Here's a post from another Yahoo group reguarding securing a title by
mail:
From: microcar-minicar@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2004 8:54 PM
Subject: [microcar-minicar] Ca. cracks down on title companies
**Warning**
If you live in Ca. and planned on getting paperwork from a "title"
company, think again. If you have done so in the past look out, you
may lose your registration. Read below...
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According to the Office of the Attorney General from the State of
California, its Department of Justice, "To date, the ongoing
investigation has identified at least five other out-of-state
companies that have provided fraudulent vehicle purchase agreements
and titles to California vehicle owners. The companies are in
Alabama, Nevada, New York and Florida. The Attorney General's Office
believes as many as 70,000 vehicles have been illegally registered in
California through these scam operations.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles is in the process of
canceling registrations that involve documents obtained from Titles
Unlimited. (Titles Unlimited is believed to have provided false
documents to Californians that cost the state more than $1 million in
tax revenues and license fees over the past two years, and as much as
$14 million since 1975, when the company began operating.) The
Attorney General's Office also has notified law enforcement officials
in more than 20 counties regarding residents who titled their cars
through the company for possible prosecution."
Attorney General Bill Lockyer of the State of California tells us
that an Alabama man was convicted on felony charges for issuing false
vehicle titles in a scam that has cost the State of California
millions of dollars in lost tax revenues and license fees.
"This illegal operation provided false information regarding the
purchase of expensive vehicles to hundreds of Californians, which
allowed them to avoid smog requirements and pay reduced sales taxes
and vehicle registration fees," Lockyer said. "At a time when
California and its residents are forced to confront painful budget
choices, these scam artists defrauded the state and all law-abiding
taxpayers who have done their part to get through our economic slump.
We will continue to investigate to ensure these tax cheats are
brought to justice."
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Here in NJ the DMV was revamped over the summer and "title company"
paperwork is now refused with a fraud dept. investigating anyone
trying to submit papers from these places even if the cars
are "legit". Many other states are also about to do the same. If you
have a vehicle that you didnt bother to obtain papers for and can do
so legally - now is the time. If you are buying a car without proper
state issued paperwork you may want to rethink the deal.