PDA

View Full Version : California DMV



DeepSea117
08-16-2005, 07:32 PM
Just jumped through some hoops, so hopefully this will help any California resident get a Non-Resident Marauder :)

I originally had my car come from Minnesota. Bringing a car back to California requires that the car either be over 7500 miles and pass a smog check, OR if it's under 7500 miles, the car must meet California's standards (50-state exempt, not 49-state exempt.) This sticker is located under the hood, and get smogged. My Marauder was at 3998 when I first test drove it, and it's happily charging around with 5400 miles. Now, after going through obstacle after obstacle with going to Minnesota and all, funding, negotiating, transferring funds, titles, liens, and finally shipping, I kidded the former owner that I still had to battle California's DMV. Boy, was I right.

Fast-forward a month or so later, and I encounter a problem when registering the car. The clerk says a New Car from out-of-state (under 7500 miles, don't ask me why), can only be registered by a Non-resident. I told her it has the 50-state exempt sticker, and residency doesn't matter if it's exempt. She takes my money and says it may or may not pass. I have the inspector verify AGAIN that the sticker is under the hood, which it is. I tell the clerk I've read the rules, and there's not a thing saying a California resident can't register a NEW car from out-of-state. She insists that I can't. I'm on my lunch break, I gotta go back to work.

I get to calling Sacramento and get a DMV Compliance office number from them (the clerk neglected to inform me of this number, even when asked), and they say with the 50-state sticker, it doesn't matter. Armed with this info, I go back today and talk to the registration supervisor. He disagrees with me like the clerk until I call the DMV compliance center and they tell him to FAX over the paper work, which they weren't planning on doing beforehand. Long argument short, the clerk was wrong, but the supervisor makes it clear he denies hearing the clerk say anything, just to be a prick. I'm as polite as they come, but he seemed so...prissy about it. So I made him concur that it's okay for California residents to register a NEW non-resident car, which was the whole reason I went back in the first place.

I found out the problem is, even though a car is registered as legal and certified for sale in California, it may not be so in the DMV's system, where my Marauder is listed as a 49-state vehicle, which they neglected to explain. The Compliance center told the office I was at to run a VIN check on a another Marauder and compare results (which the office also neglected to do.) The clerk even had the nerve to play amrchair mechanic and ask me if I've ever "looked under a lot of cars" at the smog devices, because for some reason she knows without question what is under there. A likely story, patronizing sucker.

Anyone in California, make sure you have them verify the sticker under the hood. Also verify they check the smog results. Make sure your registration gets handled right away by the DMV Compliance center, by fax. Believe me, there's tons of misinformed people at the DMV, who won't bother to explain why they make their statements because they represent the almighty DMV. Pardon my rant, I've just went through two months of this hassle getting my Marauder, and I'll be damned if the DMV tries to stop it. :fire:

BruteForce
08-16-2005, 07:49 PM
Congrats on slaying that dragon. Now the fun begins!

ckadiddle
08-17-2005, 06:46 AM
Geez.... Shame you didn't have a Taser on you.

MENINBLK
08-17-2005, 10:13 AM
My Marauder was at 3998 when I first test drove it, and it's happily charging around with 5400 miles.

How do you get a Marauder with 4000 miles on it and it is still NEW ???
It is only new if 2 things...

1 - You are the first REGISTRANT of the vehicle.
2 - The vehicle was a Dealer Demo and never sold.

Is this true ?

DeepSea117
08-17-2005, 02:09 PM
How do you get a Marauder with 4000 miles on it and it is still NEW ???
It is only new if 2 things...

1 - You are the first REGISTRANT of the vehicle.
2 - The vehicle was a Dealer Demo and never sold.

Is this true ?
There's the real truth, and the somewhat perverse California truth. Any car brought into California (no matter if it's been registered prior to), will be deemed a NEW car (and subject to a bunch of different requirements) if the car has less than 7500 miles. What the purpose is, I really don't know. Just another hoop to jump through on this long hoop train.

DeepSea117
08-17-2005, 02:11 PM
Geez.... Shame you didn't have a Taser on you.
:D

Damn shame.

kingsford
08-17-2005, 05:46 PM
There's the real truth, and the somewhat perverse California truth. Any car brought into California (no matter if it's been registered prior to), will be deemed a NEW car (and subject to a bunch of different requirements) if the car has less than 7500 miles. What the purpose is, I really don't know. Just another hoop to jump through on this long hoop train.


