Oklahoma Representative Steve Bashore held an interim study on vehicle title delays that business owners say are costing them time and money.
The House General Government Committee heard from wrecker services, auto dealers and Service Oklahoma officials about the Title 42 process, which businesses use to seek titles for abandoned property or property held over unpaid bills.
“The purpose of this study is to find solutions and hopefully resolutions with Service Oklahoma regarding the Title 42 process,” Bashore said.
Business representatives reported waiting months for titles and struggling to get updates. Without titles, vehicles remain on their lots and cannot be sold.
Marcia Lock, an owner of G&M Wrecker Service in Pryor, said she was waiting on titles for 34 vehicles, with some requests dating to early June. Randy Floyd, general manager of Stevens Ford in Enid, said vehicles can lose $1,500 to $1,800 in value during the wait.
Many complaints involved checks through the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System. Presenters said they had difficulty finding out what was holding up their titles or how to resolve the problems.
Service Oklahoma Chief Executive Officer Jay Doyle said the agency must balance issuing titles quickly with checking for fraud, stolen vehicles and ownership problems. He said he believed changes could help address the delays while maintaining those protections.
Bashore said Service Oklahoma leaders have been responsive, but businesses need a resolution.
“They have to keep these vehicles on site, not being able to move them, and this is impacting these businesses economically,” Bashore said.
