lost vehicle title question

Aloha everybody, 
I get one very close friend of mine who just recently moved here with me from Cali, he owns a car he bought from a person who still lives in cali some where but is having one tuff time trying for contact that person, he needs the title sent here so he can have his car registered in Tx.  what other options are there for him if he can't find that person about having the title for his car transfered into his name? he does have a bill of sale that they both signed and the amount he paid for the car and the date.
 
what can he do?
 
Mahalo nui loa for da help.

Some states allow a title bond. It may run $100 but within a month or so He will have a title and he can get tags when he does the bond. Otherwise nothing more he can do (Well legally anyway)