MICHIGAN VEHICLE CODE
Act 300 of 1949
257.234 Presentation of certificate of title and registration certificate to secretary of state; fees; issuance of new certificate of title and registration certificate; mail or delivery; repossession of license plates; payment of transfer fee; compliance with MCL 257.238.
Sec. 234.
(1) The purchaser or transferee, unless the person is a licensed dealer, shall present or cause to be presented the certificate of title and registration certificate if plates are being transferred to another vehicle, assigned as provided in this act, to the secretary of state accompanied by the fees as provided by law, whereupon a new certificate of title and registration certificate shall be issued to the assignee. The certificate of title shall be mailed or delivered to the owner or another person the owner may direct in a separate instrument in a form the secretary of state shall prescribe.
(2) If the secretary of state mails or delivers a purchaser's or transferee's certificate of title to a dealer, the dealer shall mail or deliver that certificate of title to the purchaser or transferee not more than 5 days after receiving the certificate of title from the secretary of state.
(3) Unless the transfer is made and the fee paid within 15 days, the vehicle is considered to be without registration, the secretary of state may repossess the license plates, and transfer of the vehicle ownership may be effected and a valid registration acquired thereafter only upon payment of a transfer fee of $15.00 in addition to the fee provided for in section 806.
(4) If a security interest is reserved or created at the time of the transfer, the parties shall comply with the requirements of section 238.
History: 1949, Act 300, Eff. Sept. 23, 1949 ;-- Am. 1957, Act 90, Eff. Sept. 27, 1957 ;-- Am. 1959, Act 250, Imd. Eff. Aug. 21, 1959 ;-- Am. 1962, Act 166, Eff. Mar. 28, 1963 ;-- Am. 1964, Act 248, Eff. Jan. 1, 1965 ;-- Am. 1968, Act 66, Eff. Aug. 1, 1968 ;-- Am. 1987, Act 238, Imd. Eff. Dec. 28, 1987 ;-- Am. 2000, Act 151, Imd. Eff. June 12, 2000 ;-- Am. 2002, Act 552, Eff. Oct. 1, 2002
Compiler's Notes:
For effective date of increases in certain fees, charges or taxes provided by this section, see MCL 257.817(1).
Notes of Decisions
Titan Ins. v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins., 817 N.W.2d 621 (Mich. Ct. App. 2012).
· cites it 4× “Titan argued that the registration of Shreve’s plate was never canceled and, therefore, Shreve remained the registrant under MCL 257.234. State Farm argued that it, not Titan, was entitled to judgment as a matter of law because not only did Shreve testify that he no longer had…”
Clevenger v. Allstate Ins., 505 N.W.2d 553 (Mich. 1993).
· cites it 2× “MCL 257.234; MSA 9.1934. Upon receiving a properly endorsed title, an application *660 for transfer of the registration, and the required fees, the Secretary of State will transfer the registration under its registration number to the newly acquired vehicle and issue a new…”
Boyd v. NBD Bank (In Re Thomas), 231 B.R. 8 (Bankr. W.D. Mich. 1999).
· cites it 3× “§ 257.234 and § 257.238.”). V. RELIEF Although the first count of the Trustee’s complaint seeks “avoidance” of NBD’s security interest, on the stipulated facts it appears that the security interest was extinguished upon NBD’s sale of the vehicle in early 1998, after the…”
Matter of Churchwell, 80 B.R. 855 (Bankr. W.D. Mich. 1987).
· cites it 5× “§ 257.234 governs instances when ownership of or an interest in a registered vehicle is transferred.”
Allstate Ins. v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins., 584 N.W.2d 355 (Mich. Ct. App. 1998).
“MCL 257.234; MSA 9.1934. However, the pmchased vehicle is exempt from the registration and certificate of title provisions of the vehicle code for three days immediately following transfer of the title.”
Smith v. Allstate Ins. Co., 584 N.W.2d 355 (Mich. Ct. App. 1998).
“§ 257.234; M.S.A. § 9.1934. However, the purchased vehicle is exempt from the registration and certificate of title provisions of the vehicle code for three days immediately following transfer of the title.”
Jack W Swanson v. State of Michigan (Mich. Ct. App. 2022).
· cites it 6× “Plaintiff asserted that he bought a motorcycle during the COVID-19 pandemic (“the pandemic”), and, as he was required to do under MCL 257.234, sought to register the motorcycle with the SOS within 15 days of his purchase in order to obtain a new certificate of title in his name.”
Nationwide Mut. Fire Ins. Co v. Cincinnati Ins. Co (Mich. Ct. App. 2022).
“” Following plaintiff’s logic, because only six days had passed between Krinsky signing over title and the accident, the vehicle was not considered “without registration” under the statute, and therefore Krinsky must still be considered the registrant of the vehicle.”
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.234(1) — 2 cases
Titan Ins. v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins., 817 N.W.2d 621 (Mich. Ct. App. 2012).
“Titan argued that the registration of Shreve’s plate was never canceled and, therefore, Shreve remained the registrant under MCL 257.234. State Farm argued that it, not Titan, was entitled to judgment as a matter of law because not only did Shreve testify that he no longer had…”
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.234(3) — 3 cases
Titan Ins. v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins., 817 N.W.2d 621 (Mich. Ct. App. 2012).
“Titan argued that the registration of Shreve’s plate was never canceled and, therefore, Shreve remained the registrant under MCL 257.234. State Farm argued that it, not Titan, was entitled to judgment as a matter of law because not only did Shreve testify that he no longer had…”
Jack W Swanson v. State of Michigan (Mich. Ct. App. 2022).
“Plaintiff asserted that he bought a motorcycle during the COVID-19 pandemic (“the pandemic”), and, as he was required to do under MCL 257.234, sought to register the motorcycle with the SOS within 15 days of his purchase in order to obtain a new certificate of title in his name.”
Nationwide Mut. Fire Ins. Co v. Cincinnati Ins. Co (Mich. Ct. App. 2022).
“” Following plaintiff’s logic, because only six days had passed between Krinsky signing over title and the accident, the vehicle was not considered “without registration” under the statute, and therefore Krinsky must still be considered the registrant of the vehicle.”
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.234(4) — 1 case
Boyd v. NBD Bank (In Re Thomas), 231 B.R. 8 (Bankr. W.D. Mich. 1999).
“§ 257.234 and § 257.238.”). V. RELIEF Although the first count of the Trustee’s complaint seeks “avoidance” of NBD’s security interest, on the stipulated facts it appears that the security interest was extinguished upon NBD’s sale of the vehicle in early 1998, after the…”
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.234(d) — 2 cases
Matter of Churchwell, 80 B.R. 855 (Bankr. W.D. Mich. 1987).
“§ 257.234 governs instances when ownership of or an interest in a registered vehicle is transferred.”
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