Title Washing in Florida?

[ViperJoe]

Friend recently told me that he has been burned on 2 cars that had the title washed in Florida. Anyone know if Florida is a haven for this sort of stuff recently or in the past?
Thanks

 

[C O D Y]

Florida is known for being easy to wash a title.

 

[ViperJoe]

Thanks CODY. That's what a friend that buys and sells cars told me, but I hadn't heard that before. A shame. I guess there will be some "creampuff" hurricane cars coming up for sale soon!
Thanks again for the reply

 

[FASTFUN]

Florida is known for being easy to wash a title.

What is a washed title?

 

[Art 138]

Many stolen vehicles are shipped out of Florida to all Parts of Latin American North/South. Too many crooks who have dealers licenses with internet addresses. The scam is to obtain a car with a lien. So a non-resident comes from Country X buys a car under a lease or loan. Said party turns it over to an accomplice. The accomplice holds a dealers license and finds a buyer. The buyer is given a temporary tag and the normal paper work which can be down loaded from the State.Gov site. Four months later you are still waiting for your title. When you check with DMV,you learn that a bank wants the car back. My recommendation: do not buy site unseen;do a lien check through carfax; always request to see the title and if on a lease/bank loan confirm through them.

 

[ViperJoe]

A washed title may start out as a salvage car, stolen car, etc, and it is registered or "washed" several times throught the system so that it looks like a clean title with no "dark" secrets in its past upon the end result.