Expert: Brad Sears - 6/12/2008

Question
Hello Brad, I inherited a 1959 Cadillac Sedan Deville from my father.  The car has always been garage kept and is in excellent condition.  It is all original and has 22,800 actual miles.  My problem is that the original title couldn't be found among my father's papers so the executor got a duplicate and the duplicate has a warning on it that the mileage shown is not the actual mileage.  I know for a fact that it is because we knew the original owner who went blind and quit driving it in 1974.  She stopped getting yearly tags in 1976 and put it up on blocks in her garage where it stayed until 1984 when my father bought it.  He towed it 3 miles and put it in his garage(a repair garage, not his personal garage.  He was a mechanic and had been retired for years when he bought the car)where it has been ever since, being started occasionally.  The original title was finally found.  Is there any way that the misinformation on the duplicate can be corrected?  I will lose thousands of dollars if it can't.  Thanks in advance,  Sincerely,  Cheryl

Answer
There are several ways that I would approach this problem. First I would visit the title department with both titles in hand. If that does not work I would contact an attorney to take a notarized deposition that you attest to the mileage. In most cases that will work as the cars condition will attest to the accuracy of the mileage as well.
Good luck. Brad