• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

where is the best place to title a humvee

Status
Not open for further replies.

nattieleather

Well-known member
1,882
142
63
Location
Cleveland, OH
Can't be confiscated it was bought legally from the person that was supposed to demil it and it was demilled all parts destroyed have been replaced.
We are talking about the feds here if they decided that your not suppose to have the vehicle and they want to take it back from you they can and will. It will be your money spent on trying to get it back.

If you've repaired the demilled damaged or someone before you repaired the demilled damage then IMHO I think the best you can do is either title it as a salvage vehicle or a home built vehicle.

Did you buy this from P.T. Barnum?
 

Haasino

New member
79
1
0
Location
Sacramento, CA
I'm gonna put this in big letters so that nobody makes the mistake a couple other members and I did:

DO NOT USE THE ABOVE COMPANY (MAINE-LY TITLE)... THEY CANNOT TITLE MILITARY VEHICLES ANYMORE, WILL TAKE YOUR MONEY, AND WILL OUTRIGHT IGNORE YOUR CALLS FOR 8 MONTHS UNTIL YOU EITHER SUE THEM, OR GIVE UP AND GO AWAY!!!!!

-----

Now then, with that out of the way, here's my reply to jjramrod...

Putting aside the condition and price of the truck, and the debate over whether or not it's a legitimate purchase from the .gov, here is what you're working with:

You have purchased a vehicle that, in the eves of the civilian DMV, has never held a title, and does not have a VIN. A lot of people refer to the serial #s on their trucks as VINs, but as far as the DMV is concerned, it is not... a VIN is a 17-digit series of numbers and letters that can be used to identify everything about the vehicle it's attached to... from the make/model and year, to the body type, engine and transmission model, and even what factory it rolled out of.

Recently, the state DMVs implemented the NMVTIS system, which is a computer-automated system that is supposed to hamper inter-state trafficking in stolen vehicles. A byproduct of this system, however, is that folks are now reliant on the computer, which will generally only recognize a 17 digit VIN... anything else input, like a 6-digit HMMWV serial number, will get kicked back with an error.

So, first off, forget the title companies... half of them are scams, and the few legitimate ones are no longer able to utilize the Vermont and Maine loopholes to title military vehicles. Any title company representative who tells you they can do the job is likely either a liar, or hasn't done one recently and doesn't realize their loophole has been closed.

A couple members, myself included, have already said this, but I'm going to repeat it anyway: you need to make a copy of your bill of sale, get in your car, and drive over to a local DMV office... walk up to the counter, tell the nice lady that you have an ex-military vehicle purchased from a Parish in Louisiana that has never held a title and does not have a 17-digit VIN, and ask them what you need to do to title and register it.

Ask them if there is a process to have the serial number inspected and certified by DMV or law enforcement, or if NY can assign a VIN. If you have receipts for all the major components... engine, transmission, body, etc... ask them about going the homebuilt/salvage route. Unless they ask, I wouldn't go offering up terms like "demill"... and if they ask about an SF-97, tell them you got it from the Parish, not the federal government, and they don't use SF-97 forms.

If the first person you talk to says you need an SF-97... or simply tells you you're SOL, find another, slightly more rural DMV office, go there, and repeat the above process. If the slightly more rural DMV says the same thing... find an even smaller, very rural DMV office and do the same thing a 3rd time.

When my coworker and I went through the process of titling and registering our HMMWV, all we had was a bill of sale, written in Microsoft Word, and notarized by the seller's friend in Alabama. It was a very risky purchase in retrospect, but we didn't know enough about military vehicle sales at the time... fortunately we got lucky and the process worked out alright anyway.

After getting ripped off by one title company, and almost ripped off by a second, I turned to the direct route and started walking in to offices: the DMV in Los Angeles said we were SOL without a proper VIN, so we towed the truck up to me in Sacramento, and I went up into the foothills to visit a smaller, non-metropolitan DMV office. The rural DMV was completely cooperative... gave me the name of the local CHP VIN inspector who came and checked out the truck, then assigned it a VIN... 2 hours and a lot of taxes later, I walked out of the office with license plates in-hand. The title cam in the mail a few weeks later.

So go directly to the source, and find out what you need to do... if the unanimous response is that you're SOL, then you can come back here and we cal give you advice on what to do with your truck.
 

saddamsnightmare

Well-known member
3,618
80
48
Location
Abilene, Texas
Titling ex MV

July 29th, 2011.

As to the HMMWV above, you're on your own. As to the Federal VIN SN system of 17 digits..... THERE are a heck of a lot of legitimate US and foreign vehicles around built before the 17 digit system. Functionally my Unimog has about a 7 or 8 digit number, which is legit for a 1963 German built S404... They have to accept the original VIN if it is from the manufacturer. AND they have to accept the VIN or military idfdentification numbers on the older MV's like the M35A2 as they are original to the vehicle and were applied by the manufacturer/remanufacturer as part of a Federal contract. The U.S. Attorney General says that all the limitations and rights as explained in the original military purchase contract transfers to the later civillian owners, including the exemption from the FMVS statutues, particularly if the truck is pre 1968....They are exempted under the terms of the original contracts, it makes no difference whether or not the Army considered an M38 or M35 a highway vehicle, in fact they were a highway vehicle operated on the roads all the time.....

The southern states do seem to be a little smarter in this respect, I guess there are fewer people down there who don't like military equipment in civillian hands.....
 

FASTNOVA

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,093
146
63
Location
Los Angeles,Ca
July 29th, 2011.

