Here's the story: My 74 TS250 was purchased new by my grandfather in 1974. 10 years later, he took 4-year old me for a ride on it around the yard. My sisters and I killed the battery by playing "camera" with the brake light. My grandfather was never able to get it running again, though evidence suggests he did try. He died about 22 years ago, and two years ago I dug the bike out of the garage and began to restore it to pass the time while minding my ailing grandmother. A year later, I have a wonderfully running bike, but no title or registration was found in any of my grampa's papers. Surprising, because he saved EVERYTHING. So, what do I need to do to get a title? In Ohio, this is the process:
1) Go to the clerk of courts and get the instructional packet.
2) Go to the title bureau and have a VIN search done to check for liens and stolen vehicle reports.
3) Go to the BMV and pay $53.50 for a highway patrol inspection receipt.
4) Schedule an inspection with the highway patrol.
5) Take the bike to the inspection station so they can look at the VIN (again) and basically do what the license bureau did in step 2.
6) Gather any and all evidence of ownership, or evidence supporting your right to ownership. In this case, I had $2200 in new parts/tools/paint receipts, and some typed correspondence between my grandfather and the dealership dating to 1975. Write a little essay about how you got the bike, and why you think it should be yours.
7) Submit all the above paperwork to the clerk of courts, and have some of it notarized. You then file a case AGAINST the clerk of courts, petitioning them for a title. Pay $257 for this.
Wait 2 months for them to respond, which is a form letter saying you violated the law by obtaining a vehicle with no title, and asking the court to dismiss the case at your expense. 9) Wait another month for the judge to respond and give you a court date...in 2 more months.
10) Go to court, and plead your case. The judge can say yes or no, and you still are out the 300+ beans.
Now, I got lucky, because the county prosecutor called me the day before the hearing and said their client (the clerk of courts) in amenable to issuing me a title if I dismiss my case. So I went and signed the agreement, and got the judge's order the next day...8 1/2 months after step 1. On the plus side, since I paid $0 for the bike, I paid $0 in tax.
So, is it this bad in every state/country? I am seriously going to contact my state legislators and see about getting the law amended to exclude bikes over a certain vintage. To that end, I'd like some references to how other states do this kind of thing, so I have some sort of template to work with. Thanks for any input!
