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Looking for a way around late CA Vehicle Registration fees



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 11th 04, 10:16 PM
Stephen
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Default Looking for a way around late CA Vehicle Registration fees

I've got a LandCruiser FJ-40 that I purchased in 2000 that I never
registered in CA. There is a TON of fees due in it as a result and my
license too has been revoked. My goal is to get my license back
without having to pay excessive fees due on the Cruiser. Can anyone
tell me the best solution to my problem; I've considered the
following: Donating the Cruiser to a charity (who would then be
responsible for the late fees?) Registering the Cruiser as an
"off-highway vehicle. Transferring title to my wife. If there are
any other solutions that would work, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know.
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  #2  
Old June 11th 04, 11:45 PM
Don Bruder
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In article >,
(Stephen) wrote:

> I've got a LandCruiser FJ-40 that I purchased in 2000 that I never
> registered in CA. There is a TON of fees due in it as a result and my
> license too has been revoked. My goal is to get my license back
> without having to pay excessive fees due on the Cruiser. Can anyone
> tell me the best solution to my problem; I've considered the
> following: Donating the Cruiser to a charity (who would then be
> responsible for the late fees?) Registering the Cruiser as an
> "off-highway vehicle. Transferring title to my wife. If there are
> any other solutions that would work, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know.


In the words of a wise old philospher:
Yer skroot.

It'll be easier (and probably less painful) to gnaw your leg off at the
hip than to get DMV to let a nickel of it slide. They could give
"heartless money-grubber" lessons to Ebeneezer Scrooge, and they've got
the whole friggin' state behind 'em. Basically, the IRS in miniature.
And like a miniature version of a dog, twice as unpleasant to cope with
to make up for the smaller size.

The charities usually don't want the ones with big bux registration fees
due, as the new owner ends up paying the fees, which rather effectively
negates their reason for taking the vehicle (in hopes of fixing it up
and turning it around, either as an outright sale to raise funds, or as
a "here's a needy family" giveaway) in the first place.

--
Don Bruder -
- New Email policy in effect as of Feb. 21, 2004.
I respond to Email as quick as humanly possible. If you Email me and get no
response, see <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd/main/contact.html> Short
form: I'm trashing EVERYTHING that doesn't contain a password in the subject.
  #3  
Old June 12th 04, 08:12 AM
AZGuy
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Default

Have you ever driven it on the highway? If not, or if they can't
prove you did, why would you owe them any fees? In Arizona they have
a form you fill out attesting to the fact that you did not drive the
vehicle during the time the registration was expired and they waive
all the registrations fees that you would otherwise owe them.

If CA doesn't do that can you get it titled in a different state and
register it there. Then retitle it in CA and register it there.


On 11 Jun 2004 14:16:37 -0700, (Stephen) wrote:

>I've got a LandCruiser FJ-40 that I purchased in 2000 that I never
>registered in CA. There is a TON of fees due in it as a result and my
>license too has been revoked. My goal is to get my license back
>without having to pay excessive fees due on the Cruiser. Can anyone
>tell me the best solution to my problem; I've considered the
>following: Donating the Cruiser to a charity (who would then be
>responsible for the late fees?) Registering the Cruiser as an
>"off-highway vehicle. Transferring title to my wife. If there are
>any other solutions that would work, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know.


--
Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts:

"What, sir, is the use of militia? It is to prevent the
establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. . .
Whenever Government means to invade the rights and liberties of
the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order
to raise a standing army upon its ruins." -- Debate, U.S. House
of Representatives, August 17, 1789
  #4  
Old June 18th 04, 09:53 PM
Highway Star
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Stephen wrote:
>
> I've got a LandCruiser FJ-40 that I purchased in 2000 that I never
> registered in CA. There is a TON of fees due in it as a result and my
> license too has been revoked. My goal is to get my license back
> without having to pay excessive fees due on the Cruiser.


Hmm. I was unware that they could revoke a license for car registration
issues. I mean, it's not a moving violation after all. Apparently they
can though...

> Can anyone
> tell me the best solution to my problem; I've considered the
> following: Donating the Cruiser to a charity (who would then be
> responsible for the late fees?) Registering the Cruiser as an
> "off-highway vehicle. Transferring title to my wife. If there are
> any other solutions that would work, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know.


Hint: there are 49 other states in this great land of ours. I also live
in CA and have a CA driver's license, but my vehicle is registered in
Nevada, allowing me to enjoy much lower registration and insurance fees,
and not to worry too much about the occasional parking ticket here in
Cal. It's legal if you simply set up a Nevada corporation, then register
the vehicle with the corporation (which technically "owns" the auto).
This can be done through an advertised agent for a few hundred bucks.
It's worth it for other reasons too, such as if you have suits against
you and don't want the car seized. You can create a separate corporation
for each vehicle you "own," if you want to get really baroque about it.
  #5  
Old June 18th 04, 10:50 PM
Don Bruder
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Default

In article >,
Highway Star > wrote:

> Stephen wrote:
> >
> > I've got a LandCruiser FJ-40 that I purchased in 2000 that I never
> > registered in CA. There is a TON of fees due in it as a result and my
> > license too has been revoked. My goal is to get my license back
> > without having to pay excessive fees due on the Cruiser.