As to the HMMWV above, you're on your own. As to the Federal VIN SN system of 17 digits..... THERE are a heck of a lot of legitimate US and foreign vehicles around built before the 17 digit system. Functionally my Unimog has about a 7 or 8 digit number, which is legit for a 1963 German built S404... They have to accept the original VIN if it is from the manufacturer. AND they have to accept the VIN or military idfdentification numbers on the older MV's like the M35A2 as they are original to the vehicle and were applied by the manufacturer/remanufacturer as part of a Federal contract. The U.S. Attorney General says that all the limitations and rights as explained in the original military purchase contract transfers to the later civillian owners, including the exemption from the FMVS statutues, particularly if the truck is pre 1968....They are exempted under the terms of the original contracts, it makes no difference whether or not the Army considered an M38 or M35 a highway vehicle, in fact they were a highway vehicle operated on the roads all the time.....

The southern states do seem to be a little smarter in this respect, I guess there are fewer people down there who don't like military equipment in civillian hands.....
Do you know where this info can be found so as to printed and taken to the DMV for for refrence?
 

73m819

Rock = older than dirt , GA. MAFIA , Dirty
Steel Soldiers Supporter
In Memorial
12,195
320
0
Location
gainesville, ga.
some states do not give titles on older vehicles, GA is one, the 819 is reg. but no title, sell it to a non title state member with the BOS, then after reg. in that state, then buy it back with a state reg. and a new BOS, or set up a state residentence and then reg. it
 

saddamsnightmare

Well-known member
3,618
80
48
Location
Abilene, Texas
July 29th, 2011.

Fastnova:

See David Doyle's copy of the letter on here titled:

To: John M. Tolliday, President,Dayman USA Inc. (Bedord,Va) From John Womack, Acting Chief Counsel NHTSA

TEXT: We have recived your letter of September 2, 1993....partway through the letter this section is noted:

However, NHTSA excuses vehicles from compliance with the FMVSS if they have been manufactured in accordance with contractuual specifications of the Armed Forces of the United States (49 CFR 571.7(a)). Furthermore, because the Safety Act does not regulate sales of vehicles to owners subsequent to the original one,the U.S.armed forces may sell vehicles to the public at the end of their useful military life without having to bring them into conformitiy with the FMVSS."

In essence, the limitations of the original military purchase specifications pass down to the later owners, and the vehicles are exempt from meeting the FMVSS standards, also they do not have to meet EPA standards beyond any specified in the original purchase contract. David Doyle discussed these here more fully a year or so back, and the matter would seem to cover your HMWWV as an ex military vehicle, except it would have to meet the contractual specifications of the contract under which it was purchased by Uncle Sam.


Now the fly in the ointment is gonna be the letter AM General sent around to the state's DMV's telling them to not license HMMWV's as they do not meet FMVSS, but the earlier definition of the original USMC or US Army contract specifications for the vehicle should stand the test of the "Reasonable Man", as if it applied to the M series it should still apply to M series vehicles. The document listed above should give you a leg to stand on, otherwise your DMV is going to be interpreting different then the US Attorney General's Office....
:beer:
 
Last edited:

SETOYOTA

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,407
450
83
Location
georgia
I searched for the letter but could not find it. Never been very good and the search funtion here.
 

emmado22

Moderator
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
7,058
147
63
Location
Mid Hudson Valley NY
Im sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but in NY, I highly doubt your ever going to get it registered here with the paperwork you have.

NYS DMV - (Brochure) Q & A About Your Certificate of Title

I had a **** of a time getting mine reggied in NY, and that was with a valid out of state title in hand with all 100% valid & legit paperwork from the out of state MV dealer I bought it from. The "it's not a long enough VIN" thing screwed up most of the DMV clerks.

NYS knows nothing of the AMG letter to DMV's, so no need to mention it.

Bottom line, without a title in hand from one of the 50 states or a MSO, (and there is no way AMG is going to send one to you) it wont happen.
I'd look to an out of state solution to getting a title. And as mentioned before, the titling services seem not to be able to do it anymore.

Good luck, and keep us posted.
 

jjramrod

New member
117
0
0
Location
pine city new york
Talked to the smallest dmv in the areaand they called albany witch said I need a sf97 form. So im talking to fort polk to see if they can get me the form. So far so good they have been real nice and helpfull. Tomorrow I should find out about getting it sent to me. Thanks for all of you guys help
 

Chief_919

Well-known member
2,050
100
63
Location
Western NC
Talked to the smallest dmv in the areaand they called albany witch said I need a sf97 form. So im talking to fort polk to see if they can get me the form. So far so good they have been real nice and helpfull. Tomorrow I should find out about getting it sent to me. Thanks for all of you guys help
Who are you taking to at Ft Polk??
 

R Racing

Active member
2,767
16
38
Location
St. Leonard, MD
For give me if I'm wrong , but the word Demilled means destroyed which means non existant.Which means that S/N doesn't exsist for titling in there eyes.So are they making a SN up for you ?? Please correct me if I'm wrong or maybe I missed something here ??
 

jjramrod

New member
117
0
0
Location
pine city new york
First I talked to the auto registration department. Then the officers department then they transfered me to the top sargent in that department who did some looking into it for me and then gave me the number of drmo who im supposed to call back tomorrow to get the paperwork Finalized and sent to me.
 

1redgmc

Member
150
9
18
Location
West Virginia
I thought someone on here did a deuce directly with the dmv of vermont or maine with a bill of sale.
Yup - that was me. Piece of cake. Vermont. EASY - no hassle.

I won't waste my time or yours telling y'all (again) how I feel about the crooked thief SOB over at International Title Service

To the OP / jjramrod - PM me and I'll tell you what I did to obtain legal paperwork
 

1redgmc

Member
150
9
18
Location
West Virginia
jjramrod - replied to your PM

If anyone else is interested - please PM me

I'm not opposed to posting the legal process for applying through VT if it will help someone
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks