Off Topic Title Question...

[jimd]

I am hoping that this post can stay here for a while as this forum gets alot of attention...it is kind of relevant anyway.

I was given a moped a month or so ago and finally got the title to it from the guy who gave me the ped. I asked him for a written statement as well (to the effect that he gave the ped to me for no charge). He forgot to do that and I hate to have to go back to try to get that from him - it took a month to get the title. The ped was in disrepair - essentially a salvage job. I got it running ($50 or so in parts/supplies so far and about 3 or 4 days of work). I need to drop another $50 or so (tires) and I should be good to go.

Anyway, I am preparing for those wonderful people at the NJDMV and expecting the worst from them (demand for a bill of sale from the seller). When I got my mgb, they demanded a NOTORIZED bill of sale from the seller /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif.

Anyway, has anyone had any experience recently in this area (getting something as a 'gift' and having to transfer the title). I plan to fill out the back of the title (seller has already signed) with my info and a zero dollar sales price. I don't see why I should have to declare any value as the ped was virtually worthless when I got it and even now is worth probably 50-75 bucks.

Thanks.
Jim

 

[Keoke]

Jimd,I do not know about NJ law.But in most cases like yours a statement from the seller that he gave you the vehicle is required. I do not know if the zero cost on the transfer document is adequate.Maybe others will add their experiences too.--FWIW---Keoke???---Better safe than sorry get the statement from the seller /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif

 

[MattP]

I don't know about NJ, but here in AR when my parents deeded my old truck over to me years ago, we had to put a dollar as the price to avoid it being a "gift" and getting a special tax or something at the time. Mind you, this is through the fog of many years, and at the time I was a teenager drooling over the truck more than paying attention to the process.

 

[aeronca65t]

You have several choices:

Type up a receipt yourself and have the previous owner sign it in front of you (I've never needed anything like this to be notarized in NJ).
Type up a note expaining the situtation and sign it and have it notarized. Even though seller hasn't signed it, they may accept it as a legal declaration...kind of depends on what mood they're in.
Tell them you paid $100 for it and just pay the $6 NJ sales tax....they are unlikely to question you since a used moped is often worth little more than this anyway: it may end up being the simplest solution..

 

[jimd]

Yeah, I made a bigger deal out of it than necessary...I got the title done today...put that I paid $5 but they said that I could have put $0 (on the back of the title it has a line where you fill in the sales price). I told the clerk that I was concerned that I'd have to declare a value of a 'gift' but she laughed and said it was ok after all. BTW, there is a sign in the DMV with a list of requirements for titles and registrations - it has an asterisk (*) catch all that says something like "* - some cases require extra documentation as necessary". I guess that is what they point to when the feel like getting you to do something extra for kicks....

 

[jimd]

Thanks for your replies though.