The Title That Never Came
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 301.210 — a written agreement to pass title within thirty days, or the sale is voidable at the buyer's option
Title at the sale. At the delivery of a vehicle, the certificate of ownership with an assignment passes between the parties. A sale without it is presumed fraudulent and void, unless the parties signed a written agreement for delayed delivery.
Thirty days. A licensed dealer may deliver a vehicle with a written agreement to pass the certificate of ownership within thirty days after delivery, inclusive of weekends and holidays.
Voidable. If the dealer does not pass the title within thirty days, the sale is voidable at the purchaser's option, and the dealer repurchases the vehicle by paying off any purchase money lien in full and refunding the rest of one hundred percent of the sale price.
The sale price. It includes the negotiated price, the down payment, the trade-in allowance even if it reflected negative equity, and the price of all optional services and products sold with the deal.
A particular sale is a question for the state's motor vehicle agency, its dealer licensing board, or a licensed Missouri attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 301.210 — Sale and transfer: the assigned certificate passes at delivery
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Missouri attorney.