Help! Dickson,TN will not accept sf97

I submitted my sf97 to my local County Clerk's office (the people that handle title transfers) in Dickson,TN last week. I get a call from them today and was told that I need more paperwork before they can submit it to the state. I gave them everything GL gave me plus a copy of the paid in full invoice but they now want a "title extension" whatever that is. Seems they don't like the fact that the sf97 is issued in GL's name and not mine. They are also quoting a memo from the state dated 10-8-09 saying they need a copy of the "title extension". This the fourth sf97 they have done for me and I've never had any problems before.

To make matters worse I sold this truck to Puppy yesterday and told him the title was in the works and would mail it to him as soon as I got it and then I get this call from the County . Any other TN guys care to give me some direction? I'm going to call the state office tomorrow and see what I can work out. I think the Clerk's office is just giving me the runaround. I gave the supervisor a good butt chewing over the phone which I'm sure didn't help but it made me feel better.

GL issued a SF-97 in the name of the guy I had bought a CUCV from. He had to title it in his home state of MS because his name was on the SF97 and not mine. If it had been in my name I would have been GTG. I had a bill of sale too but it wasn't good enough.

This was back in June in Nashville/Davidson County or so. Things may have changed.

You have got to love the state workers. Welcome take a # and wait 45min to be truned away.I had to run my HCP through Dickson. And they gave me the runaround 2 diffrent days.3rd day everything went fine. Unless something crazy changed. I think they are being plain LAZY.

72cj5, I think you are right. They are claiming the state is requiring the "title extension". I'm almost 100% sure the state of TN is still excepting sf97 from GL. I've been dealing with the branch office in Dickson. I'm going to go to the main office in Charlotte tomorrow and see how far I get and if that don't work looks like I may have to make a trip to Nashville. It just really gets under my skin that I have to take a day off of work to deal with this when they are getting paid (BY ME) to do the job that I have to take the time to do. The County Clerk is an elected position (Phil Simions) and I've got a call in to him but I bet he don't call me back. After this and some other problems I've had with his office I'm going to actively campain aginst him come next election.


Tnrobocop, All the sf97 from GL are issued in GL's name. You get a letter with the sf97 called "re-assignment of sf97" that transfers ownership from GL to the buyer.

Perhaps it can be done through the mail rather than taking a day off of work.
I would call them and have them send you a list of items required via e-mail and then send it all in with a copy of the e-mail.
Just my 1.7 cents worth but it should work as almost any state can do this business by mail too.
jimm1009

Is there a place where you can go on line and look up state laws? All I get when I do a Google search is people wanting to charge me for info. I want to be prepared when I go back tomorrow.

m16ty said:

72cj5, I think you are right. They are claiming the state is requiring the "title extension". I'm almost 100% sure the state of TN is still excepting sf97 from GL. I've been dealing with the branch office in Dickson. I'm going to go to the main office in Charlotte tomorrow and see how far I get and if that don't work looks like I may have to make a trip to Nashville. It just really gets under my skin that I have to take a day off of work to deal with this when they are getting paid (BY ME) to do the job that I have to take the time to do. The County Clerk is an elected position (Phil Simions) and I've got a call in to him but I bet he don't call me back. After this and some other problems I've had with his office I'm going to actively campain aginst him come next election.


Tnrobocop, All the sf97 from GL are issued in GL's name. You get a letter with the sf97 called "re-assignment of sf97" that transfers ownership from GL to the buyer.

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That's what I meant by it was in his name was the reassignment form. He gave me all of the stuff he got from GL. If it had been in my name it wouldn't have been a problem. That's what I meant.

jimm1009 said:

Perhaps it can be done through the mail rather than taking a day off of work.
I would call them and have them send you a list of items required via e-mail and then send it all in with a copy of the e-mail.
Just my 1.7 cents worth but it should work as almost any state can do this business by mail too.
jimm1009

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One problem is they said they are needing a "tilte extension" and they didn't even sound like they know what that is.

The other problem with mail is as I said above Pupply came and picked this truck up yesterday and I told him the title was in the works (it usually only takes a week or two to get the title back) and I really hate making him wait because he's paid for it and has the truck already.

Legal Resources

Above is the listing for TCA (Tennessee Code Annotated). It's what we reference in law enforcement for study also.

