Arizona Title Question

Pastel Blue · Nov 23, 2015

I am reviewing the Az title that came with my car I purchased this past summer. Although the car was purchased out of the Spokane Wa area, it came with AZ plates/Title that show it was last licensed in 2004. I was told that the current owner got the car from his father and parked it in a barn until 2015.

The AZ title shows an "Issue Date" of "Feb. 2, 1990"

Under "Type", it shows "Transfer" "M/Y FR" "07/71"

Under "Previous Title" shows "ST" as "AZ" "Date" "October 17, 1984"

It then shows the name of the owner

Questions:

The "Issue Date" above would be the last date this vehicle transferred owners, meaning that the owner shown on this title owned the vehicle since Feb. 1990?

With regards to "Transfer", what does the "M/Y FR 07/71" mean on this title?

I am trying to figure out possible previous owner time lines based on this Title.

Any assistance in addressing previous ownership based on this info. much appreciated! As I live in Canada, our vehicle ownership process is a little different... Cheers

Pastel Blue · Dec 16, 2015

Hmmm... Must be a tough one or I am not explaining myself well enough... Probably the latter...

If there is someone from Arizona on this board that has a basic understanding of how your car title/ownership works, I could send you a copy of the title to look at as you try to understand my questions above.

I am trying to understand the known previous ownership of my car, based on the information contained in the AZ Title. If you think you can help me, please pm me.

Thanks

Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs · Dec 16, 2015

Gosh I don't know Arizona but here in North Carolina you cannot sell a car with an open title. That means if I sell you my car and you take it home and a friend comes by and says I will double your money and wants to buy it you cannot sell it until it is in your name. So you have to get a title in your name then you can sell. I don't know how the car went out of state so long and want not retitled in that state.

The DOT actually has agents at car shows / swap meets and will arrest you if you have an open title and trying to sell a car. If it comes from out of state and over 35 years old a DOT officer has to come verify VIN before you get a new title.

Every state is different so hope someone in AZ helps. You should just call your tag office.

David

71mach1lady · Dec 16, 2015

Here in AZ a title can sit open for quite a while. I have had titles that I have sat on for months or even years before dropping by MVD. They are trying to charge fines now but that is usually only if you are buying from a dealer or wrecking yard as they call in the sale as soon it processes. ServiceArizona.com is the site for any AZ title questions etc. We use it to get 3 day plates or custom tags, most of what you can do at MVD you can do on that site. You are welcome to message us a picture of your title, mvd is just up the road but I can't promise a visit there anytime soon with Christmas next week. You don't suppose m/y is month and year and FR is from? I just looked at a few of our titles and they do not have "type" on there anymore

Pastel Blue · Dec 16, 2015

A can of worms?

So, I am in Canada, I bought the car from a dealer in WA State, who in turn purchased the car from "the owner" in the Spokane WA area. As the car still had it AZ plates on it, last tagged in 2004 and with it clearly being in a barn environment until pulled out this year (as evidenced by the MM cover shot Sept/15; this car has sat with an Arizona title at least until back to 2004.

What I do not know is whether the owner in Spokane WA where the dealer bought the car from was the owner when the car was titled in AZ (ie. He moved to WA state).

I have mentioned on this site previously that I was informed that where the car was purchased from in Spokane; he was the son of the owner and if this is the case; he took the car from his father, never bothered to relicense/title in WA state and the car sat in the barn under AZ title until a dealer bought it from him this past spring.

As I went through the process of bringing the car to Canada, US customs is very specific (as it should be) that the car is legit, no liens, no funny stuff before it is allowed to leave the USA into Canada. I would have to believe that the current AZ title is legit, just a major time lag in the son not putting it into his name before selling. In essence, he sold it on his father's behalf, hope he told him!

I am of the belief, that the son stored the car and when he realized that he we not going to do anything with it, sold it to the dealer who then sold it to me.

I have a bill of sale from the dealer and the original AZ title, which I will be taking to my DMV office to have it transferred into an Ontario ownership of the car under my name. Not sure what else I can do on my end, as a purchaser, you buy the car knowing that the responsible agencies have done their job in ensuring the car is legit (which I think it is other then the previous owner's son lag in time in transferring the title to his name?). Make sense?

I agree 71 Mach1 Lady, with your comments on the definitions. What I am trying to determine is the overall meaning, given that it shows "07/71". How many owners of the car...