The recent thread about title issues brought to mind the topic of a seminar I gave at The Studebaker National Museum during the 2007 International Meet.
The Seminar Topic was, "What's The First Thing to do When You've Bought Another Studebaker?"
The question was posed to the attendees and many answers were volunteered: Check the oil, check the tires, etc. The closest possible answer was, "Check the Battery Hold-Down!"
The correct answer was: Get the Title and Get The Car in Your Possession.
To illustrate that importance, I changed the names and car descriptions of two situations in which I had recently been involved, and threw the following scenarios on the overhead screen for discussion.
Both of the following Horror Stories are true, and of which I have personal, first-hand knowledge from the principles involved. The only fictitious elements are the names of the people and the year(s) and model(s) of the subject Studebaker(s). I emphasize: All the names, both first and last, are fictitious, as are the specific years and models of the Studebakers involved. Everything else is as it really happened to the people involved.
HORROR STORY ONE
Like many Studeophiles, Howard Thomas always wanted a 1962 Lark Daytona Festival Car; one of the actual convertibles used during the 1962 Indianapolis 500 Festival. Fellow SDCer Chris Reed
Howard turned in all the paperwork and received a fresh, current title for the car in his name, in their home state. (Both lived in the same state, so there were no out-of-state title complications.) However, the car was 300 miles away and inoperable, so Howard was in no hurry to pick it up. In fact, he may have delayed picking it up to avoid showing up at home with yet another dead Studebaker needing a complete restoration. After all, he had plenty of Studebaker projects underway as it was.
CN
On a hunch, I first checked the Serial Numbers of the 1962 Lark Indianapolis 500 Festival Cars and verified it was one of those convertibles! Good news! However, where was it?
Dick knew that Howard bought things from Chris Reed from time-to-time, so Dick called Chris to see if he knew anything about the missing 1962 Lark Festival convertible. Chris said,
Whoa!
Almost.FOR SALE with a shoe-polished price that was more than Howard had paid. A shoe-polish notation on the window said NO TITLE
Not quite. When Dick and Jane got the Festival Car home, they discovered that both , so it had no identity!
(Right: You have to chisel or pry a spot-welded Serial Number plate off a car in your own state and take it to the license branch to go get the title transferred!
Questions for Discussion:
1. What did Howard Thomas (the buyer) do wrong?
2. What did Chris Reed (the seller) do wrong?
WHAT IS THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED HERE?
When you buy a car, take material possession of it immediately, even if you get the title at the time of purchase. ne more Studebaker to your wife!)
HORROR STORY TWO
Tim Thompson wanted a solid black 1958 Golden Hawk with overdrive because of its rarity. He knew finding one would be a challenge, but he was willing to undertake a substantial restoration if necessary. He was pleased to learn of an older Studebaker enthusiast, Pete Johnson, not that far from him in the same state, that had an overdrive 1958 Golden Hawk that he would consider selling, sitting in a barn.
Tim contacted Pete and made arrangements to see the car. They came to an agreement on price and Tim paid Pete in full for the car, in cash.
died.
Oops.
Jezebel
Studebaker enthusiast Chris Nelson saw the Sale Bill and was taken with the rarity of the solid-black, virtually untouched but needing everything, 1958 Golden Hawk being offered at the auction. He made plans to attend with cash, fully intending to buy the Hawk if it went for anything near a reasonable price. He brought his tow dolly along with extra tires and wheels to fit a Studebaker, planning to bring the Golden Hawk home if he was the successful bidder.
Fortunately for Chris, the auction was modestly attended and he was high bidder on the 1958 Golden Hawk. He paid for it in cash, received a properly-executed Bill of Sale and the actual title
About a month after that, Chris got an unusual telephone call one night. It was from a complete stranger, one angry Tim Thompsonthe actual owner whose name had been on the title tendered to Chris at the auction.
Chris initially dismissed Tim as some kind of crackpot or jerk, but then listened to his story and realized the poor guy was legitimate; that he had actually paid for the Golden Hawk at least a year before the auction, and was awaiting confirmation that the title had been found and it was OK to come extract and remove the car when Pete died.
As it turned out, Tim had been in contact with Jezebel after Pete died
In fact, she had
Tim somewhat successfully threatened Jezebel with legal action. The initial legal maneuverings scared Jezebel just enough that she offered to give Tim back most of the money he had paid Pete for the Hawk, saying she Tim was forced to weigh the legal cost of pursuing the balance versus writing it off to experience and ultimately decided to let it go, that the legal cost of recovering his balance due would exceed the amount recovered.
Questions for Discussion:
1. What did Pete do wrong?
2. What did Tim do wrong?
3. What did Jezebel do wrong?
4. What did Chris do wrong?(answer: Nothing)
WHAT ARE THE LESSONS TO BE LEARNED?
1.
2. When you buy a car, do whatever is necessary to take physical possession of the car at the time of sale, even if it means cutting down vegetation and working hard!
