I bought the Mini from a private individual, not from a dealer. He gave me the title and I had to go pay the city $10 to transfer it into my name. I was advised to keep the title document in a safe place. Fair enough.
But. I don’t remember ever getting a title to my previous cars once the loans were paid off. I sure don’t have a file which has titles to the MG, the Triumph or the T-Bird. Is my memory just junk, or is it common practice for lenders not to give them to their customer once they’re paid?
You should have them. You can always call the banks and ask for their records. You will need the titles if you ever sell the cars.
Those cars are long gone, turned in as trade-ins or junked. That’s what puzzles me; that no dealer asked for it (or if it did, I’ve completely forgotten it) at the time of sale.
Yeah you’re supposed to get one. Dealers and sellers of all kinds are supposed to transfer them over. In CA you may have to show the title to the cops if you’re pulled over. (Which I always wonder about, because I don’t think it’s safe to leave a copy of the thing in your car.)