View Full Version : Buying a used car for someone else
WickerBill
06-04-12, 07:23 AM
I have a buddy who is moving back here from China next month. She would like for me to purchase a car for her. She will be getting it from me in Indy and driving it to her new home in Colorado. I'm involved simply so she doesn't have to be, and so it's done when she lands.
Questions:
1. If I buy from a dealer, and get a 30 day paper plate, when I sell the car to her, can she drive on that paper plate?
2. If not, how can she drive it to Colorado and license it? Licensing it in Indiana seems dumb if it will never really reside here.
3. If I buy from an individual, then sell to her, she will have no tags to put on the car -- must she license it in Indiana at that point? Can it be licensed "remotely" in CO?
Methanolandbrats
06-04-12, 07:39 AM
I think you will have to pay tax and title in your state and she will have to pay tax and title in Colorado. The car will be changing hands twice.
cameraman
06-04-12, 09:01 AM
There should be some way that you can buy the car in her name acting as her representative. Ask a car dealer, a good one will know. If you live in Utah and buy the car out of state you have to pay any difference in sales tax. If the taxes were 4% where you bought it and Utah's was 6% you would have to pay Utah the 2% difference.
Napoleon
06-04-12, 10:30 AM
There should be some way that you can buy the car in her name acting as her representative.
Just get a power of attorney. Usually the car dealer gets one from you and that is how they process the paper work for you in your name.
The two wild cards are one you identified, the fact that it will be registered and plated out of state. Maybe you can do that all by mail, but I know if you were going to plate it in Ohio from out of state they need to do a physical inspection to verify the VIN.
The other is how you would get the POA. Ussually if someone is out of state you just send them the state form (if the state has a form, otherwise get one from an attorney in your state). They would take that to a local notary. Thing is China may not have them, or the state may not accept them, or in any event some Chinesse notary is not going to sign something they can not read. So you are stuck going to an American Embassy or Counsolate to get them to perform the notary like function (it is my understanding they do this).
Methanolandbrats
06-04-12, 10:52 AM
The time consuming part of finding a car is shopping. Why don't you find one, explain the situation and put down a deposit. Then she can buy it and drive it home. Sounds a lot simpler to me.
I think you will have to pay tax and title in your state and she will have to pay tax and title in Colorado. The car will be changing hands twice.
I'm sure that's the case.
You can act in her behalf, find her a car she'll like, pay for it, arrange for the insurance, generally do all the leg work. When she returns to the US bring her to the dealership where she signs the papers and drives away.
This assumes a couple of things: first, she still has a US driver's license and a US address, second it's a cash sale.
Buy yourself a new car and [sell] her your old one.
You shoulda worked out a deal with the boss when he had the Merk for sale. ;)
-Kevin
getting it licensed in CO requires a CO emissions test first iirc
getting it licensed in CO requires a CO emissions test first iirc
Most of the counties around Denver and a few up in the mountains is my understanding.
Tried searching the CO DMV site for useful info without much to offer. It does seem like a dealer could probably help you sort all that out.
Seems like buying that C class you were interested in and passing your current ride to her might not be a bad approach. :)
WickerBill
06-13-12, 08:52 PM
Why does car fax have to be so expensive for one use? I'm going to get into the used car information business
There is also www.autocheck.com they found some things that CarFax didn't.
If you ever had to make an insurance claim for damage done to someone else’s car, even though your car may not have had any damage, your car is tainted by CarFax as have been in a collision. They don’t distinguish between breaking someone’s tail lamp lens in a parking lot and a $20,000 hit.
WickerBill
06-15-12, 08:44 AM
Well, I bought a car, so this saga is complete.
My plan had been to buy from a dealer in order to get 30 day tags, etc. But I found myself looking at cars.com, where I found a private party car, which had a link to a Craigslist ad with more detail and pictures. Ended up using Craigslist to contact the guy, and when he returned my message, I instantly recognized the name -- my best friend throughout middle school.
Sure enough, it was the same guy... for better or worse, I bought the guy's car for my China buddy. My middle school friend was the type who kept his books in his locker in order by size and had a tic where he would constantly re-tie his shoes unless the knot was centered and the lengths perfect. Yep, he kept those OCD traits -- I have a stack of paperwork for this car that includes every receipt, not just for maintenance at the dealer, but for replacement windshield wipers, detailing, etc. So I'm as confident as a person could reasonably be that I've ended up with a good car for China girl.
So MS friend signed the title over directly to China friend, so China friend just has to come pick it up and take it to the BMV and cruise on down the road.
The End (unless something catastrophic happens)
Well, I bought a car, so this saga is complete.
My plan had been to buy from a dealer in order to get 30 day tags, etc. But I found myself looking at cars.com, where I found a private party car, which had a link to a Craigslist ad with more detail and pictures. Ended up using Craigslist to contact the guy, and when he returned my message, I instantly recognized the name -- my best friend throughout middle school.
Sure enough, it was the same guy... for better or worse, I bought the guy's car for my China buddy. My middle school friend was the type who kept his books in his locker in order by size and had a tic where he would constantly re-tie his shoes unless the knot was centered and the lengths perfect. Yep, he kept those OCD traits -- I have a stack of paperwork for this car that includes every receipt, not just for maintenance at the dealer, but for replacement windshield wipers, detailing, etc. So I'm as confident as a person could reasonably be that I've ended up with a good car for China girl.
So MS friend signed the title over directly to China friend, so China friend just has to come pick it up and take it to the BMV and cruise on down the road.
The End (unless something catastrophic happens)
Yeah, but is it Jon Voight's car? ;)
fm2iNNqj2fQ
-Kevin
TravelGal
06-15-12, 11:18 AM
So are you glad or not glad that OCD-guy now knows where you live? :D
Oh, and good job on the car. At first I was afraid it was going to turn into one of those "I bought it on Craig's list and it didn't exist" sagas.
Oh, and good job on the car. At first I was afraid it was going to turn into one of those "I bought it on Craig's list and it didn't exist" sagas.
Or worse. :saywhat: I won't even do Crag's List. :eek:
-Kevin
Ok, you can't say that and not tell us the story. When she showed up was she a he? :rofl:
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