Not trying to dismiss what you said; but when I bought my MM with 400 miles it was considered used as far as the loan was concerned. Is the way a bank and the DMV view your car different? Or was it a way for the bank to get an extra 1% on my loan??

BTW Congrats on your new ride; It is evident through the amount of work you put forth in order to get this car : YOU DESERVE IT :beer:

DeepSea117
08-18-2005, 11:28 AM
Not trying to dismiss what you said; but when I bought my MM with 400 miles it was considered used as far as the loan was concerned. Is the way a bank and the DMV view your car different? Or was it a way for the bank to get an extra 1% on my loan??

BTW Congrats on your new ride; It is evident through the amount of work you put forth in order to get this car : YOU DESERVE IT :beer: Yeah they do disagree...my credit union who financed the loan said technically the car should be used, since it was already registered. The banker said California's rules are headache as well. California (maybe the C.A.R.B.) is responsible for putting in the "NEW = 7500 miles or less" garbage. It probably wouldn't be so in other states--I think Florida did away with their smog laws just recently, if I'm not mistaken.

Ooops, also forgot....my loan was also considered a used car loan, and is also considered used for insurance purposes (lower premiums!):banana2:

RCSignals
08-18-2005, 02:05 PM
Good work DeepSea I hate clerks who make up their own rules or interpretations.
As I understand it, all Marauders were built as 50 State emmissions compliant.
Apparently most new vehicles are these days, unless it's specified that they are to be built to a different standard (49 State) or are exempt.

so, based on that, if CA DMV lists the Marauder as only a 49-state vehicle, htey are in error.

dflynn5
08-18-2005, 06:29 PM
In 1990 I brought an 87 MonteCarlo SS and a 88 Pontiac Firebird into California. The DMV charged me $300 each because they did not have California emissions. Now this fee was illegal and the legislator and the Governor were told as much when they passed the law. The Ca Supreme court ruled the fee illegal in 1997 I believe and ordered a refund which I got because I happened to save all the documentation however most of the refunds were never handed out due to the fact that the DMV did not go back and notify people of the refund.

It still annoys me to this day thinking about it. I did not have $600 in 1990 when I arrived here with no job during a recession and the difference betweem 49 State emissions and California emissions is negligible I'm told.

Sactown
08-19-2005, 03:36 PM
It sucks you went through such a hassle with the fools at the DMV, but it doesn't surprise me.

DeepSea117
10-04-2005, 04:54 PM
...again!!!

Stupid DMV workers! A couple of weeks ago, they mail me a request for the Lien Satisfied title addressed to me and carbon copy the Credit Union I'm using who will be taking over the Lien. I mail this Lien Satisified title So they have my Credit Union's address and phone number, good. Two days ago, I get the registration and the title of the car WITHOUT my Credit Union listed as the Lienholder. DAMMIT!!!!! :mad:

What this means for me, is another few days of hassle waiting to transfer my high-interest bridge loan to a lower rate loan I was originally financed for, and for the DMV to acknowledge my Credit Union as the Lienholders, AND, another $15 transfer fee. F-ck these dumb *******s. I truly can't stand them and I hope they get a catalytic converter stuck up their collective-asses to clean up some of the bull**** they keep droppin.

kartherma
10-05-2005, 03:36 PM
Not poking fun or anything, but that comment about the catalytic converter being shoved.... had me ROLLING!!!:rofl:

torinodan
10-05-2005, 04:30 PM
Not poking fun or anything, but that comment about the catalytic converter being shoved.... had me ROLLING!!!:rofl:I have 2 spare cats if you need one or 2 for shoving somewhere..;)

Directedby
10-05-2005, 04:36 PM
In California, you can only legally shove an OBII CAL COMPLIANT CAT up one's a$$.

torinodan
10-05-2005, 04:58 PM
In California, you can only legally shove an OBII CAL COMPLIANT CAT up one's a$$.
HA HA, oh well.

DeepSea117
10-06-2005, 03:02 PM
Not poking fun or anything, but that comment about the catalytic converter being shoved.... had me ROLLING!!!:rofl:
Yeah, I needed a laugh...which is why I threw it in. I was chucklin to myself as I typed it out. :D