The Expert Podcast

Introduction to Title Issues:
  • Addressing the common problem of jumping or skipping titles when buying and selling vehicles online.
  • Many use platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and OfferUp to trade cars.
Understanding Title Basics:
  • A title isn't just a vehicle ownership certificate; it contains important details about the current and previous owners.
  • Front of the title shows the current owner; the back indicates who it's been signed over to.
Illegal Practice of Jumping Titles:
  • Selling a vehicle without transferring the title properly is illegal in most states.
  • It's akin to tax evasion and complicates obtaining a valid title in your name.
Implications of a Misused Title:
  • Simply having a certificate doesn't mean it's usable if you're not the intended recipient listed on the back.
  • Attempts to alter or invalidate the title (e.g., using correction fluid) render it useless.
Solutions to Title Problems:
  • Options like bonded titles or court order titles can rectify these issues.
  • Detailed guidance available on our website for fixing jumped or skipped titles yourself or through our title services.
Buying Safely Online:
  • Before exchanging money, ensure you receive a valid title directly from the owner listed on the front.
  • Verify their identity to prevent scams or forged signatures.
Conclusion and Key Advice:
  • Never proceed with a vehicle purchase unless a valid title is in hand.
  • Encourage sellers to obtain a new title in their name before transferring ownership to avoid legal and administrative complications.

What is The Expert Podcast?

The Expert Podcast brings you firsthand narratives from experts across diverse industries, including private investigators, general contractors and builders, insurance agencies, vehicle specialists, lawyers, and many others.

All right, here we go again with this jumping title or skipping title problem. People buy cars and sell cars on Facebook, OfferUp, Craigslist all the time and get a title. You might get a legal title, right? But you've got to remember, the title isn't just about the vehicle. It has somebody's name on the front and somebody's name on the back.

The front is the current owner, the back is who it's signed over to. If the vehicle is already signed over on the back to somebody else, they can't sell it until they get a new title certificate in their name. If they just flip it to somebody else, that's called jumping title or skipping title. In most states, it's illegal to jump title or skip title. It's like a form of tax evasion and it makes it almost impossible for you to get an easy title in your name.

Just because you have that certificate doesn't mean it's usable unless you are the person who's listed on the back, signed over to you. You can't do anything with that title. It doesn't mean anything to you. Now, don't try to white it out or cross it out because that'll just void the whole thing.

There are methods you can use to fix it. You can see our website below. You can do a bonded title, you can do a court order title, and those are solutions. But if you're buying a vehicle on Craigslist, on Facebook, anywhere online, make sure that before you give anybody any money that you're getting handed to you a valid title signed directly from the owner directly to you, nobody in between. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Get it exactly to you.

Make sure the person on the front of the title verifies their ID to make sure the person you're dealing with is that person. They're not scamming somebody else or forging a signature. If you have found yourself in a position where you did a jump title or skip title, definitely visit our website. We have full instructions for how to fix that problem. You can do it yourself for free. We also have title services where we could do it for you and even title consulting to give you more specific instructions.

But most importantly, don't buy a car without a valid title if you can avoid it. Make the seller get a new title in their name before they transfer it over to you.