ownership of your car even if it was bought in cash.
Contact your auto insurer and let them know you must file an auto insurance claim. After they permit you, fill out their forms and submit them with a copy of your current title. Once they process your claim, they will send you a new legal document including a new title and instructions on registering your vehicle.
Handle Any DMV Issues
If you discover your car title is wrong after you’ve signed it, contact your DMV. Depending on where you live, they may be able to fix it. If not, they can guide you on handling this issue. Don’t allow lenders and dealerships to pressure you into signing a car title or paperwork that isn’t right.
If you have incorrect name on your car title, then you should contact your local Department of Motor Vehicles to fix the problem. Selling a vehicle with a false name on a title is against the law. It’s called “title jumping” when people do this.
In some cases, you might need to take legal action. For example, if someone sells you a vehicle with incorrect information on its title, that person could be held liable for damages in court. It’s always best to get an attorney involved early on so they can guide you through any legal proceedings as smoothly as possible.
Write down your confession of the error and send it to the DMV. Duplicate title may be obtained from the DMV if needed.
Talk to your car dealer
Whether you purchased your vehicle from a car dealership or a private individual, it’s essential to realize that they are on your side and will be able to correct your title errors as quickly and painlessly as possible. If you bought directly from an individual, they would likely sign off on some paperwork clearing up your mistake. If you purchased from a dealership, contact them immediately and ask what to do to correct your car title.
Get legal help if needed
Take your car, title, and paperwork back to where you signed. If there’s nothing you can do on your own, seek legal help. Not only can an attorney help fix your mistake, but they will also likely make sure you don’t get hit with any penalties for signing wrong.
Visit the Department of Motor Vehicles if you discover that the wrong buyer signed off on the transfer of your car’s title. When changing your title, you may have to pay a small fee and complete certain documentation.
Remember that the last thing you want is to face accusations of fraud in addition to having made a stupid mistake. If you’re worried about making a bad deal with a dealer who may not be up-front about fees and taxes, it might be worth hiring an attorney before you sign anything.
Don’t Feel Guilty
If you signed the title, your signature is essentially an affidavit saying that you’re giving up all ownership rights in exchange for cash or another vehicle. In other words, once it’s signed and notarized, there’s no getting it back.
At the same time, some title mistakes may be fixable—like if you only signed your first name on accident—it can be hard to prove that you didn’t intend for it to happen. An excellent place to start looking for legal help would be with your local bar association.
Get 5 Star Registration Car Titles Services
If you’re having trouble getting your car title right and don’t want to do it on your own, we can help. Leave it to the professionals at 5 Star Registration.
5 Star Registration can help you with any car title difficulties, no matter how complex they may be. By taking advantage of 5 Star Registration’s considerable working experience with DMVs, you can get a car title right while saving time and money.
Click here to consult with the expert and begin your car titling procedure with 5 Star Registration.
