A car in the driveway looks like one asset, but it carries several bills and jobs: insurance, registration, maintenance, repairs, and a set of keys. When no one is assigned to each one, the car becomes a shared expense that nobody controls. This piece sorts those jobs so each one has an owner before the next problem arrives.

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Name the owner and the title

Find out whose name is on the title and the registration. Missouri's title and registration rules are set through the Missouri Department of Revenue, so read its public pages for the current steps rather than relying on memory. If Mom is still the owner, decide who may handle the car's paperwork if she cannot. That question belongs in the family meeting, not in a crisis. For general information on how these arrangements work, the Missouri Bar's public pages are a reasonable starting point.

Insurance: who is covered to drive it

Check the policy's listed drivers, whether coverage follows the car or the person, and whether each family member who might drive it is listed. Ask the insurer what happens if a sibling uses the car for an errand. A short phone call now prevents a long one later.

Build the maintenance calendar

List the service the car needs on a schedule: oil changes, tire rotation, brakes, inspection, registration renewal, and the battery. Record the due dates or mileage in the shared note. Then name one person who books each item and one person who pays for it. The owner's manual lists the schedule, so use it instead of guessing.

Keys and use rules

Count the keys and say who holds each one. Write a short rule covering who may drive the car, for which trips, and who refuels it or cleans it. Keep a simple mileage log so everyone can see who is using the car and why. That log is also what makes the wear and the fuel fair to share.

Keep, sell, or retire it

At some point the question becomes whether the car should keep running at all. Compare what the upkeep costs against the trips the car actually makes. That is a family decision, and it is far easier to make with the maintenance list, the insurance facts, and the mileage log laid out in front of everyone.