lien checks Canada

[roy]

               Trying to get a lien check on a 1977 classic car with no luck.
               Government insurance in British Columbia no longer does lien
               checks. They directed  me to Carfax Canada who are unable
               to decode the vin number as they only go back 20 years and
               the vin number does not fit their criteria. Anybody out there
               had the same problem? Any help would be appreciated.
                       Roy
               
             

[Benz Dr.]

A 1977 is a classic car?

In Ontario, the used vehicle package has all of that information plus any previous owners back to when they started keeping records. Not that this any answer, but I can't remember ever seeing a car for sale with a UVP ever having a lien on it. I'm sure they do from time to time but it may not be a large percentage of them.

You may not be able to get this info if your MOT doesn't provide it. If that's the case, I'd be talking to my MPP or MLA about it.

[Jordan]

Roy, you could pay for a carfax report (www.carfax.ca/). The Verified Report does a lien check.  I've never used it.

[cabrioletturbo]

Put it in the contract with the seller.
I had a couple of situations over the years where there was a lien on a vehicle. Mind you, there were mostly on newer cars.

As long as the seller guarantees that there is no lien and signs the contract, it is something that you could pursue in court, should that become an issue.
Consult with a solicitor for legal implications. Cheers and good luck.

[Bonnyboy]

Try Dye and Durham -  604-257-1800. I'm pretty sure they can help you.

[MikeSimon]

A 1977 is a classic car?

I guess some of it depends on your own personal definition or preference. In the motorcycle community we differentiate somewhat between "classic" and "vintage", the latter being the older. Legally, in most (if not all) states in the U.S., a "historic" vehicle has to be 25 years old and will qualify for special plates and all kinds of exemptions from DOT and EPA rules. As we are in 2019, that will make all vehicles built in or before 1994 "historic" vehicles. Whether they are "classics" may be in the eye of the beholder...

[Jordan]

Roy, I heard back from Carfax (I was going to get one for a '51 truck) and they told me they only go back to 1980 (a bit more than 20 years at least) and with 17 digit VINs (the truck has 7).  I'm surprised BC doesn't have some sort of provincial vehicle reporting that would include a lien check.

[smackYYZ]

Quick Google search gave me this:

https://www.icbc.com/vehicle-registration/buy-vehicle/buy-a-used-vehicle/Pages/Inspecting-a-used-vehicle-for-sale.aspx

Do a lien search
A lien is a legal claim that one person has made on someone else's property.

A lien may be placed on a vehicle by a person or bank as collateral to make sure the vehicle's owner honours a debt. If the owner can't honour the debt, the vehicle is taken as payment.

It's important to check for liens
If you buy vehicle with a lien on it and the previous owner doesn't pay a debt, the vehicle can be repossessed from you.

How to check for liens on a vehicle
In B.C., liens are registered by the Personal Property Registry in Victoria.

For $10, you can have a lien search done by:

some ServiceBC centres (in person only), or
the Personal Property Registry (written requests), and
private title services (in the Yellow Pages, see "Title Service")

Lien searches
ICBC driver licensing offices no longer do lien searches.