VIN verification and the titling saga...

[Mogman]

I have an appt. with the Beeville PD for a VIN verification next Thursday, fingers crossed..

 

[Mullaney]

I have an appt. with the Beeville PD for a VIN verification next Thursday, fingers crossed..

.
Don't try to be too helpful.

If you happen to know where the VIN is, leave it alone. The PD folks will be much happier if they use their own wire brush to clean the spot where the number is stamped.

 

[Mogman]

I did not want to comment before and jinks the process.
When I found out the Beeville PD did the VIN verification in Bee county I felt much better, sometimes a DPS officer can be a total wild card.
THEN I found out who the officer was and felt even better, he is also a vol. fireman which means he probably knew of me as I build and repair many of the radios for their PVs etc.
THEN I found out he served 6 years in the Army so I was feeling pretty good as I drove up to Beeville with the FAV in tow.
Turns out he spent two years in the sand box and did see the LSVs and DPVs over there. the PD was having a training session and the vehicle inspections took place in the training facility's parking lot, so the bee county Sheriff, the Beeville Chief of police and several other officers came out and gave it a once over, does not look like I will ever have any issues with those guys, they all said they want to see it when it gets road worthy.

SO YES I did receive my VTR-68A "Law Enforcement Number Identification Inspection" ONE MORE BOX CHECKED!
I like the way he set the ID number, the chassis tag said 1585 but where the Army stamped the serial number they stamped 0010 1585 being the tenth FAV built, he set the VIN as 0010 1585 which I like better than just the chassis number of 1585
So a minor change to the paperwork and I am ready to apply for title.

 

[Mogman]

The trailer is another story, my trailer had farm tags and they were expired, I did not want to tempt fate by using a trailer with farm tags.

So I borrowed a trailer from the little diesel shop just down the road, as I was loading it up yesterday afternoon I noticed the tag was out on that trailer, so I dropped it off and went to Beeville to get tags for my farm trailer, figured that would be better than expired tags, maybe.

So, now after 25 years the state wants to take exception to the fact that the AG exemption is in my wife's name and the trailer is in my name, so no farm tags, so I said OK give me regular tags, well that is a problem because as a farm trailer it did not need to be inspected but given the weight rating I would now need an inspection certificate to get regular plates, no way I could go home get the trailer and get it inspected before the office closed.
The nice lady said "we'll just make it gross weight of 4K" which did not need an inspection, so I got plates, geez...

 

[Mogman]

I have an appt in Corpus at the TxDVM to morrow at 9:45AM, fingers crossed!!

 

[Mogman]

They copied all my paperwork and sent it to Austin for classification, waiting on a response.
REALLY nice folks!!

 

[Mogman]

Actually they were also waiting for me to email a picture to them before forwarding the paperwork to Austin, I asked that I get a confirmation that they received the picture, no confirmation so I will try and make another appt. (can only make an appt for that or the following two days so I will not be able to make the appt until tomorrow) and just go back Monday with a picture (already in the folder)
Of the large laundry list of items needed for the application a picture was NOT one of them.
Only costs me about $60 or so in diesel for each trip!

 

[DaneGer21]

So is this just your basic VW dune buggy? Really looks like one

 

[Mogman]

So is this just your basic VW dune buggy? Really looks like one

It would be more accurate to say it is a production sand rail built to Baja 1000 race standards PLUS the addition of a lighter/stronger chrome moly chassis instead of the normal DOM,.
And it was in service with the Army
So no not your basic VW dune buggy.

 

[DaneGer21]

It would be more accurate to say it is a production sand rail built to Baja 1000 race standards PLUS the addition of a lighter chrome moly chassis instead of the normal DOM,.
And it was in service with the Army
So no not your basic VW dune buggy.

Cool

 

[Mogman]

Well that was a waste of good diesel, went down to the DVM in Corpus this morning, they received the picture I sent them Friday but chose to ignore my request that they acknowledge that they received it!
Waiting on Austin to classify the FAV, fingers crossed as they could give me a clear title not an off road only title, time will tell.

