The Law

• Individual state laws govern abandoned vehicles and the process required to obtain a legal title for an abandoned vehicle. In some states, the process can be accomplished with little time and cost while other states may require you to spend a considerable amount of time and money to obtain an abandoned vehicle title. You must understand the laws in your state before you attempt to sell the motorcycle. The agency responsible for titling vehicles is the best place to start when trying to determine what steps must be taken to apply for the title.
  
  

Contacting/Notifying Registered Owner

• In most cases, you will be required to attempt to contact the registered owner of the motorcycle before you can apply for an abandoned vehicle title. In some cases, the registered owner will simply sign over the title to you. Contact the agency responsible for vehicle titles to request the contact information for the registered owner. Some states will require you to send a notice via certified mail to the registered owner and/or sign an affidavit attesting to the fact that you have attempted to contact the owner.
  
  

Court Action

• If you are in possession of the motorcycle because it was left at your repair shop for repairs, or because it was towed, you likely have a repairman's lien on the vehicle for the amount of the repairs, which often requires you to sell the vehicle at auction to the highest bidder in addition to notifying the owner via mail and by publication in a newspaper. Other states require the owner of an abandoned vehicle to file a small claims court action to legally obtain ownership of the vehicle.
  
  

Lien Holder

• Before you can sell any abandoned vehicle, you need to ensure that there are no lien holders registered on the title. A lien holder is someone who has a legal claim to the property for a specific amount of money. The lien holder is often the finance company but could also be someone with a monetary judgment against the owner which has been attached to the motorcycle. A lien must be satisfied before you can sell the motorcycle even if all other procedures to secure the title have been completed.