Opinion ID: 843275
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the goins decision

Text: The issue in Goins was whether an automobile dealership remained the owner of a vehicle when the dealership failed to send proof of its purchaser's insurance coverage to the Secretary of State. Goins v. Greenfield Jeep Eagle, Inc., 449 Mich. 1, 2, 534 N.W.2d 467 (1995). In deciding the case, the Michigan Supreme Court noted that the dealership's liability turned on whether the dealership owned the vehicle on the date the vehicle was involved in an accident. Id. at 4, 534 N.W.2d 467. The Court reiterated the importance to ownership of the transfer of title. Id. at 13-14, 534 N.W.2d 467. Specifically, it noted that [t]itle transfers when there has been an `execution of either the application for title or the certificate of title.' Id. at 14, 534 N.W.2d 467, citing MCL 257.233(5). [2] In that regard, the Goins Court made this statement: The application for title was executed when [the dealership] sent the necessary forms to the Secretary of State, and the certificate of title was executed when the Secretary of State issued a new certificate in the purchaser's name. [ Goins, 449 Mich. at 14, 534 N.W.2d 467.] Therefore, because both events had occurred by the time of the accident, the Court concluded that title had transferred and the dealership was not the vehicle owner, hence not liable. Id. at 14, 534 N.W.2d 467.