Evening journal., 1922-03-18
new STATELAW
CHECKS Thieves
Titling Act Proves Great
Protection to Auto
Owners
SENATOR HANDY
MAKES STATEMENT
Special to The Evening Journal.

Special TO The Evening Journal.
DOVER. March 1s.-The new law
requiring title certificates for auto
mobiles is causing all kinds of trou-
BILE to parties dealing in stolen cars
according to a statement isued by
State Senator Wallace S. Handy, IT,
charge of the Automobile Registra-
ton Division of the Secretary Of
States office The statement follows:
THE Motor Vehicle Identifica-
tion Act" popularity known as the
'Titling Law for Automobiles is
causing all sorts of trouble for the
stolen car fraternity.
This law requires that all car
owners before they can operate or
sell a car in the state Of Delaware.
n ist secure from the secretary of
state a certificate of title on which
appears the name and address of
the owner OF the car and a concise
description of the car, including the
engine number. This certificate is
assigned to the purchaser when the
car is sold and the purchaser must
then go to the secretary of the state,
surrender the certificate which was
assigned to him and secure a new
certificate in his, the purchasers
name. Some of the stolen car
dealers have been attempting to
evade the law by securing a certif-
icate covering an honest car and
using this certificate to sell stolen
car of another engine number. They
have found. however. that the public
has become wise and the purchaser
now insists upon examining the en-
gine to discover II the number ac-
tually upon the engine is identical
with tho number upon the certifl-
cate which the stolen car dealer Of
fers to assign him. Where It fails
to correspond, TIE public is refusing
to buy.
Several stolen cars have been re-
covered as a result of the activi-
ties of the automobile inspectors
throughout the state and many cases
are now being investigated The
/ authorities of the state OF Pennsyl-
vania, Maryland and New Jersey
are cooperating in this work and
good results are being obtained.
IF all the purchasers OF used car:
Will insist that the certificate OF title
given them by the seller of sec
ond hand cars is in proper shape 4
will be very hard to dispose OF stol.
en- cars within the state. The pur-
chaser should realize that II he buys
a stolen car 1t will be taken from
him II discovered and tie fact thai
he has been able to secure a certih
cate of title by a false statement
will not protect him in the least
When buying a used car Away
check the engine number, and II 4
fails TO correspond with the mum
Der on the certificate of title, or
the number of the engine appear
to have been mutilated or altered
refuse to buy the car, and motif!
the office OF the secretary of stat,
OF the facts,
"A number OF stolen cars hav,
been brought into the state anC
traded to owners OF cars of similai
style which have been properl
titled. The holder OF the title thei
has made application to the secre
tary of state, stating that an erro
was made in the original titling o
his car and requesting that the al
legged error be corrected, but he 4
finding in such cases that It Is al
most Impossible to make a state
ment that holds water under al
investigation with the result tina
they fin themselves involved in al
sorts of trouble.
The safe and only sane thing L
tell the fellow who offers to sell yo
an untitled car is that you will dea
with him II he will first secure
certificate OF title. To buy or sci
without a certificate passing is
crime punishable by fine or i'm
prisonment or both.
There is another angle of tn
titllng act which the general pub
I lie should understand. When buy
ing a used car and receiving a Ger
tificate of title properly assigne
before notary, the purchase
should apply Immediately for a me-
certificate in his name. II he fail
to do this TIE car will continue I
stand in the name of the one fror
whom the car was bought thus leaV
ing an opportunity for frauduler
dealing which may involve the pun
chaser in all sorts of complication
"A number of notaries have al
! lowed holders Of certificates to as
r sign certificates in blank. This
r. unlawful and the attorney -gener'
( will be asked to proceed against an
. notary who is guilty of tEis sort {
Q thing in the future.
THE law is working we'll and wit
I the cooperation OF the public
e will be impossible for the crooke
e dealer to do business in this state