Thursday, October 31, 2013

Decision Dynamics Endorsed ELT Vendor for NC Bankers


Decision Dynamics, Inc. is very pleased to announce that we have been selected as the endorsed Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) vendor by Community Bank Services (CBS) for members of the North Carolina Bankers Association. Read the full press release here.

North Carolina passed legislation requiring the Division of Motor Vehicles to implement an ELT system by July 1, 2014.  DDI is looking forward to working with the DMV and NC Banks and other lenders to provide ELT services.

For more information about Premier eTitleLien®, please visit www.etitlelien.com. For more information about the North Carolina ELT program, visit www.ncelt.com.

Image above is Bodie Island Lighthouse under repairs on the North Carolina Outer Banks.

Monday, October 28, 2013

All About ELT in South Dakota


The South Dakota Department of Revenue Motor Vehicles Division (MVD) offers an Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) program with a number of helpful features for lenders.
  • Participation is not required.  However, the state stopped printed titles with liens when it implemented the ELT program on 10/1/2012.  Notification of lien placement is part of the ELT program.
  • Registering is simple.  There is no cost to enroll and approval and go-live is quick.  Only a short application is required.  See details here.
  • Title Status can be verified prior to issuing a loan.  SDCars.org has a Vin Check option which includes vehicle, title, and lien information. 
Premier eTitleLien™ supports these features and adds additional workflow enhancements, including generating MV-608 and other forms within the application.

For more information on the SD ELT program, visit SDELT.com.

Image above is of a South Dakota road and titled The Road Less Traveled (is usually the one I pick for my road trips) by Eric Peterson.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Meeting with Nevada DMV


DDI recently had the privilege of meeting with the Nevada DMV to provide feedback about our experiences with the ELT programs of other states.  Nevada is required to implement an ELT system and was meeting with us to talk about our ELT system, implementation timelines, communication protocols, and other electronic lien and title system details.

We discussed with them some of the pros and cons of different message formats, and message exchange.  We noted some of the best features of some state ELT programs (much of which is listed on our AllAboutTitles.com site) and highlighted four considerations sometimes overlooked when designing a new ELT program:
  • Allow electronic notation of lien
  • Require ELTs to be released electronically
  • Allow electronic payment of fees
  • Provide a simple enrollment form and process
Nevada's program will require lenders to participate in the ELT program in order to file a lien. DDI is looking forward to providing ELT service to Nevada lenders and lenders whose customers are Nevada residents.

Image above is playa car ("There is a rusted hulk of a car out on a playa near Winnemucca, NV that I visit every time I am in the area") by Brian Perttu.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

CU Times: Title Fraud Makes Case for ELT


Back in April 2013, the Credit Union Times published an article entitled "Digital Title Fraud Fight Makes Case for ELT" by . The article begins by discussing a vehicle title fraud incident: "If ever there was a case for moving from paper vehicle titles to an electronic system, advocates might point to a recent occurrence in Michigan."

Trying to reduce fraud has been a key part of our Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) solution, Premier eTitleLien™ from the initial design in 2005.  We've seen evidence of that with our customers, as the article quotes DDI's president, Glenn Thames.
Thames recalled how one credit union in South Carolina was able to uncover fraudulent title activity at a dealership. While the dealer was charged and ended up going to jail, the credit union lost $50,000 and another was bilked out of $200,000.

In the roughly 20 states that allow it, Decision Dynamics provides VIN inquiry access to its customers, Thames said. The company also does lien alerts so that pending lien holder notifications in a credit union’s system are flagged. Financial institutions can tell if scammers are trying to make the rounds to obtain loans.
For more information about Lien Alerts, Title Inquiries, and other fraud prevention measures in Premier eTitleLien™, please contact DDI.

Image above is a 1918 photo of Bobby the French Bulldog riding in an automobile.

Monday, October 7, 2013

New Jersey ELT Survey Results


New Jersey posted the results of their Electronic Lien and Titling Survey results on their website.
A comprehensive stakeholder survey was administered in order to establish the needs of lenders and dealerships on this topic. The survey was administered via Survey Monkey, between July 16, 2012 and August 6, 2012 to New Jersey Coalition of Automobile Retailers (NJCAR), New Jersey Credit Union League (NJCUL), New Jersey Independent Automobile Dealership Association (NJIADA), and New Jersey Bankers' Association (NJBA) in order to solicit their input regarding an ELT Program in NJ. View the survey results [pdf] 
The Motor Vehicle Commission continues to work toward an Electronic Lien and Title program. We're looking forward to offering NJ ELT services to our customers.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Ohio Owners: "How do I get my title?"


As an ELT Service Provider, our customers are lenders (banks, credit unions, dealers, and others). We provide services for our customers, including an interface to each state DMV's Electronic Lien and Title program.

Occasionally we have a vehicle owner contact us directly instead of their lender or the state DMV and we like to assist if possible. One question came recently from an Ohio owner needing their title:
When I paid off my car, I got a letter from the bank saying I had an e-title. I am in Ohio. How do I find out if you have my title? I am selling my car.

Please let me know.
Thanks.
Our customer support responded:
Thank you for visiting our Premier eTitleLien™ website. Our company provides electronic lien and title services to lienholders.

To obtain a printed title for a private sale, take your lien release statement from your lienholder to your county Title Office and request a replacement title.

If you are selling your vehicle to a dealer, then a paper title is not required. The dealer can complete a BMV 3772 form.

Visit http://bmv.ohio.gov/faq_vehicle_titling.stm#tog for additional information.
For more information on the ELT program in Ohio, please visit OHELT.com.

Image above is titled Cars around town #6 of model cars at the Medina OH County Fair by Rick Post.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Arizona: ELT Program Distinctives


There are a number of features of the Arizona Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) program that help make the program effective for lenders and their customers (vehicle owners):
  • All titles with liens are electronic titles.  This helps prevent incorrectly receiving paper titles - a problem that can occur in states that offer both ELTs and paper titles with liens.
  • Immediate lien release. Lenders have the option of sending a transaction outside of the daily process to promptly remove their lien and allow the vehicle owner to pick up a clear title (no lien) from an MVD office. Owners do not have to wait the normal 3-5 business days for the title to arrive in the mail.
  • Repossession process does not require a paper title.  Often, states require that an ELT be printed for any change to a title, including applying for a repossession title.  Arizona does not require that an ELT be printed to accompany an Affidavit of Repossession.

The Arizona Electronic Lien and Title program has been in place since 2003.  The Arizona MVD began requiring participation on May 31, 2010, and DDI has been providing ELT services in Arizona since then.