If a car title is put into my friends name, but my name is on the loan, who has legal posession of the car?

Question

Okay so I was kicked out of my ex-gfs house and the only way she would give me my stuff back was if I signed the title so she could have her name put on it. I have made all payments for a year, she has made only partial amounts and I have covered the rest. However she always threatens to take it, who has legal ownership of the car in this situation?

Answer 1

The person who's name appears as the legal owner is the owner of the car. If there is a registered owner, and a legal owner, the legal owner is the owner. If you released interest in the car, you are out of luck. If however, there is a lender, the lender requires the person who got the loan be the registered owner. If there is a lender, I wonder how your gf had access to the title, the lender generally holds the title until the loan is paid in full. If the car isn't registered in your name, and you are the person who got the loan, you may need to contact the lender and request they become involved, as it is their collateral.

Answer 2

Hi there,

When comes to the title of the ownership, his or her name reflects on the ownership paper or in another word, buyer's agreement, technically the person becomes the lawful owner unless there is a separate agreement involved but however, if you could prove in papers that you have been paying, you can take the necessary legal action against the person that you have been paying and claim the amount which you have paid till today but that in the end will still not make you the lawful owner of the car.
Regards,
Keith
[e-mail]

Answer 3

When a titled car has a lien on it, title cannot legally be transferred without the permission of the loan company, bank.
You signing the title does nothing at all. White copy, which is what you have is only a memo copy.

Answer 4

She is the owner of the car. You may be able to fight her in court stating that you signed it under duress and blackmail.

You however are still responsible for the payments on the car. Even if her name is on the loan and she defaults, the damage will be to your credit also.

Ask her to refinance the car. You can always tell her you are going to do a 'voluntary repossession' by having the finance company reclaim the car to "encourage" her to move quickly on that refi. That action may affect your credit but you may be able to work a deal with them not to put it on your credit report. It may be better than her paying late all the time on your credit.

Answer 5

If her name is on the title, then she owns the car. If the loan has a lien on the title, then she can't sell it (or more precisely, the buyer can't register it). If your name is not on title, you don't have a claim.