>
> Hmm. I was unware that they could revoke a license for car registration
> issues. I mean, it's not a moving violation after all. Apparently they
> can though...


They won't revoke it for unpaid fees, but they WILL refuse to renew it
when the time comes for that, which is just as good as a revocation.

> > Can anyone
> > tell me the best solution to my problem; I've considered the
> > following: Donating the Cruiser to a charity (who would then be
> > responsible for the late fees?) Registering the Cruiser as an
> > "off-highway vehicle. Transferring title to my wife. If there are
> > any other solutions that would work, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know.

>
> Hint: there are 49 other states in this great land of ours. I also live
> in CA and have a CA driver's license, but my vehicle is registered in
> Nevada, allowing me to enjoy much lower registration and insurance fees,
> and not to worry too much about the occasional parking ticket here in
> Cal. It's legal


Correction: It *WAS* legal... Read on...

>if you simply set up a Nevada corporation, then register
> the vehicle with the corporation (which technically "owns" the auto).
> This can be done through an advertised agent for a few hundred bucks.
> It's worth it for other reasons too, such as if you have suits against
> you and don't want the car seized. You can create a separate corporation
> for each vehicle you "own," if you want to get really baroque about it.


Get pulled over in one of those vehicles while carrying a license
showing a California residence, and face a nifty new $1000 "payable
*RIGHT NOW*, no negotiation, no court appearance, no appeal, just shut
up and cough up the cash, or kiss your license and car goodbye" fine.

It's a nice, shiney new law (less than 6 months old now, I think - I
want to say it went into effect in January, but it may have been shortly
before that) that very few know about yet. It went through pretty much
"under the radar", probably due to our new Governator taking office and
taking attention off the lawmakers. It's aimed SPECIFICALLY at exactly
what you're talking about doing as a way of "retrieving" the fees that
have been lost to such (already illegal, but until recently, the law has
been toothless as a 90 year old chihuahua) circumvention of the
registration process. Several local folks have been nailed by it
recently here in Butte County, and although the outcry has been loud and
long, they're finding out the hard way that it's quite literally "You
can pay right here, right now, or we can revoke your license and impound
your car on the spot. Make your choice."

Rumour has it that Nevada is not only cooperating with this one, but
actively pointing out "This car, with this Nevada plate, is registered
to someone who used a California license in the registration process".
At this point, I'm not sure if that's fact or "just rumour", and haven't
got a clue how I'd go about finding out one way or the other, so you get
to decide for yourself how much reality is involved.

--
Don Bruder - - New Email policy in effect as of Feb. 21, 2004.
I respond to Email as quick as humanly possible. If you Email me and get no
response, see <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd/main/contact.html> Short
form: I'm trashing EVERYTHING that doesn't contain a password in the subject.
  #6  
Old June 19th 04, 05:26 AM
Highway Star
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Posts: n/a
Default

Don Bruder wrote:

> >if you simply set up a Nevada corporation, then register
> > the vehicle with the corporation (which technically "owns" the auto).
> > This can be done through an advertised agent for a few hundred bucks.
> > It's worth it for other reasons too, such as if you have suits against
> > you and don't want the car seized. You can create a separate corporation
> > for each vehicle you "own," if you want to get really baroque about it.

>
> Get pulled over in one of those vehicles while carrying a license
> showing a California residence, and face a nifty new $1000 "payable
> *RIGHT NOW*, no negotiation, no court appearance, no appeal, just shut
> up and cough up the cash, or kiss your license and car goodbye" fine.
>
> It's a nice, shiney new law (less than 6 months old now, I think - I
> want to say it went into effect in January, but it may have been shortly
> before that) that very few know about yet. It went through pretty much
> "under the radar", probably due to our new Governator taking office and
> taking attention off the lawmakers. It's aimed SPECIFICALLY at exactly
> what you're talking about doing as a way of "retrieving" the fees that
> have been lost to such (already illegal, but until recently, the law has
> been toothless as a 90 year old chihuahua) circumvention of the
> registration process. Several local folks have been nailed by it
> recently here in Butte County, and although the outcry has been loud and
> long, they're finding out the hard way that it's quite literally "You
> can pay right here, right now, or we can revoke your license and impound
> your car on the spot. Make your choice."
>
> Rumour has it that Nevada is not only cooperating with this one, but
> actively pointing out "This car, with this Nevada plate, is registered
> to someone who used a California license in the registration process".
> At this point, I'm not sure if that's fact or "just rumour", and haven't
> got a clue how I'd go about finding out one way or the other, so you get
> to decide for yourself how much reality is involved.


