Should I register her car in MY name?
My stepmother got her registration taken away for like 12 months! I don’t know why, but she says it is because she didn’t have insurance on it and was driving it without insurance. She just got approved for an auto loan and called me and asked me if I would let her register her new car in MY name. I know it would help her with taxi expenses.
It seems a little bit stupid of me to let her do this, but I’m just not sure why… Is there a reason why red flags are going up?
She says that the insurance could still be in HER name. I live in NY.
Also, if you could tell me what excuse I could use NOT to do it so that I don’t offend her that would be great…
7 Responses
kelly_f_1999
20 Mar 2010
David
20 Mar 2010
She’s uninformed, insurance must be in the name of the title owner/registree. If she is irresponsible enough to drive without insurance, she would probably not care about you either. Follow your instincts, just say no.
oklatom
20 Mar 2010
Don’t worry about it. They won’t allow the loan to happen unless the car is in her name. But you’re right, it’s not a good idea. If you put the car in your name, YOU are responsible for anything that happens. She gets the car towed for no insurance, you pay the tow bill. She blows a red light camera, you get the ticket. She has a wreck with no insurance, your license gets pulled.
Chris D
20 Mar 2010
I wouldnt do it just because of the future problems of the car in your name like selling it and the fact your partly responsible for the car.
jlindsey1976
20 Mar 2010
I agree, I would say no. If she does anything, you would be responsible for it like towing and red light viloations. On one note though, the insurance does not have to be in the persons name that is on the loan papers.
entidtil
20 Mar 2010
Despite what others may say, you can insure a car that someoneone else is paying for or owns but the finace company won’t allow you to own a car that has a loan with a borrower other than yourself. Even if a way was found to do this, I would never, never ever do it. You would open yourself up to some pretty nasty things including being sued and working for the rest of your life paying off a lawsuit. Simply tell her that you have been advised not to do it. You don’t owe her anymore explanation than that. Giving her a more detailed explanation will only give her a reason to try to find another way to do this. Just be assertive and say NO!
Gambit
20 Mar 2010
You register the vehicle in your name then you become financially responsible for the vehicle. So before you put a vehicle in your name that someone else is going to be driving full time, ask yourself, "Am I prepared to be financially ruined by this person." From what I’ve read about your stepmother so far I would say no. Also having the vehicle registration and the vehicle insurance in two different names is a big no-no. If this happens this means the insurance company does not have to pay for the damages to your vehicle if there is an accident since only the registered owner can suffer financial loss from damages to your vehicle, and since the policy holder is not the registered owner the policy holder suffers no financial loss therefore they don’t have to pay.
no dont do it.. they wouldnt take her registration for 12 months for no insurance they would have told her to go get some and if she would have they wouldnt have done any thing.. more like she got pull over and lost her rights to drive for drinking sorry i wouldnt put my name on anything i wasnt driving it wil come back and bite ya