Applications for certificates of title shall state whether or not there are any liens against the motor vehicle or trailer or any equipment or accessories affixed thereto, and, if so, the lien information in the order of its priority, and shall be accompanied by instruments or any other papers necessary to entitle liens to be entered on the certificate. Upon receipt of an application for a certificate and accompanying documents, if any, or on the application for a duplicate, the Director shall compare the statements in the application as to liens with the Department’s records and the documents and instruments accompanying the application, and, if such statements are incorrect or incomplete or if any of the liens shown by the application are not entitled to be entered on the certificate in the same order as they appear on the application, the Director shall return all of the papers and advise the applicant of the reasons for the denial of the application. If the statements as to liens are full, true, and complete and all liens shown by the application are entitled to be entered on the certificate in the same order as they appear on the application, the Director shall issue the certificate. The Director shall deliver or mail the certificate to the record holder of the first lien shown on the certificate or his representative, or, if there are no liens, to the owner or his representative.
(July 2, 1940, 54 Stat. 737, ch. 527, § 6 ; Aug. 5, 1963, 77 Stat. 119, Pub. L. 88-89, § 1 ; Dec. 4, 1967, 81 Stat. 532, Pub. L. 90-172, § 2 ; Mar. 14, 2007, D.C. Law 16-279, § 201(c), 54 DCR 903 .)
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 40-1006.
1973 Ed., § 40-706.
Section References
This section is referenced in § 50-1218 .
Effect of Amendments
D.C. Law 16-279 rewrote this section, which formerly read:
“Applications for certificates, in addition to all other matters which may be required by law, shall show whether or not there are any liens against the motor vehicle or trailer or any equipment or accessories affixed thereto and if so, the lien information in the order of its priority, and shall be accompanied by instruments or any other papers necessary to entitle liens to be entered on the certificate. Upon receipt by the Recorder from the Director of an application for a certificate and accompanying documents, if any, or on the application for a duplicate, the Recorder shall compare the statements in the application as to liens with his records and the documents and instruments accompanying the application and if such statements are incorrect or incomplete or if any of the liens shown by the application and not entitled to be entered on the certificate in the same order as they appear on the application the Recorder shall return all of said papers to the Director and advise him of the reasons therefor. If the statements as to liens are full, true, and complete and all liens shown by the application are entitled to be entered on the certificate in the same order as they appear on the application, the Recorder shall stamp on the application the words, ‘Statements as to liens in accordance with records,’ a facsimile of his signature, and the date, shall accept all instruments accompanying the application for recording and shall stamp his record number opposite the statement of each lien on the application for certificate. The Recorder shall retain the instruments for his permanent file and collect the fees and charges thereon and return the application and all other papers to the Director, who shall thereupon deliver same to a representative of the Collector of Taxes of the District of Columbia, stationed in the office of the Director. Said representative shall then collect from the applicant or his representative all fees and charges in connection with the issuance of the certificate and shall return said application and papers to the Director. The Director shall thereupon issue the certificate and where liens are shown on such an application shall stamp upon a card, the size of which shall be fixed by the Director, the information stamped by the Director on the face of such certificate and shall deliver such certificate, its application card, if any, and the identification-tag application to the Recorder. If the application for title shows no liens, the Recorder shall stamp on the certificate and on the reverse side of that portion of the application for identification tags known as ‘Collector’s Coupon’ the words ’No Liens Shown By Records’ and the date. If the application shows liens, the Recorder shall stamp aforesaid ’Collector’s Coupon’ with the words ‘Lien Recorded’ and shall enter the lien information on certificate and on the said card. The aforesaid stamping and entering shall be made on the face of the certificate in the space provided for the use of the Recorder. The Recorder shall then deliver both applications and the papers attached and the certificate to the Director, who shall retain the application and the papers attached and shall deliver or mail the certificate to the record holder of the 1st lien shown thereon or his representative; or if there are no liens, then to the owner or his representative.”
Editor's Notes
Office of Collector of Taxes abolished: The Office of the Collector of Taxes was abolished and the functions thereof transferred to the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia by Reorganization Plan No. 5 of 1952. All functions of the Office of the Collector of Taxes including the functions of all officers, employees and subordinate agencies were transferred to the Director, Department of General Administration by Reorganization Order No. 3, dated August 26, 1952. Reorganization Order No. 20, dated November 10, 1952, transferred the functions of the Collector of Taxes to the Finance Office. The same Order provided for the Office of the Collector of Taxes headed by a Collector in the Finance Office and abolished the previously existing Office of the Collector of Taxes. Reorganization Order No. 20 was superseded and replaced by Organization Order No. 121, dated December 12, 1957, which provided that the Finance Office (consisting of the Office of the Finance Officer, Property Tax Division, Revenue Division, Treasury Division, Accounting Division, and Data Processing Division) would continue under the direction and control of the Division of General Administration, and that the Treasury Division would perform the function of collecting revenues of the District of Columbia and depositing the same with the Treasurer of the United States. Organization Order No. 121 was revoked by Organization Order No. 3, dated December 13, 1967, Part IVC of which prescribed the functions of the Finance Office within a newly established Department of General Administration. The executive functions of the Board of Commissioners were transferred to the Commissioner of the District of Columbia by § 401 of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967. Functions of the Finance Office as stated in Part IVC of Organization Order No. 3 were transferred to the Director of the Department of Finance and Revenue by Commissioner’s Order No. 69-96, dated March 7, 1969.