Traffic statutes are found in 7, 39, 54, and 55. The majority are found in 55.

And I mean this in a nice way, but you shouldn't have sold it until you had a title actually in hand. Stuff like this happens.

Tnrobocop said:

Legal Resources

Above is the listing for TCA (Tennessee Code Annotated). It's what we reference in law enforcement for study also.

Traffic statutes are found in 7, 39, 54, and 55. The majority are found in 55.

And I mean this in a nice way, but you shouldn't have sold it until you had a title actually in hand. Stuff like this happens.

Click to expand...

I also like to have title in hand when dealing with vechicles.But puppy probly could not wait for title.Due to being so excited about his new toy.Like said m16ty has run 4 through already why a problem now? "The DMV will NOT hire anyone that can think outside the box"

I know this is a totally different state reference, but maybe a similar trick might work for you...

In PA, all title work had to go through Harrisburg (State Capitol), when I used to need title work done, or anything needing to go through the capitol, I would take everything to my local state representatives office and let them handle getting it to the capitol, and the right people...always got stuff back much quicker and with no questions.

Like I said, different state and maybe different procedures, but maybe your state rep can help out that is one of the reasons he is in office....not just to sit in the state capitol and waist tax dollars all day.

Make them give you a legal definition of this "title extension".

Tnrobocop said:

Legal Resources

Above is the listing for TCA (Tennessee Code Annotated). It's what we reference in law enforcement for study also.

Traffic statutes are found in 7, 39, 54, and 55. The majority are found in 55.

And I mean this in a nice way, but you shouldn't have sold it until you had a title actually in hand. Stuff like this happens.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the link and I understand what you are saying about having title in hand but when I was there last week (before I sold it) everything went through ok and I thought I was good to go untill they called today. I'm 100% sure they are in the wrong and if all else fails I'll make a trip to Nashville to the main state office to get it worked out. I was hoping it wouldn't come to that (another day off work ).

Found something interesting in the link Tnrobocop provided.

(2) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, a person may apply for a certificate of title to a vehicle lacking proper documentation, if the vehicle is at least thirty (30) years old and the person submits a certificate of ownership signed under penalty of perjury on a form prescribed by the department.
(3) Upon submission of a complete certificate of ownership form with the required supporting documentation and payment of the appropriate fee, a certificate of title shall be issued and the county clerk shall issue a license plate to the applicant upon acceptance by the county clerk of the submitted documents and payment of the appropriate fees. A certificate of title issued pursuant to the provisions of this subsection (e) shall not relieve the registrant of civil or criminal liability resulting from possession of the vehicle as otherwise provided by law. Issuance of a title or registration under the certification provisions is solely dependent on the applicant's ability to provide satisfactory evidence of the applicant's legal right of ownership and conformity to all related provisions as prescribed in § 55-2-107.


Looks like all that is needed is a bill of sale.

Thanks everybody for your help in this matter. I called the state today and got everything straightened out. Talked to a nice woman at the TN Dept of Revenue that seemed to take offense to local offices not going by state law. I told her my problem and she called my local office and gave them a good butt chewing. I went by the local office this afernoon to make sure everything was ok and they were tripping over themselves to be nice and try and help me.

Glad to hear it is squared away now. Hope the link I sent you helped.

Ty: Just saw this. Glad it worked out for ya. When I did mine, I had the certificate of ownership in hand, along with the SF97. Clerk took both, along with my money, and two weeks later I had the title in hand. Don't know if the SF97 was needed or not, but according to the law, it shouldn't be necessary.

The good thing about not needing a sf97 (if they will in fact do it) is saving $60 and weeks waiting for the sf97. I may try it on my next truck and see what they say. I do feel I may have burned a few bridges over this ordeal though. Dickson is a fairly small town and I know several people that work in the Clerk's office and I caused quite a stink over this. I have trouble almost every time I deal with them so it's been building for some time and this deal pushed me over the edge. When they found out I knew more about TN title laws than they did (thanks to Tnrobocop ) they didn't know what to do. I did talk to the Clerk's office today again before I called the state and when I started quoting statute numbers they were speachless.

TOLD YOU...........Dickson office is Horrable. Im glad you got everything worked out!