Bet he did know. Why else wait 23 years to make your "ownership" official?
My ‘68 Mustang sat in my shop and before that, an airplane hanger for about 20 years before I swapped the title and restored it for my wife.
The ‘67 Fairlane GTA factory big block still sits after about 15 years. I just have to get good enough at body work to make it straight and gloss black.