The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-05-28
NEW AUTO LAW.
Important Changes Go Into Effect
June L.

AHipOreduO OnaHSeS 20 InuO EnecCl
June l..
The last Legislature made several
important changes in the Motor We
hicle Law of the State. These
changes go into effect on June l.,
1920, and all motorists should make
themselves familiar with them. We
are publishing a synopsis of the
changes for the benefit of our
readers:
After June /, the Commissioner is
forbidden by law to issue either a
certificate of registration, or license
plates for any car until the owner
thereof first secures a certificate of
title for same from his office. The
law gives all persons who have all
ready secured license plates and a.
registration card for the year of
1920, ninety (90)- days in which to
secure a title to their car. After
September / it will be misdemean-
or punishable by a heavy fine to|
operate a car registered in Maryland
unless a certificate of title has been!
issued to cover this car. On or about
the first day of June every car owner
in the State of Maryland will receive
a copy of the new law governing
titles as well as a synopsis of other|
minor changes in the automobile law.
Attthe same time they will receive
an application blank for a certificate
of ownership. On this blank theyl
will be required to give full del
scription of their motor vehicle to-l
gether with a statement of their
title to same and any liens or in
cumberances thereon If the idenLi-
fication numbers, serial numbers, orI
engine numbers ON the motor vehiclel
have been tempered with or havel
been changed, mutilated, defaced,
concealed. chisled, or obliterated, the
owner of such car must within
(6O) days from June /, file with the
Commissioner of Motor Vehicles al
verified statement explaining SUCH
mutilation, obliteration, etc., on
blank provided for this purpose byl
the Commissioner or Motor Vehicles.
The Commissioner will make an in
vestigation and if he finds no irreg-
ularity concerning the mutilation of
numbers as far as the present owner
is concerned, he will issue new
number, which number shall be re-
garded thereafter as the one to be
used in describing such motor We
hicle. In the event that an auto
mobile has been purchased second
hand, it will be necessary for the
present owner to state name and adj
dress of the person from whom carl
was purchased and whether the We
hicle was bought by cash purchase,
trade, conditional sale, or bill of sale.
The charge for an original certificate
OF ownership is to be $1.OO. This
certificate does not have to be re-
newed annually but is good for the
life of the car as long as the car is
owned or held by the original owner
of certificate of ownership. In event
OF the sale or transfer of the owner
ship of motor vehicle for which AMI
original certificate of title has been
issued, the original holder must en-
dorse on the back of same an assign
ment thereof to the purchaser to-
gether with warrantee of title and a
statement of all liens or incumber-
ances ON said motor vehicle. This
endorsement and assignment is to be
made on the rear of the title certifi-
cate in the space and form provided
therefor by the Commissioner. The
original owner then delivers his title
certificate to the purchaser together
with the motor vehicle which he is
selling. The purchaser in turn must
present this certificate to the Com
missioner and make application for
new certificate of ownership, be-
fore he can secure license tags to
operate same. The charge for the
new certificate is also $1.0O. After
September 1, it shall be unlawful,
for any person to sell or transfer a
car within the limits of the State of
Maryland unless there shall pass be-
tween the parties such certificate of
title with an assignment thereof in
the form prescribed by the Commits
sioner of Motor Vehicles. The pen
alties for violations of this provision
are from $500 to $1,000 or imprison
ment for not more than 10 years.
The certificate of title does not
have to be carried in the car but
should be kept in safe place with
other valuable papers, but owner
may be required to produce same for
inspection by proper officer of the
law