I tried searching but couldn't find an answer to my question, hope you guys with your experiences can help me out.

Background:
Since my lease is ending soon, I've been searching for a new car, a 2007 TL Type S to be exact. I finally found what I am looking for, perfect condition, low miles and the exact color combination I'm looking for. Not only that, but at a great price. The problem is I live in Brooklyn, NY and the car is from a private party who lives in Cabin John, MD. We've settled on a certified check as payment in exchange for the title (which he has in hand)

Problem: How do I buy this car and get it to me?

I spoke with the NY Department of Motor Vehicles and Maryland MVA. Neither one of them offers temporary registration. From the information they gave me, I have 2 options: to get the title before I come down to MD to pick up the car (via mail), so I can register it here in NY and just come to MD with the plates ready or I can drive from Maryland back to NY with the seller's registration and plates on the vehicle with the signed title. Then after they register it in my name here in NY, I will mail back the plates to the seller so that he can turn them in.
Are there any other options? I think option 2 is the easiest thing to do, which one would you suggest? Seems as though the first option isn't attractive for me, the buyer, and the second isn't attractive to the seller.

Cliffs:
1. Buying car from private party who is out of state
2. How do I get it back to home state?

 

I bought my car from out of state and I just went and picked it up. I guess you could have it towed to you. However it was not a long drive for me I live a few minutes from the SC boarder. I got the title than I got the plates later.

 

I should mention its a 4 hour drive from NY to MD.

Also, I thought about just driving back to NY with my old plates, but its kind of risky if I get pulled over

 

What we did was we left the old tags on the car. When he sold the car he told us he didn't need them anymore. Its probably not legal but I had all the information in my car in case I got pulled over. As long as you legally own the car I don't think it should be a huge issue. Than again moving tags from one car to another is different from leaving the old ones that are still registered.

 

We get 3 days to drive with no plates after purchase of a vehicle. I used to just carry the title around with me. I'm sure if you get pulled over and you show the cop your title with the days date on it, they will let you go?

 

I haven't seen any info about that, that would be

I don't want to break MD laws, since their cops are very

 

When you buy a car the plates are supposed to stay with it. If it's an in-state car you can just keep the same ones. If it's an out of state car you go get new ones and your state's DMV may or may not ask for the old ones. My buddy bought a G35C from a dude in the Bay Area and he still has the CA plates in his garage, so obviously the OR DMV didn't care if he kept them.

 

On a kinda related note....

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/picked-up-05-tl-am-having-few-issues-some-advice-please-707370/

Just be very careful. I would try to keep the existing plates until you register at home.

 

Done option#2 several times however the LAW varys from state to state so YMMV.

Heres what I usually do
1. Call insurance and add the car to my policy and get a Temp ID card.
2. Go down to check the car.
3. If the car pans out and title is in hand, I give the seller the Certified/personal check and have him hold the title until the check clears.
4.I drive the car back with "sellers" plates on.
5. In a few days he mails me the title and I mail him back the plates.

However do ensure that you get a bill of sale signed before you leave and also have your name printed on the title while you are with the seller. Just for gurantee that he doesn't mess with you later on. Sometimes sellers are hesitant to sign the Bill of Sale before check clears, I tell them that with the BoS of proper date they can back date there insurance cancellation so that they do not lose any money.

Good Luck.

 

Either go there, pay the guy and have the car towed back, or find a way to get the title from the guy, insure the car, go to the DMV with the title in hand and insurance, register the car, then go with the plates in your hand and slap 'em on the car and drive home.

 

Around here the car would get repo'd and you'll probably go to jail for driving an unregistered and uninsured car.

 

........Or maybe if you catch me in a good mood i'll go with you with my dealer plate and we can drive the car back together...

 

Now that is great customer service

 

I e-mailed you the report. The car's clean, doesn't show much, but it's clean.

 

You'd be taking me away from my wife (I would only be able to do it on a Sunday, the only day she has my full attention), and she's gonna bitch.....How much is it worth?

 

As nice of an offer as that is I don't think I want to take you away from you wife, especially on Sunday. (maybe as a last resort option )

I'll communicate with the seller in the next few days and keep you guys updated. In the meantime, more suggestions are welcome!

 

Dayum...that sucks.

 

The biggest thing is that you want to have the car insured. Would suck to have it totaled out w/ no insurance on the way home...

If it was a $2000 beater, I'd just throw plates on it and take my chances... Uninsured, unregistered, attaching plates can be expensive charges tho' ...

 

That varies from state to state. In CA the plates stay with the car, but that's not the norm. In most states the plates stay with the prior owner. They then have to turn the plates in, or transfer them over to another car.

 

That's exactly what I was told by both MD and NY - plates stay with the owner, who after the sale needs to turn them in.

 

As far as I understand, insurance is the easiest thing - I can just call them and add the car to my policy - they just need the vin number, which I already have - I don't think they ask if car is under my name or not

 

In NY, if you're buying the car outright, it could be registered to one person and insured to another name, and titled to another name, it doesn't matter. It's only if you lease or finance that the names have to match on the reg and insurance.

 

Huh, I bought my MR2 Turbo from a guy in WA and they stayed with the car in that case too. Plates staying with the owner is a new one to me.

I would think they would give a small grace period as long as he has the bill of sale and/or the title to the new one (If he got pulled over.) in a state where that is the rule.

 

I'm afraid that with the harsh economic times, the officers are becoming less lenient and understanding. I'm waiting to hear from the seller, hopefully he'll allow me to keep his registration for the trip back to NY

 

Jeez...no temp registration? At least Oregon offers a 30 day trip permit.

 

And the DMV websites for the two states you're dealing with don't have a FAQ section that addresses something like this?