While I didn't title my car in California, I do believe that bureaucrats
have common characteristics in all parts of the country. I did register my
Lotus 6 with the state of Massachusetts to get a title. I was able to get it
registered on the second trip. However I knew I was in trouble on the first
trip when the young lady at the counter looked at my paperwork and then went
back to speak with her supervisor. The car had never been registered or
title in the U.S. so this caused them much difficulty. The supervisor
provided me with a written procedure that listed what I needed to compile to
get the car registered. The primary document was a written explanation of
the cars' history (been sitting in a barn for 20 years, etc) from the
previous owner. The previous owner needed to sign it and have it notarized.
I also had to have the car serial number verified on a form at my local
police station. That was actually the easiest part of this. I hauled it down
to the station and the policeman got a real kick out of looking over the
car. I now have a title for the car although I am not sure it is ever going
to be of any use.
Another story goes back 20 years to when I lived in Colorado Springs. I had
purchased a 1970 Jaguar E Type that had been broken and sitting for about 2
years. I towed the car home and after getting it back on the road needed to
get it titled and licensed. So I took the California title to the local
registry in Colorado Springs and again the young lady at the counter took my
paperwork and went to speak with her supervisor (I break into a cold sweat
at motor vehicle registries anytime the person at the counter gets up to ask
a question of their supervisors). Anyway the problem this time was that the
California title had a stamp on the back that indicated a Georgia
registration had been issued. According to the supervisor lady at the
registry this invalidated the California title since Georgia was a non-title
state. So I write to the previous owner and he sends me out his last Georgia
registration. When I take this back to the registry the young lady at the
counter again brings out the supervisor who tells me that the registration
has expired and is no longer valid. So by this time I am starting to think
that I have gone through the looking glass and have entered some strange
land of "Catch 22". So I returned home and thought about the problem. It was
that stamp on the back of the California title. My solution was to dip my
finger into a bottle of ink and smear the stamp wording so that it was no
longer intelligible. However this time I went to a different registry (the
folks at the downtown one knew me too well by now) and they took it with no
problem.
So there is always a way around a bureaucrat if you just think about it long
enough! However they can sure piss you off in the process.
Phil
-----Original Message-----
From: Walt@chekov.mayfield.hp.com [mailto:Walt@chekov.mayfield.hp.com]
Sent: Friday, March 09, 2001 6:29 PM
To: Scott McClung; vintage-race@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: race cars and CA registration
The only reason to title the car (not register) is to
prove ownership of a VIN. If the car ever becomes a
valuable asset, frauds can appear. I'm not sure how
well a logbook from a club would stand up to a
valid California title.
Our 67 TA car was not titled until it was found in 1987.
I feel *much* safer knowing we hold valid legal title to
the car. (not to mention all the documentation).
-------
Regards
Walt Boeninger - Nor Cal SAAC 67 GT500 | 67 Shelby T-A #31
http://www.norcal-saac.org 71 Boss 351 | 97 5.0 Explorer
mailto:walt_boeninger@hp.com 99 C5 Hdtp | 86 Mustang GT
|