If true, this is a troubling development. Are you sure we're talking
about a _corporation_ registration, not an individual (which I know is
illegal.) With a corporation it is the company that owns the car and
that is named on the registration, _not_ the individual driver. For
instance, the Nevada registration in my car clearly states the owner as
"XXXX Inc.," giving the address of the resident agent in Carson City. It
does _not_ bear my individual name. If some bureaucrat in Nevada is
telling the California bureaucrats, "This car, with this Nevada plate,
is registered to someone who used a California license in the
registration process," as you quoted, he/she is way off base. The car in
question would _not_ be registered to "someone who used a California
license," it would be registered to the company with the Nevada address.
Of course, the corporate paperwork has to be in order and one must
specify that the vehicle will mainly be used in Nevada.
  #7  
Old June 19th 04, 10:56 AM
Don Bruder
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article >,
Highway Star > wrote:

> Don Bruder wrote:
>
> > >if you simply set up a Nevada corporation, then register
> > > the vehicle with the corporation (which technically "owns" the auto).
> > > This can be done through an advertised agent for a few hundred bucks.
> > > It's worth it for other reasons too, such as if you have suits against
> > > you and don't want the car seized. You can create a separate corporation
> > > for each vehicle you "own," if you want to get really baroque about it.

> >
> > Get pulled over in one of those vehicles while carrying a license
> > showing a California residence, and face a nifty new $1000 "payable
> > *RIGHT NOW*, no negotiation, no court appearance, no appeal, just shut
> > up and cough up the cash, or kiss your license and car goodbye" fine.
> >
> > It's a nice, shiney new law (less than 6 months old now, I think - I
> > want to say it went into effect in January, but it may have been shortly
> > before that) that very few know about yet. It went through pretty much
> > "under the radar", probably due to our new Governator taking office and
> > taking attention off the lawmakers. It's aimed SPECIFICALLY at exactly
> > what you're talking about doing as a way of "retrieving" the fees that
> > have been lost to such (already illegal, but until recently, the law has
> > been toothless as a 90 year old chihuahua) circumvention of the
> > registration process. Several local folks have been nailed by it
> > recently here in Butte County, and although the outcry has been loud and
> > long, they're finding out the hard way that it's quite literally "You
> > can pay right here, right now, or we can revoke your license and impound
> > your car on the spot. Make your choice."
> >
> > Rumour has it that Nevada is not only cooperating with this one, but
> > actively pointing out "This car, with this Nevada plate, is registered
> > to someone who used a California license in the registration process".
> > At this point, I'm not sure if that's fact or "just rumour", and haven't
> > got a clue how I'd go about finding out one way or the other, so you get
> > to decide for yourself how much reality is involved.

>
> If true, this is a troubling development. Are you sure we're talking
> about a _corporation_ registration, not an individual (which I know is
> illegal.) With a corporation it is the company that owns the car and
> that is named on the registration, _not_ the individual driver. For
> instance, the Nevada registration in my car clearly states the owner as
> "XXXX Inc.," giving the address of the resident agent in Carson City. It
> does _not_ bear my individual name. If some bureaucrat in Nevada is
> telling the California bureaucrats, "This car, with this Nevada plate,
> is registered to someone who used a California license in the
> registration process," as you quoted, he/she is way off base. The car in
> question would _not_ be registered to "someone who used a California
> license," it would be registered to the company with the Nevada address.
> Of course, the corporate paperwork has to be in order and one must
> specify that the vehicle will mainly be used in Nevada.


Dunno. All the information I have is the summary I already posted of
what the 3-4 column inches worth of newspaper article said on it a month
or two back, I think it was, and the scuttlebutt I've been hearing
around town. The quoted text was my summation of what the rumour mill
has had to say about it. Details on exactly how it's decided that a
registration is bogus, how/when the information gets shared, or whatever
else beyond what I've already said... <shrug> I just plain don't know.
All I do know is that there was a newspaper article about a few local
folks being popped on it, including a mention that it was a recently
effective law. That part's as reliable as the newspaper - In my opinion,
when talking about the local rag, that might not be saying very much
sometimes...

The scuttlebutt I've heard says Nevada is helping enforce it, but that's
all it is: The scuttlebutt. (But, as mentioned above, my personal
opinion is that there's every chance that the scuttlebutt could be more
accurate than the local fishwrap. It has been on several occasions in
the past.)

Probably something somebody ought to look up. Doubtful it'll be me
wading through the legalese, though! I ain't got enough motivation - My
car is registered here in Cali, in my name, at the same here-in-Cali
address as on my Cali-issued license, with all the proper fees and taxes
and insurance and whatnots paid, which, from what I've been able to
figure out so far means it's a law that (presumably...) can never impact
me without some kind of massive beaureaucratic fumble happening first.

So I ain't particularly worried about it.

On second thought, maybe I *SHOULD* be scared... Beaureaucrats are known
for fumbling, and it often turns out to be massive... <snork> Now
there's a candidate for the understatement of the week!

--
Don Bruder - - New Email policy in effect as of Feb. 21, 2004.
I respond to Email as quick as humanly possible. If you Email me and get no
response, see <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd/main/contact.html> Short
form: I'm trashing EVERYTHING that doesn't contain a password in the subject.
 




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