Court Opinion

ID: 9698082
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 19:41:19.89189+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:20:38.168937
License: Public Domain

CARTER, Justice
(specially concurring).
I concur in the opinion of the court but write separately to caution against adopting an unwavering reliance on the certificate-of-title laws to establish the element of ownership as required by liability insurance policies. This court may not.have made the best choice when opting to use the certificate-of-title law as the measure of ownership in insurance policy disputes. Property law would appear to be a more appropriate measure of the parties’ legitimate expectations. The dilemma that this case highlights, e.g., the responsibility of a seller’s liability insurer to a consent driver after sale and delivery of the insured motor vehicle, is not the only situation in which reliance on the certificate-of-title laws will provide an unreasonable result. Persons who buy motor vehicles, new or used, are not in total control of when the certificate of title will be transferred. Yet, these persons can reasonably expect to drive their newly acquired vehicles home from the dealer.
There are thousands of transactions in which new car buyers are operating their newly acquired vehicles while waiting for the titles to be transferred at the county treasurer’s office. Under the principles applied in the present case, they will not have the benefit of the seller’s liability insurance. Consequently, it is essential that these new buyers be able to acquire their own liability insurance effective immediately upon delivery of the motor vehicle. If they do acquire such insurance and it provides for indemnification of the “owner” of the motor vehicle, this should be construed to cover a new car buyer between the time the vehicle is delivered and the time a new certificate of title is issued.