SF97 with sale issues

I just sold an M35A2 to a man in Tennessee. I provided him with a bill of sale and the SF97. The Tennessee DMV is telling him that I need to title the vehicle in Alabama (my location) in my name and then transfer to him. Have some rules changed? I have sold approximately 50 MVs to people all over the country with only a SF97 and a bill of sale with no issues. They were able to title the vehicle and I never heard another word. I have another sale pending to a gentleman in Illinois and I don't want to put him in a bad situation over the title because I was planning to do as I always do; SF97 & BoS. Thanks guys.

In Florida the sr 97 is only good to the person thats name is on it. Not sure about other states.

SC is same way. Since the SF-97 don't have a place for you to sign it over, you must get it titled in your name and get the SC title-then sign it over to whoever you are selling it to. Its also way the SC is sure to get its taxes for it.

What you have been doing is called "Skipping Title" in Oklahoma and is illeagal here.

Almost all states are cracking down on this practice because they want/need the tax money.

Pa. is the same way,sf 97 is only good to the person who it is issued to.

Being from IL the skipping tittle issue seems to be frowned on . Screws the state out of tax and tittle money . I have seen several for sale with the form 97 , but I would also assume the form 97 is for the original buyer to get a tittle . Probally depends on the person you run across at the secreatary of state when it comes time for the new buyer to get a tittle. With all gov. agencys hard up for money they are looking to get every penny possible . Doing this on 50 + vehichles , I would amagine that is a good chunk of change .

Maryland doesn't permit skipping titles unless the seller is a licensed dealer. They want the tax revenue that comes with your purchasing a title for the truck before you sell. Maryland will even fine you late fees on the taxes you didn't pay back to the date the SF97 was issued.

-Chuck

I would say you will have a problem in ill i had a title that went through the wash machine was still intact and readable,i went to 3 dmvs and ended up going through a title company.

Isn't Alabama one of the states that normally doesn't worry about titles for old vehicles? If so could it be that the other buyers of your trucks only showed their DMV the bill of sale and not the SF-97? If a title is not needed from Alabama if the truck is a certain year or older then the buyer would not need the SF-97, correct?

Ruppster

In Louisiana the only way that you can skip a title is if the buyer from Uncle Sam (name on SF-97) is a used auto dealer with a Louisiana license.
Otherwise you have to title it in the name of the SF-97 holder first.
GL gets around this with a SF-97 reassignment that seems to be accepted in most staese even when they are not an auto dealer in that state.
Kind of not legal but accepted!?
jimm1009

Making one's self a used car dealer may be a bigger pain and expense than just registering the truck to get a regular title.

Alabama doesn't title or recognize titles for vehicles 1975 or earlier. Just went through all of this myself.

What he's telling you is correct. TN will not accept a sf97 in someone elses name. Sometimes they even try and give you trouble when the sf97 IS in your name. Whenever I sell a truck I have to get a title in my name and buy tags for the truck before I can sell it because I'm not a licensed dealer.

There is a little known TN law that says if a truck is over 25 years old you can get a title with just a bill of sale. My local clerks office won't do it though.

Thanks for the advice. My worries are that it is an M35A3 and will not qualify for the older vehicle, no title clause. I am not a registered dealer but I guess I could look into getting a license. I mostly sell to loggers who don't need a title but every once in a while someone wants a deuce, which is usually not a problem but this is considered a 1982 model. I am just so used to Alabama and I know the DMV people very well in my county so its never been a problem for me. I don't want one of my customers to get the runaround because I didn't do something on my end.

ya, in SC you are a Dealer and every car over 5 you would be fined a lot of $$$. I looked for the amount but couldn't find it.

pacebm said:

My worries are that it is an M35A3 and will not qualify for the older vehicle, no title clause.

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If that's the case you're going to have to get a title in your name and then sign it over to him to make things right.

As I said above, that's what I have to do in TN and consider it in the cost of doing business.

The most I've ever sold is 4 in one year so I can get by without being a licensed dealer. I have tought about getting my lisense to keep from paying all the title fees (about $120 per truck), to get out of paying sales tax from GL (9.75% here in TN), and to get out of the general hassle of trasfering title on a truck I'm going to sell but I figure the license is more trouble than it's worth because I don't sell that many.

I just went through this in CT and it was NOT as all the other posters are saying! CT uses a Q-1 form called a suplemental assignment of ownership form. What the DMV wants to see is a clear assignment of ownership. They were fine with the fact that someone had bought the truck from GL and then sold it to me. not an issue. All this stuff about "you have to register the truck and then sell it" or else you are doomed is just not true in CT. In CT it does not matter how many times it passes from one hand to another, just as long as you can show a clear assignment of ownership.

I guess CT is the rare state that doesn't care about revenue... Most of the rest do.

-Chuck

stumps said:

Maryland will even fine you late fees on the taxes you didn't pay back to the date the SF97 was issued.

-Chuck

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Chalk another one up for the Peoples Republic of Maryland. I did not know this. Glad I haven't requested the SF97 for the 105 trailer I got 2 months ago and want to tag some day.