The Florida Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) program continues to grow. As part of a recent note updating us with HSMV contact information, they mentioned:
Through the years we have expanded the number of personnel that assist with the ELT program.
The state of Florida ELT information page lists 419 different lender accounts (as of 5/23/2011) compared to only 250 in January 2009. There's good reasons for the expansion, too - it's a great program. (I know - we're biased.) I updated our FL ELT information site with some common questions about ELTs in Florida, including:
I paid off my loan and my lender has released the lien on my car. Where is my title?
Florida generally keeps all titles electronically, including titles without liens. The Florida DHSMV notes: "If the lien on your vehicle has been satisfied and the title is electronically maintained, the Department is encouraging owners to maintain their titles electronically." Lenders can request that a title be mailed to the owner (assuming all liens are satisfied). There is an additional fee for this. Owners can request a printed paper title from a tax collector's office or from the DHSMV web site.
Can I verify that my lien has been removed (released)?
Florida offers a free public title inquiry service called either "Vehicle Information Check" or "Motor Vehicle Check". This search, which requires either a title number or VIN, reports any liens that may exist. For lenders, Premier eTitleLien™ integrates with the title check, combining it with other tools for validating loans, researching issues, and performing audits.
Image above is by Emmanuelle Bourgue: Please grow into key limes!!!