3. Immediately process into your name any documentation necessary to secure a legitimate, current title for the car (or truck, of course).
The Seminar Topic was, "What's The First Thing to do When You've Bought Another Studebaker?"
The question was posed to the attendees and many answers were volunteered: Check the oil, check the tires, etc. The closest possible answer was, "Check the Battery Hold-Down!"
The correct answer was: Get the Title and Get The Car in Your Possession.
To illustrate that importance, I changed the names and car descriptions of two situations in which I had recently been involved, and threw the following scenarios on the overhead screen for discussion.
Both of the following Horror Stories are true, and of which I have personal, first-hand knowledge from the principles involved. The only fictitious elements are the names of the people and the year(s) and model(s) of the subject Studebaker(s). I emphasize: All the names, both first and last, are fictitious, as are the specific years and models of the Studebakers involved. Everything else is as it really happened to the people involved.
HORROR STORY ONE
Like many Studeophiles, Howard Thomas always wanted a 1962 Lark Daytona Festival Car; one of the actual convertibles used during the 1962 Indianapolis 500 Festival. Fellow SDCer Chris Reed
Howard turned in all the paperwork and received a fresh, current title for the car in his name, in their home state. (Both lived in the same state, so there were no out-of-state title complications.) However, the car was 300 miles away and inoperable, so Howard was in no hurry to pick it up. In fact, he may have delayed picking it up to avoid showing up at home with yet another dead Studebaker needing a complete restoration. After all, he had plenty of Studebaker projects underway as it was.
CN
On a hunch, I first checked the Serial Numbers of the 1962 Lark Indianapolis 500 Festival Cars and verified it was one of those convertibles! Good news! However, where was it?
Dick knew that Howard bought things from Chris Reed from time-to-time, so Dick called Chris to see if he knew anything about the missing 1962 Lark Festival convertible. Chris said,
Whoa!
Almost.FOR SALE with a shoe-polished price that was more than Howard had paid. A shoe-polish notation on the window said NO TITLE
Not quite. When Dick and Jane got the Festival Car home, they discovered that both , so it had no identity!
(Right: You have to chisel or pry a spot-welded Serial Number plate off a car in your own state and take it to the license branch to go get the title transferred!
Questions for Discussion:
1. What did Howard Thomas (the buyer) do wrong?
2. What did Chris Reed (the seller) do wrong?
WHAT IS THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED HERE?
When you buy a car, take material possession of it immediately, even if you get the title at the time of purchase. ne more Studebaker to your wife!)
HORROR STORY TWO
Tim Thompson wanted a solid black 1958 Golden Hawk with overdrive because of its rarity. He knew finding one would be a challenge, but he was willing to undertake a substantial restoration if necessary. He was pleased to learn of an older Studebaker enthusiast, Pete Johnson, not that far from him in the same state, that had an overdrive 1958 Golden Hawk that he would consider selling, sitting in a barn.
Tim contacted Pete and made arrangements to see the car. They came to an agreement on price and Tim paid Pete in full for the car, in cash.
died.
Oops.
Jezebel
Studebaker enthusiast Chris Nelson saw the Sale Bill and was taken with the rarity of the solid-black, virtually untouched but needing everything, 1958 Golden Hawk being offered at the auction. He made plans to attend with cash, fully intending to buy the Hawk if it went for anything near a reasonable price. He brought his tow dolly along with extra tires and wheels to fit a Studebaker, planning to bring the Golden Hawk home if he was the successful bidder.
Fortunately for Chris, the auction was modestly attended and he was high bidder on the 1958 Golden Hawk. He paid for it in cash, received a properly-executed Bill of Sale and the actual title
About a month after that, Chris got an unusual telephone call one night. It was from a complete stranger, one angry Tim Thompsonthe actual owner whose name had been on the title tendered to Chris at the auction.
Chris initially dismissed Tim as some kind of crackpot or jerk, but then listened to his story and realized the poor guy was legitimate; that he had actually paid for the Golden Hawk at least a year before the auction, and was awaiting confirmation that the title had been found and it was OK to come extract and remove the car when Pete died.
As it turned out, Tim had been in contact with Jezebel after Pete died
In fact, she had
Tim somewhat successfully threatened Jezebel with legal action. The initial legal maneuverings scared Jezebel just enough that she offered to give Tim back most of the money he had paid Pete for the Hawk, saying she Tim was forced to weigh the legal cost of pursuing the balance versus writing it off to experience and ultimately decided to let it go, that the legal cost of recovering his balance due would exceed the amount recovered.
Questions for Discussion:
1. What did Pete do wrong?
2. What did Tim do wrong?
3. What did Jezebel do wrong?
4. What did Chris do wrong?(answer: Nothing)
WHAT ARE THE LESSONS TO BE LEARNED?
1.
2. When you buy a car, do whatever is necessary to take physical possession of the car at the time of sale, even if it means cutting down vegetation and working hard!
3. Immediately process into your name any documentation necessary to secure a legitimate, current title for the car (or truck, of course).
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