If before my father died he wanted to transfer his car over to me but he passed away before doing so, what can I do?
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If before my father died he wanted to transfer his car over to me but he passed away before doing so, what can I do?
My father didn’t have much property when he died so nothing had to go through probate. Currently, I am in possession of his car. I never found a car title but I know that the car was fully paid for. I would like to transfer the car over to my name. However, the vehicle registration has his ex-wife on it he never got around to taking her name off who lives on the other side of the country. How am I suppose to go about transferring the vehicle to my name, without a title, and without getting his ex-wife involved?
Asked on August 30, 2015 under Estate Planning, California
Answers:
M.H., Member, California Bar / M.H., Member, California Bar
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
If you don't have title to the vehicle, you can submit an application to the DMV for duplicate title. Since your father's estate was not probated, you can execute the DMV form Affidavit for Transfer without probate of Vehicle. However, you may have a problem since the ex-wife's name is still on title. In short, the affidavit cannot be used to defeat the ex-wife's interest in the vehicle. You should contact the ex-wife and ask her to sign and release her interest in the vehicle. You as the son would then succeed ownership of the vehicle and would then be able to use the aformentioned affidavit.
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