It might depend on countries, states, or provinces?
When I bought mine, well used. There was no title. I was told the original dealer should have filed it with the ministry. The original owner never used it on the road (I find that hard to believe for a landscaping company)
Because I was going to be on the road occasionally, it needed to be registered, plated, and insured. I had to jump through hoops between the ministry and RCMP to get the proper paperwork up to date.
Presently it has another year on a lease to own, so technically the ownership is in their name but the plates are in mine. Once it's paid off, the ownership will be updated in my name.
Hope this helps, or maybe just adds to the confusion! Lol