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New User
Posts: 1
Location: Hixson, Tn | Hi,My husband and I are trailer shopping for a used 2-3 horse bumper pull between $4000-5000. We have run into people not having any/some of the following: title (lots of people do not seem to have one), bill of sale (some have them), and registration.What do we need to have to safely by a trailer from a private seller? Are we better off going to a dealer?We are in Tennessee. Also, my husband wants to make sure the trailers registered since some neighboring states require it.Any info is appreciated.Happy riding!
Edited by Chebeau 2011-07-01 1:39 PM
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Regular
Posts: 56
Location: Shawnee, Oklahoma | Find out if your state will title a trailer with a notorized bill of sale instead of a title. The bill of sale should list the year, model, VIN and be signed by the seller. You can download one from the internet or call me and I'll fax you a blank one. Make sure the seller is willing to sign and have notorized that document and you should be good to go. Every state is different so call your tag office first. Cindy, Trailer Depot 877-314-2700. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 801
 
Location: Tenn/Ala. | Chebau- I understand your concern. It is my understanding that according to TN statue, it is not legal to sell a vehicle in TN without a proper title. However, given that TN is not currently requiring license plate, it happens often.
To answer your question, you need a Bill of Sale as Cindy described. You will also need a valid title. A title is issued by a state, with the current owner's name printed on the front. Be aware- there are a number of folks who have a Certificate of Origin that has been asigned to them, that they received when they bought their trailer. This is not a title! They must take the CofO and Bill of Sale to their respective county office and apply for title (and generally pay sales tax). Then they will have a valid title that they can use to sell it to you. And yes, in the price range you describe, there are a number of units out there without proper paperwork, as it was a way of avoiding taxes.
By the way- where you see that range of areas on the back of a title for "transfer by dealer"- the clerks will not allow individuals to transfer with those blocks. So beware.
As Cindy said, if you have questions, visit your county clerk's office. Do not call, go there in person, with copies of the paperwork. As a rule of thumb, they are helpful but very strictly adhere to these guidelines.
A trailer title is like horse papers- it is the only way to prove it is yours. You can have a Bill of Sale, but when someone else shows up with a title to your "new" trailer, guess whos truck it gets hooked to?
Sorry to rant. But a title is so easy to keep up with, and hard to fix once it gets behind....And we've seen a lot of innocent people have a world of troubles with title issues.
RTSmith | |
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Expert
Posts: 2615
| RT is right.We tried to buy a trailer a couple of summers ago from a very good "friend"of mine.He couldn't come up with a title,but,several different stories later,I learned on my own through some sleuthing that he'd never titled it.I moved on to a better deal but before it was over,had to get an attorney to request downpayment money that I'd given him (while he was supposedly getting his title.) Live and learn. | |
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Title, bill of sale, registration...what to do when buying a trailer
