Texas Titles

I'm looking at some motorcycles for sale where the seller has no title.
I talked to the DMV and county tax assessor and others.
As I understand it, if the seller had a title, he can apply for a
replacement and assign that to me.
If the seller bought the cycle from a guy who had a Texas title and the
seller never got it, then I can never get a title for it.
If it was never in the Texas system, I can apply for a bonded title ($150)
and get one.

One guy said something about applying for a mechanic's lien and getting a
title that way.?

Where can I check with the VIN to see if the cycle was stolen?
I tried the local police and DMV and no luck so far.

Thanks

 

: I'm looking at some motorcycles for sale where the seller has no title.
: I talked to the DMV and county tax assessor and others.

Do yourself a favor and run away from those deals. Very far away.

 

===if the Po-Lice can't help, that should be a ''red flag''
=MrJayT=

 

Tried this ages ago with a car. Honestly, if the seller never had the
title in their name, it's gonna cost you more in time off work, fees,
and aggravation than you'll ever save over buying a properly titled
bike. AND when you get fed up with the whole ordeal and decide to just
sell em, you'll probably end up selling em for even less than you paid,
just to be rid of the hassle. Unless you are gonna use these for parts
bikes, I recommend you just walk away.

 

Thanks for the advice.

Jim