Not only can Brody & Cornwell help you get your title fast, but you also may be entitled to additional compensation. And the best part…if we win or the dealership settles your case, the dealership will have to pay your attorney’s fees. That means there is no out-of-pocket cost to you!
When a consumer buys a car or truck in Missouri, they should receive the title at the time of purchase.
Missouri Revised Statute § 301.210, which governs the sale and title transfer of vehicles, states that:
In the event of a sale or transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle … for which a certificate of ownership has been issued, the holder of such certificate shall endorse on the same an assignment thereof … and deliver the same to the buyer at the time of the delivery to him of such motor vehicle.
This rule is designed to prevent fraud and deceit in the sale of motor vehicles. Without the title, a consumer cannot register the vehicle in their name and therefore cannot use their vehicle as intended.
With a written agreeement, Missouri Form 5830, the dealer can have a maximum of 30 days to deliver title to the consumer.
After 30 days, with or without an agreement, late fees start accruing if the consumer does not register the vehicle at their DMV.
So why don’t dealerships always provide the title? Sometimes the dealer does not have the title itself yet. Perhaps when they bought the car they didn’t get it, or perhaps they did not pay off their loan yet (sometimes called a “floor plan”) so they can’t deliver title. Sometimes the dealerships have the title but purposefully withhold it, to see if the consumer will actually make their first payments.
But, under Missouri law, a consumer may not have to start paying on their loan until they do get title.