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Buying a used car from FSO (For Sale by Owner)?

I am close to buying a car from a private party (for sale by owner) and thought it would be a good idea to have the transaction witnessed by a notary public at the bank. This way the notary could check driver license IDs and make sure the Title is signed by both parties before I hand over the cashier's check to the person. Is this a good idea?

Public Comments

1. definatly, to many scams.dmv has notaries also, a good idea is to check there at the dmv for liens against it. sometimes people state that they don't have the title, the lien company applies for it and gets a duplicate title, leaving the original one void. but the people still have the original one. if that makes sense. just go to dmv office to do the notary and have them check it
2. Yes, you will need to write up a Bill of Sale anyway so the bank clerk can act as the notary on the paperwork.
3. You are on the right track but also get the car checked out by a mechanic before you buy it. It should only cost an hour labor but he can identify any potential problems.
4. Sounds like you are a very conscientious purchaser. It's important to have the car fully checked out by a mechanic before you purchase as well. And do some more research before you buy and check out comparable vehicles to see if this is a good one. For help check out: http://www.find-cheap-used-cars.com/used/buying-a-used-car.php