Generic Bill of Sale (original) (raw)

A generic bill of sale represents a type of legal paper that is, in its essence, a receipt for any property exchanged for money. Such a juridical document confirms the transfer of the ownership rights from one person to another–that is, from the seller to the buyer. A general bill can be applied when someone is buying or selling a movable or transferable asset or item (a car, TV, motorhome, etc.), as well as in some other cases. The need for such a sale form varies from state to state.

A bill of sale is more profitable and necessary for the buyer in case they ever should be required to prove their property rights or confirm the identity of the person who sold them a particular item. A sales contract is considered a valid legal and binding document after each of the two parties involved has signed it and the transaction has been cleared. The buyer has to realize that with the use of a general bill of sale form, they acquire the property in the “as-is” state.

Table of Contents

1. Why Use a General Bill of Sale?
2. Can I Create a General Bill of Sale Form Online?
3. Misc. Bill of Sale Forms
4. How Do I Sell an Item Using a General Bill of Sale?
5. How to write a Generic Bill of Sale?

Why Use a General Bill of Sale?

Such a widely-used bill of sale form works as proof that contains all the details of the private trade between the seller and buyer. It serves as evidence of proprietary rights and holds both parties responsible for the agreed terms and conditions indicated in the bill of sale.

This legal document will include everything from the buyer’s and seller’s information, a description of the item put up for sale, the date of the transaction, any other conditions or guarantees, and finally signatures from both sides of the trade as well as any witnesses.

Generic Bill of Sale Form Details

Can I Create a General Bill of Sale Form Online?

Due to the fact that a general bill of sale form is juridical documentation, it may appear to be too complicated and intricate for the seller without a corresponding law degree to write it on their own. For this reason, we provide every person planning to sell some of their property with free bills of sale forms that are fast and easy to download at our website and create your own bill of sale form for any item.

A downloadable version of our general bill of sale form can boast high quality. When using our template for sale for any asset, you can include your own specific terms and conditions without being bewildered by the cryptic legal language. Printable bill of sale templates for buying or selling any assets are available in the formats supported by Microsoft Word (.docx) and any PDF-reader (.pdf). You can easily add any relevant information into our bill of sale form, complete all of the necessary fields, and print out the final version of this legal paper.

We also offer you to try out our stage-by-stage builder to create highly personalized forms of bills of sale of any other documents you might need.

You can always order a proper consultation from competent attorneys with experience in the preparation of such legal papers. However, you will understandably have to pay for it and legal advice proves to be much more expensive than just using a top-quality general bill of sale form from us.

Create a high quality Generic Bill of Sale online now!

Misc. Bill of Sale Forms

How Do I Sell an Item Using a General Bill of Sale?

It is now abundantly clear that, in some states, to perform the sale of a property, you will have to write a bill transferring the title from one person to another. But what to do if you have no idea where to start such a venture? Feel free to use our short step-by-step algorithm.

Step 1. Describe What You Are Selling

Whatever property you intend to sell, make sure to provide its full and comprehensive specifications. For instance, if you plan to become the seller of a vehicle, do not forget to mention its model, manufacturer, year of production, state, etc. These more detailed characteristics might be useful to a prospective buyer.

Step 2. Set the Price

If you cannot come up with an appropriate price for your item, conduct online research looking for similar products/means of transportation/animals and compare the prices. Try not to overcharge people for your property, but you also shouldn’t sell it for too cheap.

Step 3. Put Advertisements Everywhere You Can

Take advantage of online and offline newspapers, magazines, bulletin boards, and other platforms and places where you can place an ad. As the seller of the item, prepare to answer a lot of questions from every potential buyer regarding what you are trying to sell.

Step 4. Negotiate and Attend the Closing of the Deal

Once you have provided all interested purchasers with all essential information involving your model of equipment/manufacture home/boat, etc., and you have found your buyer, negotiate the purchase price and closing date. When everything is agreed, set a closing date for the transaction. As the product owner, make sure to bring along every crucial document that will help you transfer the title to the customer, which includes the bill of sale form.

Step 5. Fill Out a Bill Of Sale Form

General bills of sale can be used for the transaction of various goods and properties. Such a juridical document traditionally contains the following information:

• Date of acquisition
• A detailed description of the product being sold (model, year of manufacture, physical characteristics, and other details)
• Paid sum and method of payment (cash, check, bank card, deposit)
• Name and address of the seller
• Name and address of the buyer
• A guarantee statement or statement of “as-is” state (if used condition)
• Signatures of the seller and the buyer
• Signatures of witnesses (if applicable)
• Notary public acknowledgment (often required if you want to transfer the proprietary right to the customer lawfully)

Step 6. Notify the Government of Your Purchase and Register It

After everything is said and done in writing and all crucial documentation is signed, the new owner might have to go to the notary public to confirm that the deal is officially closed. They might also want to visit the Department of Motor Vehicles (in case of the acquisition of a means of conveyance) and register the newly-bought vehicle in their name. In most states, the purchaser will have to provide the bill of sale form.

How to write a Generic Bill of Sale?

The guidelines listed here are based on our custom general bill of sale form. Nonetheless, it is advisable to opt for the official document in case it is provided by the local authorities.

Step 1: Indicate the bill of sale creation date.

Step 2: Type in the details of both parties (seller and buyer):

• Name
• Street address
• City of residence
• State of residence
• Area code
• Telephone number
• Email address
  

Step 3: Fill in the detailed information concerning the item that you are selling:(some of many examples)

• Make (manufacturer)
• Model
• Vehicle’s body style
• Year
• Odometer reading
• Color
• Identification Number (also known as VIN)
• Hull Identification Number (also known as VIN)
• General Description
• Any other information
  

Step 4: At this point, you will need to indicate the way in which you are going to be given money for the offer.

This step also requires providing the exact date of the transaction and the entire amount decided upon by each party of the deal. Next, decide on one sale method:

1. The whole amount straight away. This is really simple: on the same day, the purchaser gets the item delivered to them and pays the whole sum.
2. Trade-in. Using this choice, the seller agrees to trade their item for the purchaser’s item with an extra payment from the buyer. In such a case, the bill of sale should also have the purchaser’s item details.
3. In installments. With this method, you need to specify the dates when the buyer has to deliver the first and the final payments, along with their amounts.
4. In gift form. This includes just giving the item as a gift with no expectation of compensation.

The next step is deciding on the type of payment:

• Cash
• Cheque
• Cashier’s cheque
• Money order

The final thing to do in this part is to determine whether or not all applicable taxes are included in the final cost.

Step 5: Read the miscellaneous terms.

This part includes mentioning that the seller is the lawful owner and can sell the item. It should also state that the seller is listing everything to the best of their knowledge and is accurate in the Bill of Sale

This part typically has the “as-is” passage that indicates the item is sold without a warranties.

Step 6: Put your signature(s) in the corresponding areas.

In most states, the signature of the purchaser is not mandatory. But, it is recommended to have the form signed by each party. Just to be on the safe side, the buyer and seller may choose a person who can attest the deal and sign the document too.

Step 7: Use the assistance of a notary public

Although notarization is rarely mandatory, it acts as an additional way to guard against legal problems.

If selling a vehicle of any kind the original bill of sale copy has to be presented to the buyer since they will need it to obtain a title to their new vehicle. There are two ways here: you must either prepare and sign two identical bills of sale or get a copy for the seller to keep.

Published: Jul 13, 2022

Mara has been practicing estate planning and trust law in California since 2003, taking pride in helping clients of all backgrounds and asset profiles form a complete and customized estate plan. Her specialties are: estate planning, wills and trusts, trust and probate administration.