Proof of Ownership
Proof of ownership generally takes three forms
A MCO or MSO (Manufacturer’s Certificate/Statement of Origin)
An Out of State Title
A Florida Certificate of Title
Regardless of which proof of ownership you have in front of you, you should get in the habit of reading the document from the top to the bottom.
Images 1-2 - Manufacturer’s Statement/Certificate of Origin
Image 1 – Front
The front of a MCO/MSO is loaded with important information
The manufacturer (Toyota)
The Vehicle Identification Number (JTKKU10438J023051)
The Body Type (5 Door)
The Empty or Shipping Weight (2611)
Who it was manufactured for (Poppell Investments, Co DBA Twin City Scion)
Image 2 - Back View
Reassignments begin on the back of the MCO.
Reassignment to retail customer (this is where the Federal Odometer Disclosure is)
Lienholder Information
Images 3-4 – Out of State (OOS) Title
Image 3 – Front
Since we are developing good habits…..let’s start at the top of this title.
What state is this from?
What is the year, make, and body type?
How about the mileage? Is there anything you should notice here? Does it meet the requirements for a federal odometer disclosure?
How many owners are listed?
Is there a lien on the vehicle?
Image 4 – Back
This is where the reassignments begin. The first section on the back should be from the listed owner to a dealership…and it is!
The second section on the back is not a dealer reassignment, so it is correctly left blank.
The remaining sections on the back are for dealer reassignments. Do they meet the requirements of a federal odometer disclosure?
Images 5-6 – Florida Certificate of Title
We’re going to start at the top and work our way down on the Florida Certificate of Title.
The top “white area” may or may not be attached. This can be used as a lien satisfaction.
Moving on, the next thing we see is vehicle information.
Moving down, is there a lien on this vehicle? If so, has it been satisfied?
The bottom of the title is the area for transfer of title by seller. This area is to be completed by the seller.
Image 11 – Front
The top white area of this Florida Certificate of Title is a “Notice of Sale.” This may or may not be attached to the title. You will very rarely use this portion of the title. Its intent is for casual sales.
Moving down the title, we can notice that there are 3 areas for dealer reassignments.
Do you remember who our listed owner sold his car to? Who did they reassign it to?
Who is the final retail purchaser?
How much sales tax was collected?
Does everything look good on these reassignments?