Who and how is on your vehicles registration?

[Sigarms]

My FIL passed in January. My wife is still helping her mother navigate probate and assets. Biggest pain in the butt is actually my FIL's trailer because it was registered in his name only.

I'm old. When you get married, IMO everything goes together on what is owned because the assumption is your married for life.

My dad has been living with us going on more than a couple of years, and his vehicle was in his name only.

We ended up changing state titles for him recently, and talking with the girl at the courthouse, she mentioned "Joint Tennants With" and mentioned that's how her family does everything now on their titles.

At least in NC, you do have this option with vehicles which bypasses probate and can make life a lot easier for everyone. With a "JTW" registration (and on your vehicles title, all you need to do is supply the death certificate at the local courthouse and you bypass all the legal crap.

Disclaimer - apply for a loan together as a married couple for a vehicle and then go through a divorce, or have your second cousin involved on the loan, you will probably still get the legal system involved due to a death.

See below, please excuse the blantant lawyer advertisment, but for NC. May be worth checking your own state to avoid probate.

New NC DMV updates are coming January 1, 2017 . . . And they may help you avoid probate. — Clayton + Clayton

Titling a Car as Joint Tenants With Right of Survivorship Your vehicle may be one of your most valuable assets, next to your home, that you own. If you rent, it may be your most valuable asset. If something happens to you, what will your partner or spouse need to do with it? Will they need the

humansatlaw.com

And then see below, for I guess what would be a disadvantage, but IMO the girl was stupid. Never play make believe husband and wife.

Anyway, just something to think about...

 

[oosik]

I traded in my Ford F-150 when I bought the Taco Wagon( Ram 2500 Power Wagon). It was titled/registered in both my wife's and my name. My wife passed ten years previously. I had to take her death certificate to the recorders office and get the pickup titled/registered in my name only. Then I could sign over the title to the new car company.

Doesn't really sound like my situation is of much help in post above. Sigarms is right - you play the game, you pay the price.

 

[MossRoad]

When my father died, his car was in his name only. One of my siblings and I were co-executors of the will. We were able to sell the car from the estate and put the cash into the estate for disbursement to the heirs. I don't recall any problems.

 

[Sigarms]

When my father died, his car was in his name only. One of my siblings and I were co-executors of the will. We were able to sell the car from the estate and put the cash into the estate for disbursement to the heirs. I don't recall any problems.

I'm assuming your mother wasn't alive during that time and the car was paid off?

What I do know is when my FIL died and my MIL was is alive, this type of title and registration would have saved a lot of work on my wifes end.

 

[Oaktree]

My parents always had their cars registered in both names, but both mine and my wife's are in our individual names. We both have recently updated wills, so probate shouldn't be too big an issue when our time comes (hopefully later than sooner).

 

[MossRoad]

I'm assuming your mother wasn't alive during that time and the car was paid off?

What I do know is when my FIL died and my MIL was is alive, this type of title and registration would have saved a lot of work on my wifes end.

Yes, mom passed away 7 years earlier.

 

[two_bit_score]

You can avoid including most vehicles and many accounts in any probate proceedings in Texas by filing a few simple forms with the proper agencies. Things like vehicle titles a very simple. We got all the forms from our Wells Fargo Advisors representative. Easy to do but ya gotta do it.

 

[RalphVa]

We have a trust between us. Would make sense to put the vehicles in the trust, but, no, they're all 3 in her name.

 

[Sigarms]

Yes, mom passed away 7 years earlier.

I guess that's where depending on who is alive and the relationship you have with people in your lives, each situation could be dramatically different.

My parents are (EDIT) not wealthy money wise, but after I left home they set up a trust (keep the money out of the governments hands LOL). Mom passed 18 years ago, and dads pushing 90, but the one thing we didn't have figured out was his vehicle. He bought the car when he wasn't living with us, bought it in NC but he was still living in Pa at the time. Then when he moved in with us a couple of years ago (ensuring the trust was legal and above board in NC was interesting enough), we recently found out that he (or we LOL) forgot to transfer the cars Pa title to NC, which we had to do. That's why after my wife just went through the last couple of months with her father's probate and transfering everything per ownerhsip to her mother, she asked to to see if the court house would put my fathers name and my name on the title. This type of registration and title ownership fits our situation perfectly.

Getting off track which I've been known to do....

I was pretty stupid as a young adult sometimes. When I was traveling and working and living in different states, because I was single and had no siblings, I just assumed that if anything were to happen to me where I was no longer living, my parents would just inherit all of my assets. Depending on the state of your residence, that is not always correct. My incorrect assumption was that most children have a good relationship with their parents and trust them. Then on the flip side, if your parents, I've come to the conclusion that you can take 4 kids raised in the same family environment with the same family values and rules, and there may be a couple of adult children you know the money is just going to be pissed away if they get anything, and I've seen that happen in my own extensive family.

 

[Sigarms]

You can avoid including most vehicles and many accounts in any probate proceedings in Texas by filing a few simple forms with the proper agencies. Things like vehicle titles a very simple. We got all the forms from our Wells Fargo Advisors representative. Easy to do but ya gotta do it.

Ultimatley my reason for the post. If you haven't thought about it, depending on your own families situation, you should.