Selling a car with a lien

Dear Dave,

How do you sell a vehicle with a lien amount that's higher than the actual value of the car?

Miranda

Dear Miranda,

First, you have to find a way to cover the difference between the amount of the lien and what you can get for the car. Let's look at an example.

If the car is worth $15,000, and you owe $18,000, that would leave you $3,000 in the hole. How do you get out of that car? The bank holds the title, and until you give them the payoff amount of $18,000, you're not getting the title. The easiest and simplest way would be if you had $3,000 on hand to make up the difference. But if someone comes along and buys the car from you for $15,000, you've got to be able to cover the remaining $3,000, right?

Barring the best-case scenario where you actually have the money, you could go to a local bank or credit union and borrow the remaining $3,000. I hate debt, but being $3,000 in the hole is a lot better than $18,000 in the hole. Then, you could turn around and pay back the $3,000 quickly.

After that, you'd give the total amount owed to the bank. They would give you the title, and you sign it over to the new owner. That's how it works!

-Dave

Dave Ramsey is America's trusted voice on money and business. He's authored four New York Times best-selling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover and EntreLeadership. His newest book, written with his daughter Rachel Cruze, is titled Smart Money Smart Kids and is out now. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 6 million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com.