Once the car is donated and resold, what happens if the new owner doesn legally register it and I start receiving tickets or impoundment notices from the police or DMV?
Thousands of vehicles were donated to nonprofit organizations in the metro area last year and resold at public auction. Luckily, such stories are few and far between, but they do happen. That’s why it’s so important after you donate a car to take the license tags, registration and a “copy” of your donation receipt to DMV to de-register the vehicle — and keep the original donation receipt with your important personal papers. However, should this occur, we will send you a letter to take to DMV that states you donated your vehicle to Goodwill, along with a copy of the Bill of Sale that lists the new owner’s name and address. Make sure you keep copies of this documentation. This will prove that you are no longer the legal owner and absolve you from any further action.
