Car Titles

By Joan Whetzel

 

 

            Government Agencies – gotta love ‘em. This time it’s the TxDMV. I’ve been putting off getting rid of my late husband’s old car; partly because it wasn’t a top priority and partly because I was hoping I’d find the title in all the stuff he left behind.  Well, as you’ve probably already guessed, I never found the title, so I decided it was time to bite the bullet and apply for it through the DMV.

 

            I went online and found the form I needed to request a duplicate copy of the title. After filling it out, I included a check for the $2 fee and the supporting documents (death certificate, Letters of Administration, and my photo ID). I mailed it off and waited about a week.

 

            The DMV returned the form and documentation (having cashed the check before the ink dried). They included a letter stating that they could         not fulfill my request as the title still showed a lien holder still attached. They informed me that I’d have to get a Release of Lien letter on the lien holder’s letterhead in order for them to clear the title. A lien holder? What lien holder? Okay, so who is the lien holder? I wrote back to the TxDMV because my late husband had not left me any paper work that included the identity of the lien holder and could they please supply me with that information.

 

            About a week later, they sent me a letter telling me that I’d have to fill out a new form requesting the lien holder information. I would have to include a check for $2.30 and the same supporting documentation as before. So I mailed it off. About a week later I get the lien holder’s identity. Guess what? It looks like the lien holder no longer exists.

 

            Not to be put off, I went online to see what I could find out. It turns out that the company – the Houston Area Teacher’s Credit Union – had changed names twice but was still in existence. I contacted them, hoping beyond hope, that they could help me with my somewhat belated request for a Release of Lien letter. I included the usual supporting documents and the letters from the DMV showing what I needed from them in order to clear the title. In less than a week, I got all my documents back and the Release of Lien documents.

 

A week ago I filled out the original form for the second time (needed a new signature date). I included my documentation and the Release of Lien documents and mailed it all off. I finally got it in today’s mail. The title to my late husband’s old, no-longer-running, old car, and it is in his name. I suppose it would be too much to ask to have the title placed in my name, wouldn’t it?

 

            In the meantime, the DMV sent me a reminder earlier this week that it’s time for a new license plate sticker for my car. For a mere $64.15 plus and an additional $3 for ordering the sticker online, I will have my new license plate sticker in 2 weeks’ time. It only took to get the title to my husband’s old car and it only takes 2 weeks to get license plate sticker. Government agencies, gotta love ‘em.