On my 1999 popup it's on the underside of the camper, on the trailer frame supports underneath - rearward of the axle... I had to crawl up underneath to snap a photo, but it's there.
Like the poster above, I am going through the process of a bonded title in Texas:
My situation: I bought a cheap Jayco 1999 Heritage with a Bill of Sale (BOS) and no title. The previous owner did not have the title, the owner before them was "some hispanic guy that fixed it up" and sold it to them. So I had the previous BOS, my BOS, and the VIN number. I did not have title, license plates, or registration.
First I called the Tx DMV in Austin and they told me I could do 3 things, from their email to me:
If you are unable to obtain the proper documents to complete a vehicle title transfer, there are still three options available to apply for a Texas title. They are:
Quote:
Bonded title process: There are forms to fill out and some required documentation needed. Detailed instructions and how to download the forms is attached
Tax Collector Hearing: This is a limited service. Contact your local county tax office to see if they offer this option and for the requirements
Court order: We recommend you seek legal advice from a private attorney, if needed
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The Tx DMV actually looked up the title while I was on the phone, and they did show the title, in a completely different person's name (probably from way before the couple I bought it from had it), and it had a lien on it. I knew I would never track them down to get the title transfer done because, A) TX DMV won't give me their name, B) they would have to either supply me with their title, or go to the DMV on their own time to get a fresh copy of the title (1-2 hours and $5.45 for a title print out)
So, I am following the Bonded Title steps:
1. Get Bill of Sale from Previous Owner (done)
2. Fill out form VTR-130-SOF "Bonded Title Application or Tax Collector Hearing Statement of Fact"
3. Get the Physical Photo ID (TX Driver's License, not a copy) of each person on the application (in this case, my wife and I)
4. Get some kind of authorized valuation of the vehicle / trailer / camper (proof of its actual value for Tax Purposes)
a. TX DMV Title Rep will check out the KBB or BlackBook value, if possible, using the VIN (if your vehicle / trailer /camper is newer maybe you'll be lucky...
b. If you have an older model, you have more legwork to do - this is the real trick - Texas legislature got wise to undervalued BOS's being produced for the purpose of lowering the Tax amounts, so instead of just a BOS, you now have to have some kind of proof of the actual value of the vehicle beyond the BOS (Market Value)
c. I brought with me the BOS, a VIN# report from a Online Jayco seller's website, and a printout from another seller's webpage listing of the vehicle
d. When I talked to the Surety Bond representative (more on this later) she said I would need an appraisal from a dealer or an insurance appraiser and a filled out from VTR-125; however, the DMV didn't ask me for this and I was winging it. Thank goodness too because it's hard to find a dealer that will value your old popup camper, and you will pay $300-500 for an appraisal (not worth it for the cheap, run-down popup I purchased).
5. Take all this and $15 cash to the TX DMV nearest to you (for me in Houston it was the place a 2210 E. Governor's Circle) and prepare to wait for 30-45 minutes to have your number called.
6. TX DMV Title Rep will review your payment, BOS, VTR-130-SOF, Photo IDs, and Proof of Valuation and assign a value to your vehicle, trailer, camper and they will also fill out the rest of the Form VTR-130-SOF with the Vehicle Value and the Bond Amount required. The DMV Title Rep will also give you a receipt for the $15 and a new form VTR-130-ND "Notice of Determination for a Bonded Title or Tax Assessor-Collector Hearing" (signed by them) with the BONDED amount (1.5x the value they assigned)
7. Take all the paperwork you get back and start calling around to find a Surety Bond vendor - for me in Houston, I used JM Strange (talk to Sandy she is excellent and really helped me through the process). The Surety Bond Vendor will take all your paperwork, and depending on your assigned Bonded Amount from VTR-130-ND from the TX DMV, they will go through the process to give you an application for a surety bond. In Texas, if the Bonded Amount is less than <$6,700 then the flat rate is $100 + the vendors fee for getting the bond for you ($50 for JM Strange in my case).
<this is where I am at as of today>
8. After I have the Surety Bond back from the vendor, I have to take the original physical Bond document, and ALL of the aforementioned paperwork / document / forms / IDs, etc. to the County Tax Assessor-Collector Office for them to review and then they will issue my Bonded Title when I pay whatever tax is owed (6.25% in Texas)
9. I believe they will also do the vehicle registration and then I can finally get license plates (TBD)
What does the bonded title do? It covers you up to 3 years against a claim from a previous owner. Since the point of the title is to show proof of ownership, the bonded title says, "Current owner, you have 3 years of 'provisional' title of the vehicle. If a claimant (previous owner from way way back) comes forward and makes the claim that the vehicle belongs to them within 3 years, you have to fight this out (not sure the process)." After three years, the bonded title is converted to a normal title as if you had always owned the vehicle or done a title transfer properly.
Bonded Titles and Bonds can be transferred to a new owner before 3 years are up, but the bond and any claims would still be against the person who got the bonded title / surety bond. For example: If I sold the camper next year, the bonded title would transfer to the new owner, but I would still be responsible for any claims over the next 2 years...
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