For vehicle owners and lienholders
Questions about a notice.
Answers to common questions from vehicle owners, lienholders, and others who received a letter from Simple Auto Title Services.
Looking for questions about our title services for municipalities, towing companies, and repair facilities? See our FAQ.
Questions and answers
Why did I receive this letter?
Records reviewed for the case identified you or your organization as a party that may have an interest in the vehicle. The notice provides information about its status and any proposed next steps.
New Jersey’s abandoned-vehicle procedures include notifying owners and lienholders. Receiving a notice is not, by itself, a determination that you intentionally abandoned the vehicle.
Source: NJ MVC: abandoned-vehicle title requirements for public agencies (PDF)
Who is Simple Auto Title Services? Are you the police or Motor Vehicle Commission?
We are a private vehicle-title administration business. We assist the organization identified in your notice with administrative tasks such as records, notices, paperwork, and follow-up.
We are not the police department or the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. We can explain our role in your case and identify the facility or agency responsible for the vehicle.
How can I verify that the letter is legitimate?
Have the letter’s reference number and vehicle details available when you contact us.
You can also independently look up and contact the towing facility or public agency identified in the notice to confirm the case and our involvement. Verify the notice before sending payment or sensitive documents.
The vehicle is mine. Can I get it back?
Contact us and the facility identified in the notice promptly. We can help confirm the vehicle’s current status and identify the applicable release requirements.
For New Jersey public-agency abandoned-vehicle cases, an entitled owner or other person may reclaim possession before sale subject to the applicable requirements. Do not assume the vehicle has already been transferred, or that it will remain available indefinitely.
Source: NJ MVC: abandoned-vehicle title requirements for public agencies (PDF)
Do I need to hire your company or pay you to respond?
You do not need to purchase our title-processing service to ask about or respond to a notice.
Separate towing, storage, or other permitted charges may apply to the vehicle. Ask the responsible facility for an itemized explanation of any charges and the requirements for release. New Jersey law regulates fees associated with police-authorized towing and storage; a notice should not be treated as proof that every amount demanded is valid.
Source: New Jersey Legislature: P.L.2023, c.132 (towing and storage fees)
I sold the vehicle, do not recognize it, or believe the information is wrong. What should I do?
Contact us promptly and explain the issue. We can review the case and identify any supporting information needed, such as a bill of sale or transfer documentation.
If the vehicle was reported stolen or is involved in an insurance claim, tell us and contact the relevant police department or insurer. Do not ignore the notice simply because you believe the records are incorrect.
I am a lienholder or lender. What should I do?
Contact us with the reference number and the name of an authorized representative who can address the vehicle.
Tell us whether your organization still claims an interest, has released its lien, or believes the notice was sent in error. We can explain how to provide supporting documentation and who is responsible for the next steps.
Receiving the letter does not mean we represent your organization or that you have agreed to release your interest.
How long do I have to respond? Does contacting you pause the process?
Review the dates and instructions in your notice and contact us promptly. There is no single response period that applies to every vehicle: New Jersey uses different procedures for public-agency, private-property, and repair-facility cases.
Source: NJ MVC: Abandoned Vehicles
Do not assume that a phone call, email, or website submission extends a deadline or cancels a scheduled action. Ask for confirmation of the case’s status and any additional action you need to take. Even when a listed date has passed, contact us to establish the current situation.
What happens if I do not respond?
Depending on the case, the vehicle may proceed toward sale or disposal only after the applicable legal requirements have been satisfied. Lack of a response is not, by itself, a completed ownership transfer.
Source: NJ MVC: Abandoned Vehicles
Contact us promptly if you wish to claim the vehicle, correct the information, or raise a concern.
What if I do not want the vehicle anymore?
Contact us to discuss the available next steps. Do not assume that declining to retrieve the vehicle or signing over a title resolves every charge or loan obligation.
Before signing anything, request a written explanation of what the agreement covers. A remaining vehicle-loan balance may still require a separate resolution with the lender; even voluntary surrender to a lender does not necessarily eliminate the debt.
How did you obtain my name and address?
Information may come from the vehicle’s case records and authorized motor-vehicle record searches. Contact us to ask about the source used in your case.