I’m about to move from Calif. to Washington State. At what point am I required to re-register my car?
I’m about to move from Southern California to southern Washington State. My car is an older car that wouldn’t be worth much (a 1988 Toyota Corolla), but it’s in good repair. It’s registered jointly to my parents. My parents are currently in the midst of a divorce. My dad is trying to officially get sole ownership of the car, and has said he will be officially transferring the title into my name once he has. My mother has been making a point of trying to stalemate him on more or less everything he’s trying for in the divorce, though, because she’s very angry with him and wants to waste as much of his money as possible. As such, she’s likely to be uncooperative when it comes to helping re-register the car in Washington. I’m using the car with my parents’ full consent. At what point could it become a legal problem if I’m using it in Washington but it hasn’t been registered in Washington yet?
… My mother is actually somewhat on the bipolar side and has on numerous occasions very emotively expressed the belief that I am my father’s "best friend" and that she believes the two of us are constantly scheming against her. It is unlikely that I could get her to transfer the car straight to me. In fact, she’s essentially stolen it from me on numerous occasions in the past specifically to prevent me from moving. I pretty much need to move now, though. I can no longer afford Southern California.
It’s going to be a while before I have a job with a company in Washington. I’m an independent contractor and have already been doing my job almost exclusively through telecommuting. The main guy I’ve been getting work from has already confirmed that he doesn’t see any reason why my moving should change our working relationship.
5 Responses
Driving Instruct
01 Feb 2010
balplaya4404
01 Feb 2010
Well if the car is yours you should register it in your name as soon as you get a permanent residence in Wa. Otherwise it doesn’t matter if it is registered in Cali as long as you have the paper work. But if your mother ends up winning the car in court then its hers, and if you have it in Wa she could claim it as stolen and you could be arrested.
Gambit
01 Feb 2010
A vehicle must be titled and registered in Washington state within 30 days of the vehicle entering the state.
gomanyes
01 Feb 2010
Most states give you 30 days.
Peedlepup
01 Feb 2010
How is the car registered in California? Is it "John AND Mary, or is it John OR Mary? If it is "and" it’s jointly owned, and your mother must agree to change the registration. If it is "or" it is separately owned by each person, and your mother does not have to sign the title to transfer it to you. Many married couples register cars this way ("or") so that if one dies the ownership of the car instantly becomes that of the other without going through probate.
Once this messy situation is resolved and you move to Washington you have 30 days to register the car. Good Luck.
You might attempt to help in the matter by suggesting to your mother she transfer the car DIRECTLY to you, thereby AVOIDING dealing with her "ex."
It’s a sticky situation…and the single, most important issue is that YOU are NOT involved in the divorce. The adults have to keep it between them and avoid using you as a pawn.
Check the WA DMV handbook for timetables for completing transfer of vehicle; however, it is usually 10 days from the date you "establish residency" or employment.