How to: Get that death trap legal

[SevenxTemp]

Got damn, I've got a 1959 150cc Vespa that I've had sit in pieces in my house for the past 11-12 years and have just never wanted to title it because I knew it would be such a pain in the ass without a bill of sale. The guy I got it off ended up doing a shit ton of drugs while I was down in Florida and I never saw him again.

[ClarkBrinkley]

Got damn, I've got a 1959 150cc Vespa that I've had sit in pieces in my house for the past 11-12 years and have just never wanted to title it because I knew it would be such a pain in the ass without a bill of sale. The guy I got it off ended up doing a shit ton of drugs while I was down in Florida and I never saw him again.

Couldn't you just "sell it" to a buddy and then "buy it" back from him thus having him write a bill of sale?

[ThePete]

Genius! I wonder if this loophole would work for bikes that owe back fees, in California there are always good deals popping up in the $500 range but because some idiot let the registration lapse there's like $800 in back fees.

[Ato]

As long as you keep the green plate and have nothing to do with California I bet it might, but not sure what would happen if you got pulled over and they ran the vin.

[ThePete]

May be worth giving it a try I keep seeing old sub 600cc bikes popping up that would be perfect for my wife.

[Guest]

So I'm sure someone has posted this somewhere but I just wanted to bring it up again since it worked for me today.
Have your buddy write up a bill of sale for one pile of shit:
Fill out one of these, can be gotten online TA-VD-119 http://dmv.vermont.gov/forms/drivers

Make sure you use the NADA value for taxes.
And get one of these:


Now you maybe asking, hey dummy, I don't live in Vermont, why are you showing me this? Well I'll tell you, you rude prick, because through the magic of the postal service this works for out the state Jerks like yourself (or even out of country). Just mail the form in with the bill of sale and a check and you should get a plate back in a few weeks. Be as vague as possible on the form and make sure the bike is at least 15 years old. The reason this works is because Vermont doesn't issue titles after 15 years, just registrations.
Once you get the plates you need to get the vin checked by a cop but that doesn't have to be in Vermont then you will get the permanent registration. From here you can just run the green plate or take it into your dmv and get it registered in your home state. Just make sure they understand Vermont doesn’t do titles on old shit.
Now for the disclaimer, I've seen this shit before and have known about it for a while but today I confirmed it with the lady at the dmv. Now she could be dead wrong but what she told me pretty much lines up with what I have read on the interwebs.
So to sum it all up, pay Vermont their due and they could give a fuck.

When you filled out the form.. did you use your non vermont address or leave it blank? I found a good deal on a sportster with no title.. thinking about doing this

[Ato]

Yes, there is no deception needed here, check out that av riders forum I posted, lots of good info there.

[XbrooklynX]

Hypothetically could you just keep registering your bike in vermont for the foreseeable future?

[Ato]

As long as you pay the yearly renewal I don't see why not.

[djturnz]

Hypothetically could you just keep registering your bike in vermont for the foreseeable future?

I'm not sure about this part. At least in PA, you have so many days to register your vehicle when you move. Though it usually comes up if the address on your License and Registration do not match. I guess it would match if VT doesn't care about out of state address. Seems strange.

Maybe you'd have to get a PO Box in VT and tell the cop the bike is registered to your Beach House there and usually the bike is there, but you brought it home to work out some bugs.

[Ato]

I'm sure it varies by state how much the cops/dmv care. I have a buddy that moved from TX to NY and was rolling with the TX plates for years. Then he got a temp assignment with his company working in Canada and still has the TX plate and no one seems to care and I know the fucker gets pulled over a lot.

[Dieselchanic]

I sold a bike couple years ago cuz it didn't have a title and I basically gave it away... That was before I realized in Alabama anything over 25 years they don't title.. Makes me so mad now. You have to have an address and proof of insurance here tho so this trick wouldn't really work..

[gypdawg]

The first reply said in Ga., you dont need a title after 25 years old, but if the vehicle is 12 yrs old or older you dont have to have a title. Live there all my life and now in Louisiana. They got a scheme going herein La.,, when you buy a vehicle here the title and bill of sale have to be "notarized" at time of sale and the fee is based on the value of vehicle. Its like 15-25% of value of vehicle. ...The way around that is get seller to make bill of sale at lower value than you actually pay them. For example. bought my girl a suzuki s40 for $1500 and the fee was going to be like $200, but the seller offered to lower the price on bill of sale, he filled in the blank with $500 and we only paid like a 55$ fee. Why should I have to pay the state to buy a vehicle?? What a crock of shit.
Also a little known fact: you can transfer a vehicle in any state buy a "act of donation" transfer meaning the seller can say you bought it for $1 because the "purchase price" box must be filled in on the document then you can put the bike in your name,,,or your dad or mom name and get listed as "secondary driver" on the insurance for some crazy low insurance rates! You wouldn't believe what I pay for" FULL coverage" ins. because I have mine in my 70yr old mom's name.. There's a loop hole in everything..

[ClarkBrinkley]

What did you guys put for VT Drivers License Number? Think I should leave it blank or put my Indiana one?

Also, do you send your check with the form when you send it in? Or do they send you something back that says how much you owe?

[Ato]

I don't really know the answer to that question for sure but I would say either use your license number or just leave it blank. Check out the AV riders link, there are 27 pages of info there.