Can someone take you off a car title without your approval/signature?
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Can someone take you off a car title without your approval/signature?
My ex boyfriend got me a car which he paid $8,000 cash last year. He gave it to me as a gift, I was the only one who had insurance under that car. Now since our break up he wants to take it away claiming he has spoken to a lawyer that it’s possible to get me
off the title without my approval/signature. He offered $2,500 if I agreed to be signed off, no lawyers, or that I can be left with nothing if I don’t agree about lawyers being involved. Is it possible that he can get a lawyer and get me off the title without my approval? I’ve offered him monthly payments but he doesn’t want to work with me.
Asked on March 20, 2017 under Business Law, Texas
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
No, he cannot legally remove you from the title--if you are on the title, you are car's owner, and someone else can only deprive you of ownership of your possessions if there had been a written agreement to that effect (e.g. if you had borrowed money from him, put the car up as collateral, and then missed making payments on the loan) or otherwise consent/agree to it. If he could legally remove you without your consent, he would not be offering you $2,500 to give the car to him. If he does illegally find a way to change the car's title, such as by forging your signature on a document purporting to transfer the car to him, you can not only sue him to get the car back and/or get it's economic value, but you could press charges against him for some or all of theft, identity theft, forgery, etc.
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