Ownership.

Miss Suiby and I made the big trip into the Motor Vehicle Division offices today.

She passed her inspection (very basic, you only have to do smog testing if you live in the Metropolis- which we do not).

Then we had a minor hang up with the fact that she's changed hands four times before me, without ever being retitled. Typically you need to show both the signed title and a bill of sale when you re-title a vehicle. Since the last four owners didn't re-titled it, there's no way to be certain there ever was a legal sale or transfer of the vehicle- therefore there's no way to prove that the person who sold it to me had the right to do so... I need to establish that right.

I now get to contact the bank that was the lien holder on the 1988 title and have them send me evidence that they had a legal right to sell the car (probably a statement of foreclosure, or similar).

Then I get to track down the Used Auto Place they sold it to, and get a notarized bill of sale from them to Tim. The I get to see is Norman knows where Tim is, so I can get a notarized bill of sale from Tim to Norman- then I'll send my bill of sale back to Norman for him to get notarized and sent back to me.

At which point- I can return to the MVD and title and register Selma Lee in my name.


She does now have a 90-day temporary registration so I can legally drive her around in the meantime. When I asked for it the gentleman that was helping me said- You can only get so many of these, ya know. At which point I responded saying I thought 90 days ought to be enough time. He found that amusing.

We'll see.


And the adventure continues.