Legal Question in Real Estate Law in California

California, Dear Sirs,

My son Sgt. Kyle Hirvela USMC is deployed and has some issues with his old Bronco title. He spent many summers putting together and old bronco from a pile of parts. He registered it with DMV and that was it or so he thought. The Body that was originally on his frame was left at a body shop by the guy that bought it. The body shop filed a lien on it and acquired the pink slip when my son did not contest it because he was deployed. According to the CHP the frame is what they go by and has precedence over the body, but the state lien office says it too late. We are not sure what to do.

Thanks, George Hirvela


Asked on 2/01/13, 1:53 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Terry A. Nelson Nelson & Lawless

Do what? Restore clean title to the frame in your possession, with body?

It sounds like the lien sale was done on the basis of the VIN on the dash of the body, which creates a conflict with the separate frame which also has the same VIN. You created two vehicles with the same VIN. You'll have to deal with and appeal through DMV to try to straighten this out and get titled 'cleaned' and registration issued correctly. If you want to hire an attorney to do it, or help you do it, feel free to contact me to discuss the fees you'll have to pay. You can go stand in line yourself at DMV and start telling your story and showing all your documents and evidence, and work your way through the system as best you can. This could take weeks or months. You can't contest the lien sale, it is too late. You have to try to clear title. to your version of the VIN vehicle.

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Answered on 2/01/13, 3:19 pm


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