61-3-201. Transfer of interest -- cancellation of erroneous certificate of ownership or registration. (1) Upon a transfer of any interest in a motor vehicle registered under the provisions of this chapter, the person whose interest is to be transferred shall write his signature with pen and ink upon the certificate of ownership issued for the vehicle in the appropriate space provided, and the signature must be acknowledged before the county treasurer, a deputy county treasurer, an elected official authorized to acknowledge signatures, an employee of the department, or a notary public.
     (2) Within 20 calendar days after endorsement, the transferee shall forward both the endorsed certificate of ownership with the odometer mileage statement required under 61-3-206 and the certificate of registration, together with the information required under 61-3-202, to the county treasurer, who shall forward them to the department. The department may not issue a certificate of ownership or certificate of registration until the outstanding certificates are surrendered to that office or their loss is established to its reasonable satisfaction. Failure to make application within the 20-day grace period subjects the transferee to a penalty of $10. The county treasurer shall collect the penalty at the time of registration. The penalty is in addition to the fees otherwise provided by law. If the transferee does not make application within 25 days, a creditor or secured party may pay the fees for the transfer of title and filing of security interest or lien in order to have title transferred to the transferee and have the security interest or lien filed. The creditor or secured party is not liable for the penalty, registration fees, or taxes. The department shall return the certificate of title to the county treasurer as provided in 61-3-103(1). When the certificate of ownership is returned by the department to the county treasurer, the treasurer shall hold the certificate of ownership until the vehicle is properly registered.
     (3) In the event of a transfer by operation of law of any interest in a motor vehicle as upon inheritance, devise, or bequest, order in bankruptcy or insolvency, execution sale, repossession upon default in the performance of the terms of a lease or executory sales contract, or otherwise than by voluntary act of the person whose title or interest is transferred, the executor, administrator, receiver, trustee, sheriff, or other representative or successor in interest of the person whose interest is transferred shall forward to the department an application for a certificate of ownership in the form required by the department, together with a verified or certified statement of the transfer of interest. The statement must set forth the reason for the involuntary transfer, the interest transferred, the name of the person to whom the interest is to be transferred, the process of procedure effecting the transfer, and other information requested by the department. Evidence and instruments otherwise required by law to effect a transfer of legal or equitable title to or an interest in chattels as may be required in such cases must be furnished with the statement. If the department is satisfied that the transfer is regular and that all formalities required by law have been complied with, it shall send to the owner, conditional sales vendor, lessor, mortgagee, and other lienor, as shown by its records, notice of the intended transfer and, not less than 5 days after sending notice, shall issue a new certificate of ownership and certificate of registration to the transferee. The notice required by this section is complied with by deposit in the U.S. mail of the notice, postage prepaid, addressed to the person at the respective address shown on its records.
     (4) When the vehicle certificate of ownership that is involuntarily transferred is not registered in this state, the procedure in subsection (3) must be followed in applying for a new certificate of ownership and certificate of registration; however, in lieu of the statement required in subsection (3), the department may accept an affidavit of repossession on the form provided by the state in which a lien has been perfected and the department need not send notice of intended transfer and shall issue a new certificate of ownership and a new certificate of registration to the person entitled to the certificates.
     (5) (a) If the owner of one or more motor vehicles, trailers, semitrailers, or housetrailers registered under this chapter and not exceeding a combined value of $15,000 dies without leaving other property necessitating the procuring of letters of administration or letters testamentary, the surviving spouse or other heir unless the property is by will otherwise bequeathed may secure transfer of the decedent's certificate of ownership and the certificate of registration for the vehicle.
     (b) The person seeking transfer of the certificate of ownership shall file an affidavit with the department setting forth the fact of survivorship and the name and address of any other heirs and other facts as are necessary under subsection (5)(a) to entitle the affiant to a transfer.
     (c) The department is authorized to transfer the certificate of ownership and certificate of registration, subject to all security interests shown by its records, upon receipt of an affidavit showing that the affiant is entitled to a transfer under the provisions of subsection (5)(a).
     (6) Nothing in subsection (5) prevents a secured party from assigning his interest in a motor vehicle registered under the provisions of this chapter to any other person without the consent of and without affecting the interest of the holder of the certificate of ownership and certificate of registration. Upon any assignment by a secured party of his security interest in any motor vehicle registered under this chapter, a copy of the assignment must be filed with the department and a record of the assignment made upon its records.
     (7) The certificate of ownership is valid until canceled by the department upon a transfer of any interest shown in the certificate, and annual renewal is not needed.
     (8) (a) Upon its determination that a certificate of ownership or a registration receipt contains an error or that the applicant has paid the required fees and taxes with an insufficient funds check and if the department has been notified of that fact by the county attorney, the department may cancel the certificate of ownership or receipt and, in the case of an error, issue a replacement for the erroneous certificate or receipt if the owner has returned the certificate or receipt to be canceled. If the owner fails to return to the department the certificate of ownership, the registration receipt, or the license plate, the department shall direct a peace officer or department employee to secure and return the certificate, receipt, or license plate to the department.
     (b) Any person who fails to return a certificate of ownership or a registration receipt that contains an error or that has been canceled by the department due to an insufficient funds check, as provided in subsection (8)(a), after receiving actual notice of the department's demand for the return of the certificate or receipt, as required by subsection (8)(a), is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction may be fined an amount not to exceed $500.

     History: (1) thru (6)En. Subd. 3, Sec. 2, Ch. 159, L. 1933; re-en. Sec. 1758.2, R.C.M. 1935; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 72, L. 1937; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 148, L. 1943; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 63, L. 1945; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 191, L. 1967; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 213, L. 1969; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 138, L. 1971; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 399, L. 1977; Sec. 53-109, R.C.M. 1947; (7)En. Subd. 2, Sec. 2, Ch. 159, L. 1933; re-en. Sec. 1758.1, R.C.M. 1935; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 244, L. 1955; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 146, L. 1957; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 100, L. 1959; amd. Sec. 25, Ch. 121, L. 1965; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 116, L. 1969; amd. Sec. 8, Ch. 127, L. 1969; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 138, L. 1971; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 214, L. 1971; amd. Sec. 11, Ch. 74, L. 1975; Sec. 53-108, R.C.M. 1947; R.C.M. 1947, 53-108(part), 53-109; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 203, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 29, Ch. 421, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 324, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 358, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 503, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 104, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 363, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 604, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 724, L. 1991.