 

[Mogman]

Boy this venture is taking some turns and twists!
So I did not hear from the CC DMV all last week so I decided a visit was in order, I show up at the "transportation complex" which houses Greyhound, the local transportation authority terminals/offices and of course the regional TX DMV office.
There are a bazillion green vehicles all over the place and an army of SERV-PRO employees carrying equipment into the building, turns out the second floor of the building was heavily damaged by fire shortly after I left last Monday and the DMV office was closed for the rest of the week until they got the OK to come back this morning.
So it turns out they did hear from Austin and they were ready to move forward, BUT I did not have an appraisal for the FAV, I thought the fact that it sold at public auction set the fair market value.
They said no, well... not until WEDNESDAY the 31st when a new law goes into effect making the auction receipt an acceptable proof of value, SO the paperwork is half done and I go back Wed. morning to finish, then I get a surety bond and THEN I can turn in the title paperwork to my local DMV office to receive my title.

 

[Mogman]

The DMV changed their mind, emailed me this morning and said an appraisal would be needed, so I got one, went down to CC again and finished that part, I now have to go and get a surety bond, I looked around for someone local and of all things due to a suggestion I checked with the ins. company that I have my ranch and civy vehicles insured with and they said they did not do them often but they do do them so off I go in the AM to see about that, then I take the paperwork from the DMV and bond and turn all that into the local tax office, where we get our plates and "regular" title work done.

 

[Mogman]

Well,,, The bond was super easy, but when I got to the tax office they told me I needed a weight ticket, THEN they backed up and said they were going to have to send a picture to AUSTIN and get the vehicle classified, I told them that Corpus Christi DMV had already done that.
In CC they said it classified as a passenger vehicle and was eligible for "regular" plates, well all bets are off now depending on what AUSTIN says this time.
They said to wait for a phone call because I would only need a weight ticket if it was classified for on road use.....
GEEZ this is getting frustrating...AAAARRRRGGGGG

 

[Mogman]

GOOD NEWS! I got a call this morning from DMV that I would need a weight ticket.
New tires should be delivered today for my 18' trailer which will be easier to load and costs less than the other gooseneck trailer to tow., even less because I can tow it behind my 1/2 ton.
I was looking and two of the tires had 1995 date codes, I purchased a new set of tires just before hauling a 7500lb Unimog to Hollister CA for the 1995 top truck challenge.
This is why I only buy bias trailer tires..
So I should have all the paperwork including a weight ticket when I go to the tax office when it opens on Tuesday

 

[m715mike]

Just saw this thread. What a saga! Good luck completing the process and getting regular plates!

I need to do the same bonded title process with my M725 and M936A2.

 

[Mogman]

Went down to the CAT scales today, rolled the FAV off the trailer and onto the scales, since it weighs less than 2000lb the CAT scale would not print a ticket.
Of course there is more than one way to skin a cat,,
So we weighed the truck/trailer empty and then with the FAV on it, the FAV weighs 1640lb..
I built that 18' trailer from a kit in 1978, it has been in about 20 states and three different countries, looks to be ready for another makeover but is just a sound as the when I built it.

 

[Mogman]

$40 VIN verification
$20 weight ticket
$15 Regional DMV title application fee
$135 surety bond for 9K (1.5X the appraised value)
$13 title application fee
$15 terp title fee??
$375 sales tax
$37.50 sales tax penalty (for being more than 30 days from purchase, no credit for jumping through hoops for the last 5 weeks)
$650.50 total

Knowledge that in about 30 days I will receive a nice blue title with no restrictions,,,PRICELESS!!!!!!

 

[Mogman]

I happened to be in Beeville at the store when the tax office left me a voice mail saying I had forgot to date the surety bond, I was literally across the street from the tax office, by the time I got there it was 12:07 and the office was closed, one of the ladies pulling out of the parking lot came back and opened up and let me date the paper, nice folks!

 

[Mullaney]

I happened to be in Beeville at the store when the tax office left me a voice mail saying I had forgot to date the surety bond, I was literally across the street from the tax office, by the time I got there it was 12:07 and the office was closed, one of the ladies pulling out of the parking lot came back and opened up and let me date the paper, nice folks!

.
Dang... That's nice. Would have been easy for her to just keep walking and leave you standing there. A little bit of real customer service. Maybe even going above and beyond. I mean the entire experience has been a ROYAL PAIN, but at least that small thing gives the rest of us hope...