Superformance dealers indicted

[Steve Cassani]

I've seen references to 'Titles Unlimited' and a couple of other businesses offerring to aid a car buyer's effort to clear or establish a title. The situations I'm familiar with involve bidders on a car that either has either no title or a 'clouded' title. The bid for the car is reduced to allow for the uncertain legal status and the winner is obliged to make the additional investment necessary if he is to license or sell the car.

Several of the posters on this topic write as though it is common knowledge that the businesses providing assitance in securing a title are fraudulant. My experience with classic car auctions indicates there is no lack of bidders willing to take on the added risk and cost of competing for a car they want, knowing the title is not firm. I'm not thinking here of Barrett-Jackson but of the many auctions that go on most any weekend during the summer, including liquidations of estates where the last person to possess a car never took the time to establish the title and let the car sit in a barn.

So how do bidders on cars that go on the block with no clear title resolve the legal staus of the car they bought? Someone must be making a good faith effort in this area, and staying in business because of it.