BOY! What a day!!!

[Jabba]

(PLease excuse my typing style, it's the result of fatigue and frustration at the hands of an inept agency)

Boy did I have a day, I went and registered the A/S today, 3hours and 3 attempts later, it's officially ours. The title was screwed up, it had been titled as a mobile home, DMV says can't put a plate on it because it's a mobile home, no it's a travel trailer I tell them, no it's titled as a mobile home, but it's an airstream, but you don't need a plate because it's a mobile home, no it's a travel trailer that I just pulled down from up north behind my truck, oh! it's a motorhome, no it's a trailer, one you drive? NO! It goes behind you, a PULL BEHIND! A camper trailer? YES! Not a mobile home? It's a trailer!!!!! a motorhome trailer? Argued with the DMV for a half hour over that, resolved that. Then they couldn't retitle it without a weight, 4k#, nope need to weigh it or provide proof. rats, truck on home dig through all my well organized crap in the file cabinet, nothing,hmmm. Research forums find link to VAC archives, find it, file won't download after 45 minutes of waiting. Have sister in law download via cable modem, no prob drive across town get that and went back to DMV. OK, fine, got a weight, but where did you get it from? An owners manual, from where? From the original owners manual from 1955. You sure that's the weight? YES!!!!! OK, I thought I had it made......um sir, you only have one of the owners signatures, you need both. The other owner is deceased. But how do we know that? We have to have a death certificate. WHAT?!!!! We have to have a death certificate. The previous owner lives 4 hours away. It would be easiest if you sent her back the title had it fixed and had her send it back. (I wouldn't give anyone a death cert. I think they have your Soc. Security # on it, not to mention the seller was in her late 70's, easily confused, and I'm not giving somebody the title back on something I just paid a few thousand dollars for). I said that won't work, what if she refuses to give me a copy? We have to have a death certificate. But what if she refuses, what am I supposed to do? Well, you could fill out this Declaration stating that you say that it's a trailer and not a mobile home, or have her (P.O.) do it. I can do it? Yes, fine I say, is that it! No, you need to have the police come out and inspect it and verify that it's a travel trailer and not a mobile home and record the V.I.N. # for us (like I'm gonna park a fricking double wide park model on the back of my 65' wide city lot). Fine, I call Barney Fife out to come and look at it, yup, it's a travel trailer and it looks like a 55 too! Really? The officer asks what the DMV's problem was, wanted to reply lack of gray matter, but didn't. After talking the officer out of giving it a safety inspection for an assembled vehicle he was on his way and so was I back to the DMV. The beauty of Michigan's DMV is if you have leave after paperwork, the give you a get out of jail free card so you go immediately to the front of the line. I particularly enjoyed making my 3rd return to cut in front of approximately 30+ people who'd probably been sitting there in excess of an hour. Got up to the counter, everything is going fine at this point, but had to title off line, no big deal. Then the clerk remembers I wanted a vanity plate. After 15 minutes of fighting the computer she realizes I would have to plate it and return later, fine. Done, it's titled to us and that's that. Now doesn't that sound like a fun day off work?

[74Argosy24MH]

Just think if Austin was still Sec of State. There would have been 300 people in line to cut in front of. He grew up in the age of carrier pigeons and saw no real need to change.

John

[John]

Jason,

It takes great patience to go through what you did today. Since you didn't get angry and worked through it, you pasted another of life's little test.

There not fun or even necessary, but it's life eh!

John

[davidz71]

Jason,
I know the frustration. I stood in the Franklin County Courthouse line for 20 minutes and when I tried to register the trailer was told that only one of the two previous owners had signed the title over to me not both (man and daughter). She gave me a form that I had to fax to the previous owner's daughter in N.M. and she faxed it back to me. I sure was glad to get that straightened out. It's been smooth sailing ever since, they take my money every year with no problem.

[Jabba]

Your right, I forgot about when the lines used to go OUTSIDE the building!

Yes, Craig, "just make your check out to State of Michigan" was the easiest instruction I heard today...

[Road Ruler]

Jason... Ben there dunit. Canadian Gov't offices are just as bad.

PS... Not always but you never know when you'll have a bad day there.

[Chas]

I used to go downtown and fight the DMV but no more. I use a private outfit that charges a set fee and does it all, collects taxes, issues plates, etc. I just transferred the title on a Acura Integra I bought today and it took about twenty minutes. Free parking, no lines, no hassles, no govt. worker attitudes. Cost an extra twenty bucks but worth every penny. I am not sure if every state allows it though.

Chas

[overlander64]

Greetings Jason!

It almost sounded like you were dealing with transferring a vehicle from Wisconsin. I ran into almost the same situation - - only I was moving from Wisconsin to Illinois and was just trying to register my Airstream in Illinois. The title was marked Mobile Home and had an awful time getting the point across that was how travel trailers were registered in Wisconsin. I had kept a photocopy of the original title from when I purchased the Airstream in 1995 (the previous owner lived in Illinois at the time I purchased the coach) and they finally consented that it must be a travel trailer. That was nearly three years ago - - and I am still going back and forth trying to get a personalized plate.

Kevin

[John]

Jason,

Please don't get me wrong, I will do almost anything to avoid the DMV. (Chas-I didn't know that someone provided this service-it's worth a couple of bucks!)It's a sh@*ty experience!!!!!!

I'm just impressed with how you remained cool and didn't freak out like most of us would have!!!!!!

Talk about stress, it's like talking to the wall-John

[gwsullivan]

AAA, at least in California, can do anything DMV can except issue drivers licenses. I gladly pay the annual $50 just to avoid the DMV.

[Rickk48]

Ditto on AAA in California. It took me all of 10-15 minutes to transfer title and fully register my Bambi. Turned out the woman who handled my transaction traveled in a Bambi in the early 60's with her parents. She and several AAA employes came out to the parking lot to "tour" the Bambi. Additionally, I have added the RV service rider to my AAA membership.