How to know if a tractor has a lien on it ?

[SARG]

Thinking of buying a local used tractor that's for sale. There is a divorce involved and I suspect a loan as well. I don't know these folks and I'd hate to pay someone $15K for a tractor ..... only to have a bank come looking for it in the future.

Is it all a crap shoot when buying used from individuals ?

 

[smstonypoint]

You can check for liens under the Universal Commercial Code through the Secretary of State in your state.

Steve

 

[dfkrug]

Is it all a crap shoot when buying used from individuals ?

Not completely.

Since most states don't have titles for tractors, a bigger issue is does the seller even
own it?

What I have done is contact the dealer who sold it, and they will have history on it
if it was sold or repaired there. Depending on the brand, the manufacturer may also
have a stolen tractor database.

An honest seller will tell you where the tractor was bought or repaired.

Leins held by banks are harder, but the dealer who originally sold the tractor may
know, AND if the buyer used dealer financing, they would certainly know.

Proof of ownership is harder with ATVs, believe-it-or-not.

 

[MORRISONSTEEL]

Without the sellers social sec # or tax id# I don't believe you will be able to find out 100% if there is a lein. Normally this is a bigger issue for machines sold/traded from working farms/ranches that operate under some form of a blanket lein that will encompass all or some of the machinery, etc. Even if the original retail note has been satisfied (the info you are looking for) does not mean it wasn't put under another one. Most dealer groups this day and age will require a social # when trading something with value over about 3k even if custome is paying in cash. Their concern is not normaly stressed on small equipment as much but they could sure take a beating if an outfit traded in say 4 combines that had some form of a blanket lein, can be a pretty good kick in the cohonees (sp?).

 

[oosik]

Strange, strange - - what dfkrug said is the same here in WA - except all kinds, types of ATV, UTV, ATP etc etc are licensed & titled here. Ownership for them is obviously easy.

 

[abeal]

You can check for liens under the Universal Commercial Code through the Secretary of State in your state.

Steve

This^^^ In PA it takes about 30 seconds online as long as you know the person's name that it was originally filed under.

 

[abeal]

You can check for liens under the Universal Commercial Code through the Secretary of State in your state.

Steve

This^^^ In PA it takes about 30 seconds online as long as you know the person's name that it was originally filed under.

 

[dfkrug]

Strange, strange - - what dfkrug said is the same here in WA - except all kinds,
types of ATV, UTV, ATP etc etc are licensed & titled here. Ownership for them is obviously easy.

Here in California, ATVs are usually titled, but it used to be optional. I think new ones sold in this state
from the major brands are all titled and that helps. But CA does not share ATV title data with other states, so
I can go to the DMV and get a CA title made for a unit that is already titled out of state. Without having
the out-of-state title in hand. So, I have no way to verify if a quad is not stolen, if it was stolen in say, WA.

At least the Kubota stolen tractor database is nationwide, from what one dealer told me.

 

[MORRISONSTEEL]

At least the Kubota stolen tractor database is nationwide, from what one dealer told me.

Pretty much all of the big oems have a stolen tractor database available to all of their dealers.

 

[Sprinklerman]

problem is if its a second owner , and the first owner had a lien , and the second owner sells you the tractor , you would never know .