There was an SD on Craigslist today for $500. It was in great shape for an 83 and said it ran well.

BUT... it said it had no title and had to be used for parts.

Can you get a title for a car with that kind of story behind it?

__________________
-E300d '99 350k
-Suburban '93 220k
-TDI Jetta '03 350k
Sold
-F250 '96 7.3
-Dodge Ram 12V
-E320 '95 200k
-E320 Wagon 1994 155k
-300d Turbo '87 187k miles
-E320 1994 200k
-300d Turbo '84 245k (sold to Dan62)
-300d Turbo '84 180k
-300sd '80 300k
-7.3 Powerstroke Diesel 15P Van 500k+ miles
-190d '89 Non Turbo 2.5 5cyl 240k (my first MB)
Tom's Imports of Columbia MO Ruined the IP in changing leaky delivery valve O-Rings - Refused to stand behind his work. Mid-MO MB drivers-AVOID Tom's.

If it has legit history and you spent the time to prove it and go through the paperwork, yes.

Generally though its a complicated process, talk to your DMV about what is involved.

In NC you can buy an indemnity bond for 1.5 times the value of the car, fill out the paperwork and get a title. It's not much of a hassle and the fee is not that high.

__________________
-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

As long as its not stolen and you get a legal bill of sale from the guy, filing for a lost title is easy.

The car presumably once had a title, right? Perhaps it was de-titled after an accident, something that made it unsafe to drive? Your state should have a procedure that allows you to "put the car back on the road" by fixing whatever problems caused it to be de-listed and then going through an inspection to prove the car is safe. I once did this in California with a motorcycle; the hard part was finding a place that could "certify" a rebuilt motorcycle. Turned out there were only three in the entire San Francisco Bay area.

Jeremy

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

A lot of states also have a process whereby you can get a "Sheriff's title" when the owner-signed original is unobtainable (they've skipped out and can't be reached for example).

As I understand it, in WA you can apply for a Sheriff's title, and they do the nationwide VIN check to make sure it isn't stolen or totalled. They then allow you to register it in your name. After two years, if no one has reported it stolen or totalled, they issue you a new title.

If during that 2 year wait the original owner shows up and makes a claim on it or reports it stolen, then you have to go to court and show that they abandoned it. Then the state will issue the new title basd on that judgement.

During the two years wait it is kinda' hard to sell a vehicle with a Sheriff's title if the buyer knows what it means - because of the possiblility of the original owner placing a claim on it and it being harder for the buyer to prove that it was abandoned without getting you (the person who applied for the Sherff's title) to go to court with them.

It reduces the value of the car during that first two years - a lot like a salvage title. But if you're planning on keeping it until the 2 years are up, its no big deal. 99.9% of the time the previous owner never tries to make a claim on the car anyway - its past history to them...

__________________
1984 300 Coupe TurboDiesel
Silver blue paint over navy blue interior
2nd owner & 2nd engine in an otherwise
99% original unmolested car
~210k miles on the clock

1986 Ford F250 4x4 Supercab
Charcoal & blue two tone paint over burgundy interior
Banks turbo, DRW, ZF-5 & SMF conversion
152k on the clock - actual mileage unknown

If it has a "Scrap Title", then it cannot be put back on the road legally. This is normally the case for many junkyard cars, but is not common for privately owned vehicles.

SteveM.

__________________
'93 190E/D 2.5 Turbodiesel 5-speed (daily driver)
'87 190D 2.5 Turbo rustbucket - parts car
'84 Dodge Rampage diesel - Land Speed Record Holder
'13 Ram 2500 Diesel
'05 Toyota 4Runner

Does the seller have a registration slip in his/her name? Any other proof of outright/lien-free ownership?

Sixto
87 300D

Missing Titles / Applying for a Duplicate Title

If you applied for your title two weeks ago or more and wish to check the status of your application, please use our online inquiry form.
If you are planning either to buy or sell a vehicle and the vehicle’s title is missing, the owner of the vehicle must apply for a duplicate title. The sale is not valid without a properly assigned title. If the title has been mutilated or otherwise ruined, the owner of the vehicle must apply for a duplicate title in order for the sale to proceed.
If your title has been lost, mutilated, or destroyed, you may apply for a duplicate title.
To apply for a duplicate title, you must submit:

1. An Application for Missouri Title and License (DOR-108), completed in full and signed, including the following:
   1. Indicate a Missouri address;
   2. Mark the block labeled "DUPLICATE" at the top of the form to indicate you are applying for a duplicate title;
   3. Complete the notary information near the bottom of the form, where it is marked "Notary-Dup. Title Only," and indicate the reason you need the duplicate;
   4. Have the form notarized. Your signature must be witnessed by a notary public, and the notary must complete the notarization box in the block marked "Duplicate Title Only";
   5. If you are applying for a duplicate title because your original title was mutilated, you must return the mutilated title with your application for a duplicate;
   6. If the title is to be mailed to an address other than that indicated in the owner's portion of the application, and no lien (loan) is indicated, please place an "X" in the "Mail To" block and write or type that address in the space provided. A title may be mailed to an address other than that indicated in the owner's portion of the application if there is only one lien (loan) indicated.
2. If applicable, a notarized Lien Release (DOR-4809) is required.
3. Submit an $8.50 duplicate title fee and a $2.50 processing fee.

You may submit your application and fees to your local contract office, or to the Motor Vehicle Bureau, 301 West High Street, Room 370, P.O. Box 100, Jefferson City, MO, 65105-0100.

__________________
1985 300D Gretchen (Astral Silver) 220k
1983 240D 4-speed Evelyn (Orient Red) 203k


TANSTAAFL

Thanks everyone for the responses. If a deal like this pops up again I may take the risk. That SD sold in like 1 hour of being on Craigslist. Seemed like a great deal! Great shape and the owner said it ran great. Oh well. More will come up.

__________________
-E300d '99 350k
-Suburban '93 220k
-TDI Jetta '03 350k
Sold
-F250 '96 7.3
-Dodge Ram 12V
-E320 '95 200k
-E320 Wagon 1994 155k
-300d Turbo '87 187k miles
-E320 1994 200k
-300d Turbo '84 245k (sold to Dan62)
-300d Turbo '84 180k
-300sd '80 300k
-7.3 Powerstroke Diesel 15P Van 500k+ miles
-190d '89 Non Turbo 2.5 5cyl 240k (my first MB)
Tom's Imports of Columbia MO Ruined the IP in changing leaky delivery valve O-Rings - Refused to stand behind his work. Mid-MO MB drivers-AVOID Tom's.

That would work if the seller is the same person that is shown as owner on the title. If that were the case I doubt that the seller would be practically giving it away - he'd almost certainly pay $8.50 to get a title and then be able to sell it for what it is really worth.

99% chance that the person selling it didn't have (and couldn't get) a clear title - which is why it was advertised as a parts car. In which case following the steps outlined above would only get a new title sent to the last person who had the title transferred into their name. That wouldn't help much - in fact it might get that person to looking for the car...

__________________
1984 300 Coupe TurboDiesel
Silver blue paint over navy blue interior
2nd owner & 2nd engine in an otherwise
99% original unmolested car
~210k miles on the clock

1986 Ford F250 4x4 Supercab
Charcoal & blue two tone paint over burgundy interior
Banks turbo, DRW, ZF-5 & SMF conversion
152k on the clock - actual mileage unknown

Yes, thats for just getting a duplicate title printed, not for recovering a lost title.