transferring a car title?

My father just retired and moved to New Zealand...they tranferred ownership of their car to another family member temporarily...they just informed us that they want to give the car to my family now - it is free and clear but we have no idea how to go from here....the relative signed the title but is that all we have to do to get it signed over to us? Do we now take the signed title to our local DMV or does something else have to happen? Thanks

Public Comments

1. It's signed over, so all you have to do is go to the DMV with the title and get it registered/tagged in your name. They'll also print you a new title, with everything in your name.
2. You want them to right you a bill of sale dsoent have to be much make it for like $500 bucks. You will have to pay the tax on the $500 but it is better than paying the tax on the book value of the vehicle.
3. Things vary from state to state in the US, so there's probably even more variance if you're dealing in another country. But here's how it goes in Pennsylvania, USA: Aside from the title, signed by the seller, you'll need a written bill of sale. The bill of sale should simply state the name of the seller, the name of the buyer, and the VIN of the car. Also, it should contain the date of the sale, and the dollar value of the sale. The new "owner" of the car should be the one present at the title transfer, and he/she should sign the new title in the presence of the notary (or whoever is validating the transaction). It is true that the buyer has to pay the US state sales tax on the car purchase. Around here, it used to be possible to list the sale price (on the bill of sale) as only one dollar. That way, the buyer would essentially be getting the car for free. He'd be paying the state of Pennsylvania 6 cents---not much! Nowadays, they have changed things. The buyer must pay taxes based on the "book value" on the car. It was a way for the state to get around people "giving away" cars, and (of course) to generate additional revenue. I don't know if this applies in your area, so you'll have to research it. You might want to contact a car dealership and ask them, as opposed to trying to talk to anyone at the DMV.
4. Did the family member put the car in their name? If so, they can release interest on the title, and you can apply for transfer into your name. The problem is going to be, the sales/use tax. You state that your father is giving the car to you, however, he already gave it to the other family member. If the title is still in your dad's name, ask him to write a statement that it is a gift, have him sign in front of a notary, then take the title and the note to the DMV. If the title is in the family member's name, and they stated it was a gift to them, from your dad, you will need another statement from the family member, that it is a gift to you. Some states allow only allow a car to be gifted once, after that, sales/use tax comes into play. The sales/use tax would be determined by the county you live in, and the market value of the car. If you live in an emissions required area, the car will need to have a current emissions test done, or the receipt from the last test.