Hello,

 

Do any of you penny-pinchers have any experience with buying used cars from the owner?

 

When buying from a private party in NJ, how does that work? When can you drive the car home? Does it have to be registered first? When do you get temporary or permanent tags for the car?

 

Thanks

legal way....

 

Pay for car.....

Seller hands you title...

Take title to NJDMV to change title to your name and get plates...

Call Insurance to cover car....

Go back to seller to install plates and drive car home....

 

 

How most of us do it...

 

Pay for car.....

Take title....

Install a plate from one of your other cars...

Drive car home....

Go to NJDMV to title and register the car...

Some states have laws that allow you to drive vehicles without registration for a certain period of time after purchasing.  I don't know about NJ, you can look into it.  I drove a car for an hour and a half from North NJ to Central NJ without plates, no issues.  Not to say you should do what I did, but it's up to you.

 

Depending on the distance, you may be able to talk the current owner into driving the car to your house with their plates and insurance, signing the bill of sale at your house, and then you drive them home or they arrange their own ride.  You can then insure and register the car at your own convenience.

 

Regardless of what you do, make sure you have insurance.

 

How most of us do it...

 

Pay for car.....

Take title....

Install a plate from one of your other cars...

Drive car home....

Go to NJDMV to title and register the car...

This works too.  Like I said, I did something similar by not driving with plates at all.

 

Also...I purchased a second vehicle several months back.  When I went into NJDMV to register and change title, they didn't ask for a bill of sale, just asked how much I paid for it.  I'm not telling you that you can make up a number that's less than what you paid, in order to pay less for taxes...but they don't ask for a bill of sale.

I was taxed the same for my last 2 purchases this year (beater trucks) despite different listing of purchase price. No bill of sale just handed over the title and with plates both cost 140-ish

I'd have them just drive to your house in the car and then sign the title there and let them take their plates. then register the car at DMV, make sure you write what you REALLY paid on the bill of sale...if you catch my drift

I'd have them just drive to your house in the car and then sign the title there and let them take their plates. then register the car at DMV, make sure you write what you REALLY paid on the bill of sale...if you catch my drift

+1 ^^^^^^^

If seller drives to your house in the car you're buying, how do they get back home? Lol

Purchased 3 cars privately. In 1991 bought an old (1978) Z28. It was a project car. 2nd one my father knew a coworker selling his Toyota 4x4. He knew it was well taken care of and was getting tired of my project car always needing repairs/breaking down.

 

Last one was when I was in early 30s. Bought a mid 90s Pontiac Grand Prix. I think it was about 7 or 8 years old when I bought it. Took it to a garage to have it inspected. Mechanic said for the price it was a good deal.

 

I've had very good luck with private transactions. Take the car to a good garage and have it checked out. Good luck!

When I bought my truck two years ago we agreed to have him drive the car to my shop where we did the transaction. The seller had his buddy come along in another vehicle to drive him home.

You have to have a permit to purchase, and its best to do the actual transfer at an FFL.....oh wait you had me confused it took a minute to see you had the word car in there

You have to have a permit to purchase, and its best to do the actual transfer at an FFL.....oh wait you had me confused it took a minute to see you had the word car in there

You really should pay more attention, Howard. This is about car buyin', not carbine.

If seller drives to your house in the car you're buying, how do they get back home? Lol

Give them a ride back in another vehicle you have that's already registered? You could also have it towed home. I guess that's a little easier for guys like me that have access to a car trailer though. Tow trucks aren't free.

I've....

buying...

driven home in the bought car with a plate from one of my other cars

(it was actually a fraternal twin of a car I already owned and had registered... same color and everything)

towed the car I drove out in home behind the new one

gotten AAA to tow the car home for me for free

had the seller deliver the vehicle (motorcycle in this case) to my residence

selling...

had the seller go to the DMV with the signed title and get plates to drive it away

let the seller return my plates to me after driving the car home

let the seller put "illegal" plates on the car and drive away

 

it all depends on the situation.

I will say when I've sold private party, I've kept the insurance on the vehicle for at least 48 hours after sale, just in case, and I notify my insurance the car is sold and make sure to turn in the plates and/or registration at the DMV so I'm out of the system as the current legal owner.

Thanks for the info guys, it really clears things up.

 

So I went to a private seller I found on Craigslist today and it turned out that the guy was selling cars still owned by a dealership. Ended up not buying it because we couldn't agree on the price.

Ive used the legal way listed in post #2 most of the time. Sometimes had the seller drive the car to my house and finished the deal.

 

if you choose the other way listed in post #2 you risk tickets for:

 

Unregistered vehicle

Fictious plates

Uninsured vehicle (still a mandatory license suspension IIRC)

 

Not worth the convenience AFAIC and way too expensive in the end.

 

Was this seller in Toms River? I got a great deal from a guy doing that a few months ago.

Whether buying or selling privately, ensure you get a dated and signed by both parties receipt at time of sale. A simple receipt printed on a regular PC printer at home works, too, as long as the pertinent info (VIN#, seller and buyer's names, date, etc) is on there.

Ive used the legal way listed in post #2 most of the time. Sometimes had the seller drive the car to my house and finished the deal.

 

if you choose the other way listed in post #2 you risk tickets for:

 

Unregistered vehicle

Fictious plates

Uninsured vehicle (still a mandatory license suspension IIRC)

 

Not worth the convenience AFAIC and way too expensive in the end.

 

Was this seller in Toms River? I got a great deal from a guy doing that a few months ago.

Yeah, I agree, not worth the risk to me

 

The seller wasn't in Tom's river, this was in Princeton

I would never let someone I didn't know take my plates and registration, hoping to get them returned...

Just got back from another dealer listing himself as a private seller, named Islam (no offense intended). Car was listed with 60k mile on it and photographed beautifully but was worn like it had 200k. Pouring oil and everything.