Car title question....please read?

Question

I have a dilemma....we are purchasing a car for our daughter. Her father and I are not married. My husband and I are putting $1,700 in for her car. Her father and stepmother are putting in $1,000 for her car. My daughter is using $400 of her own money towards the car. My parents are also putting in around $400 towards the car.

To make a long story short...my daughter's father and stepmother are getting the car from a dealer "friend" of theirs. They insisted on paying for the car with their money and we pay them back. I however am worried about the title work. They have already in the past tried to put stipulations on our daughter about sharing a vehicle with them in the past and I told them that is not going to work because she is going to need her own transportation to get back and forth to work. I am worried they are going to try to put these same stipulations on her once they purchase the vehicle up front.

We don't have the $1,700 this week, but they are insistent that we need to purchase this car because someone else is looking at it. It is a good deal and I don't want to pass it up, but I also want to protect my daughter's best interest because she too is putting money in towards her car that she earned babysitting over the years and has saved her money for this purpose. Does anyone have any suggestions what I can do without seeming too rude?

Answer 1

There is only one way to insure that this car is hers and only hers and she wont have to SHARE....make sure the title is in her name ONLY otherwise if your assumptions are right then there may be a problem later on if the car is in someone elses name other than hers. Good Luck!

Answer 2

from a dealer. they tend to rip u off. well i bough mine from a dealer and that's what i think. just check everything. windscreen whippers. speakers. take it for a drive. lights boot. if it's water proof. that the speedo is not off (mine was).

do your research first.

look at private and look at dealers look on the net. look everywhere.

Answer 3

Get everything in writing, and notarized.

Never mind about seeming rude.

This is a business transaction, plain and simple.

As such, a contract is in order.

Make sure that it clearly states that the car will 100% belong to your daughter once monies have changed hands.

If they cannot accept this, then you know something's up.

Not sure of your location, but there are a number of "decent" cars out there for $2100.

Check craig's list - I have gotten 2 cars from there for under $2500 - and haven't had a problem with them.

But, the real point is that if you want to protect your daughter's best interests, you need to have a contract clearly and explicitly stating all terms.

Answer 4

If the car is a gift to your daughter, then it is hers. It does not matter who paid what for it. Put the title in her name only. That way there is no question who the owner of the car is.

Answer 5

I think that they are trying to help but I would say if your daughter wants this car  you and your husband and her father and his wife  all go together and make sure she gets what she wants and that they all are on the same page that this is her car if you new to put in writing then do so . make sure that all paper works are in your daughters  name talk talk talk to each other before you go to buy the car  Look out for your daughter.....

Answer 6

Ok.  You know that there is a problem coming that is not going to go away. So let's make it go away.  Solution.  Take your $1700 and your parents $400 and put a down payment on a nice new or semi used car with low mileage.  That's $2100 is an excellent down payment.  You will get a low payment such as $199 sometimes even less and not a gas guzzler. Put the car in you and your husband's name or parents' name.  Discuss and take your parents to the car dealer also.  That will eliminate the "other" side from having stipulations on the car.  Also you can tell them that we are not trusting a "friends" deal on a car. You want a car that has a true warranty and takes your daughter back and forth to school without any problems. Explain to your daughter that it is a gift and the title will be in her name when she finishes school.  Now, you have some say on who is using the car.  Now, she and you have some back-up to say no they can't use it.  Also you won't have to pay that $1000 back to them so lets make that down payment $3100.  You know deep in your heart they were up to no good when they asked you to repay the $1000.  You would think that they want to chip in.  They're trying to use you and your daughter.  Some father.  Leave them at the starting gate.  Let me know what happened.  Good luck.

Answer 7

I agree with all the posting!

Forcing you and your husband to 'pay them back' is to put you in a position where you will have no say about the title. They are taking control of this sale.

Let them know that if a car is registered with their name on the title than you,your parents and your daughter will not be paying for it.

It would be better to scrape up the extra money yourself than to have her father 'share' a car.

This is the time for you to draw the line and not be bullied into a situation that is not in the best interest of your daughter.

If your daughter doesn't understand your position just explain it to her and start looking around at other cars. There are lots to choose from.Good luck.

Answer 8

Make sure that the title of the car is in your daughters name ,only, with no other people on the title as lien holders.

Answer 9

Don't be goaded into make a decision too fast just because they tell you someone else in interested in the vehicle.  That is a ploy designed to make you think you HAVE to get the car now.  I was married to a used car salesman and I know they can be nasty people.  There are many, many cars for sale everywhere---no one should have to make a snap decision concerning one.  If this car is to be your daughter's car, don't make a hurried decision and let someone else put their name on the title which would make it THEIR car too.  Try a auto auction if there is one in your area.  That's where many used car lots get their cars, but you can get one too and save the dealer mark-up.  The money you'd save would even be worth a little travel to get to one.