A co-signer or co-borrower can request a release from a car loan, refinance the loan, pay off the loan or sell the vehicle to remove themselves from the loan agreement. It is important to communicate with the other borrower and come to an agreement on how to handle the loan before taking any action.
lenders do not remove co signers from loans. The debt has to be retired. This can be done by paying it off directly or refinancing the loan.
Switching or removing a co-signer on a car loan is not as simple or as straightforward as it sounds. Often, you will need to secure an auto refinance loan, pay it off altogether or go through the process of completing a co-signer release — if the lender even offers this option.
Car loans are secured debts, so the lender can repossess your vehicle if you stop making payments. A surrender is when you as the owner voluntarily gives the vehicle back to the lender when you file for insolvency proceedings.
Voluntary surrender counts as a derogatory or negative mark and will stay on your credit reports for up to seven years. This stain on your credit reports might prevent you from being approved for new credit and your terms, like interest rates, will likely be higher.
Your best option to get your name off a large cosigned loan is to have the person who's using the money refinance the loan without your name on the new loan. Another option is to help the borrower improve their credit history. You can ask the person using the money to make extra payments to pay off the loan faster.
Unlike co-borrowers, who are on the title or have some claim to the property or funds, co-signers have no title or ownership of the property the funds are used for. For example, a co-signer for a vehicle has no legal right to the financed vehicle.
Can You Transfer Car Loan to Another Person? Most lenders will not simply transfer a car loan from one borrower to another with the exact same payments, terms, and rates remaining on the original loan. Typically, when the registration and title go to a new owner, the lender has to be advised.
When your credit score improves, you have the option to remove the co-signer from your loan. You can remove the co-signer by refinancing your auto loan, receiving a co-signer release or paying off the loan.
Removing a co-signer from a car loan requires the loan to be paid off. If there's a balance remaining, that amount must be refinanced. The primary borrower could possibly qualify alone, or a new co-signer may be needed.
In general, to qualify for co-signer release, borrowers must prove they have the ability to pay off the loan on their own, in addition to having no late payments for a set period of time, says Kaplan. The lender will also review the borrower's full credit history and assess current income relative to the loan payments.
Unfortunately, since you have no legal rights to the vehicle, the primary borrower has to take the initiative to remove someone's name from the contract. Cosigners can't take possession of the vehicle they cosign for or remove the primary borrower from the loan since their name isn't on the vehicle's title.
A lawyer likely can't help you, but the bank may be able to. Contact the bank you financed through, and tell them what happened, see if they can assist.
Co-signing means you are responsible for covering payments if the main borrower cannot, but you do not have any legal rights to the car. Co-owning means both parties have equal ownership and financial responsibility for the car.
But for now, the best way for how to remove a cosigner from a car loan is probably by applying for cosigner release. If that's not an option or if you're a co-borrower on the loan, refinancing or selling the car to pay off the loan are your other two options.
Once all the money has been fully paid back to the lender a Loan Release Form is created and issued to the borrower relieving them from any liability from the note.
Being removed as a cosigner from a loan could potentially hurt your credit scores. How much your scores are impacted depends on the details of your credit profile.
Benefits of Voluntary Surrender for Consumers
It can result in lower fees and costs associated with the return of the vehicle, as opposed to the fees incurred during repossession. It may allow for more control over the return process and timing, reducing stress and embarrassment.
Note: If you're selling a car with an active loan, you're still the one responsible for paying it off, so the remaining balance on the loan will likely be subtracted from the price the dealer offers you. So if you owe more than what the dealer offers, you'll need to pay the difference to the lienholder.