Are there Fraudulent or Fake Titles in Your Vehicle’s History?
Is your Serial Number or VIN authentic to your vehicle?
Have you recently purchased a car, truck or motorcycle and wondered about its history? Perhaps it is freshly restored or an old original barn-find. How good is the title that you received with it? Is the serial number or vehicle identification number (VIN) authentic? Has it been tampered with, altered, changed or replaced?
Recently it has been noticed that there has been a significant uptick in the number of fraudulent and fake titles for sale on the internet. Some the most prolific concern old Harley Davidsons, Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes and traditional hot rods such as Model T and Model A Fords and 1932 V8 Fords, etc. An additional problem is fraudulent, fake or remade VIN or serial number tags. These titles and tags are very convincing and look legitimate but when scrutinized and compared to the extensive Vintage Car Law® library they are clearly identified for what they are. This is a very concerning problem because you may have purchased a car with a nefarious title history. Worse yet, you may not even “own” the car you think you purchased.
How can you help to protect yourself and have confidence in what you are already own or are buying? Order a Motor Study®! Vintage Car Law® is proud to offer this one of a kind forensic vehicle title abstract and provenance confirmation service. For more than a decade Bryan W. Shook, Esquire and Vintage Car Law® have established themselves as the leader in vehicle research. This experience is now available to the public in the form of Motor Study®.
Estate Sale of Important Cars Nets Nearly $500,000.00
30+ Antique Cars Sell for $494,400.00 at Rural
Pennsylvania Sale
By: Bryan W. Shook, Esquire
Email: bshook@shooklegal.com
Estate Sale – Allen Shaffer, Esquire
April 24, 2010 – Millersburg, Pennsylvania
Allen Shaffer, a well respected local attorney recently passed away and this past Saturday the majority of his car collection came to sale. Over thirty lots were offered with no reserve, no bidder registration charges and with no buyers premium.
By the mid afternoon, all of the vehicles had been sold and the proceeds realized were just about $500,000.00 from the sale of the vehicles.
Here are the results along with the comments of Bryan W. Shook who personally attended the sale.
|
Year |
Make |
Model/Type |
Comments |
Price |
|
1931 |
Ford |
Model T – 5 -Window Coupe |
$19,000.00 |
|
|
1981 |
Delorean |
$20,000.00 |
||
|
1923 |
Buick |
Touring |
bad water pump – lower hose disconnected & pump corroded |
$18,000.00 |
|
1949 |
Studebaker |
Commander convertible |
Nicely Restored |
$25,000.00 |
|
1917 |
Maxwell |
Touring |
Restored 10yrs ago – didn’t run at time of sale |
$17,000.00 |
|
1925 |
Nash |
2dr Sedan |
Nicely Restored |
$11,000.00 |
|
1915 |
Ford |
Model T |
$13,000.00 |
|
|
1925 |
Nash |
Touring |
Great Condition, very nice car |
$20,000.00 |
|
1913 |
Buick |
Touring |
No Title – Yet |
$28,000.00 |
|
1929 |
Lincoln |
7 Passenger Phaeton |
$65,000.00 |
|
|
1910 |
Buick |
Run-a-bout Roadster |
$20,000.00 |
|
|
1908 |
International |
High-Wheeler |
Nice Original – found in barn in New Bloomfield, Perry County, Pa in mid 1940s |
$19,000.00 |
|
1953 |
Ford |
F100 |
Titled as 1954 – OHV I6 |
$15,500.00 |
|
1906 |
Cadillac |
Tulip Roadster |
$54,000.00 |
|
|
1954 |
Ford |
Crestline 4dr |
Needed work & carpeting |
$8,000.00 |
|
1917 |
Studebaker |
Touring |
Nice older restoration |
$23,500.00 |
|
1962 |
Studebaker |
Lark convertible |
$7,500.00 |
|
|
1927 |
Ford |
Coupe |
$8,000.00 |
|
|
1972 |
Chevrolet |
Impala convertible |
Shoddy Repaint – overspray evident, poorly masked |
$9,000.00 |
|
1918 |
Stanley |
Steamer Touring |
$46,000.00 |
|
|
1976 |
Lincoln |
Continental |
$1,600.00 |
|
|
1922 |
Dodge |
Touring |
3 owners from new, had side window curtains – very nice potential |
$9,000.00 |
|
1976 |
Buick |
LeSabre |
$1,300.00 |
|
|
1922 |
Whippet |
4dr sedan |
$9,000.00 |
|
|
1999 |
Ford |
F150 pickup truck |
6cyl 4wd |
$8,000.00 |
|
1951 |
Kaiser |
4dr sedan |
No Title |
$5,000.00 |
|
1965 |
Chevrolet |
Corvair |
Possible missing VIN Plate??? Total Mess |
$1,800.00 |
|
1951 |
Henry J |
Corsair Deluxe |
Cooling Issue |
$8,500.00 |
|
1969 |
AMC |
Rebel SST 4dr Sedan |
6cyl – Very Nice Original |
$1,200.00 |
|
1958 |
Mercedes |
190D – 4dr |
Project car with good parts, some trim, but hood wouldn’t open |
$500.00 |
|
1991 |
Yugo |
“Needs Fuel Pump” |
$2,000.00 |
|
Total Sales: $494,400.00
|
|
As one can surmise from the results listed above, the sales prices were fairly reflective of the market today. While the auction was largely under promoted, collectors, brokers and dealers showed up from several states including, Ohio, New York, Connecticut, Maryland and New Jersey to bid on and buy cars and automobilia from this great collection.
Most of the cars in the collection were operational and nearly all of them presented very well. The cars purchased from this collection are sure to be coveted pieces in future collections. While higher prices may have been realized had an auction house such as Carlisle Auctions, RM Auctions, Bonhams or Goodling offered the vehicles, this sale proves that not all collections must be sold through a large auction venue to achieve market value results.
Attorney Bryan W. Shook is not only a devoted automotive enthusiast, but is also an experience litigator who devotes a large portion of his law practice to helping other collectors and hobbyists understand today’s market. Attorney Bryan Shook is available throughout the United States for consultation, advice, and information. If you’d like more information or would like to speak with Attorney Bryan W. Shook please email him at BShook@shooklegal.com.
Bid with knowledge. Buy with confidence. – Vintage Car Law
