redleader

I recently bought my S2k from Oregon and drove it back to CA. I was wondering how the whole CA registration will work out and this was what I was told by the dealer in Oregon: If you had paid cash for the car we would just send you on your way and you'd have to take care of the registration yourself once you get back to CA. But since you are financing with us, the bank requires us to send proof of registration. Therefore, we will mail all tax and title docs to your local DMV (whose address you need to provide us with) and you will then have to contact your DMV and make an appointment to go in and sign the papers and get your plates.

I am confused as hell as what this all mean. All I know is that I drove off from the dealer with some kind of "trip permit" on the windshield that lasts like 10 days and was paid for by the $5 fee the dealer charged me. I'll be calling the DMV soon to see if they received anything from the dealer but this whole process sounds foggy. The dealer did charge me CA registration and said that they will cut a check to the my CA DMV.

Someone with out of state car buying experience please help explain...I would appreciate it.

Thanks.

dgl1

redleader: Relax. It works just as the dealer said. Bought mine last year at Kendal Honda in Corvallis. The dealer forwards all your paperwork. Make an appointment with the desigated DMV office after verifying that the papers have arrived. DMV inspects your Stook and collects user tax (unless you've owned it in Oregon for 92 days) along with the license fee. Oh yeah. You must have the car smogged before they give you the license because it previously has not had the inspection in CA. Good luck. Prepare to spend the better part of a day.

dgl1

yu888

Yep, sounds about right, unless you have a business or residence in OR, the dealerships should forward all reg fees to DMV, but you have to bring the car in w/ smog certificate. Almost easier to buy the car in "cash" in OR, then come back and rebuy the car from yourself in CA after the 92 day OR limit (and I think CA requires the car have over a certain mileage). That way you can finance the buy from your self (or spouse) AND avoid some of the DMV mess. But I guess legality is a whole other issue though.

redleader

dgi1,

hope you are right. but what is the "user tax?" I hope that is not the same as the CA state tax, because the dealer already charged me that. they also charged me the license fee already too. and whats this about the 92 day limit?

Thanks

dgl1

redleader: Sorry to say, but it is. That's why the process works smoothly. Governments make it easy to take your money. The fee you paid in Oregon, if a recall is a license fee. Oregon does not have a sales tax, but it wants its cut.


dgl1

loki

Fairly simple (yeah right!)...

I bought my car in Washington and drove it back... had to pay taxes on it once in CA along with getting it smogged. Whoa, big mistake if you're trying to save a few g's. On hindsight I would've registered it out of state, got a title for it, then did a simple title tranfer in CA. You'd wouldn't get taxed in this case, same as the 90day deal, which will work but is stickier when you're driving it around currently in CA should you need to provide paperwork to back up your story. Tough if you're financing.

Good luck, the best thing you can do is BE PREPARED for all DMV circumstances.

redleader

man, sounds like I'm going to get screwed big time. It appears I may run the risk of paying CA state 8.25% tax twice!!??!! I know I paid it once in OR along with their estimate of the CA state license fee. They said they would cut the CA DMV a check for these fees afterwards. This would ensure I would get the car registered since I'm financing and there is a bank involved.

The more I think about it the more this seems to suck. Should have just bit the bullet on high markups at a CA dealership. Looks like I have two choices, bitch like crazy or take whatever bullsh_t I get fed between the DMV and jackass dealer up in OR for the sake of getting the damn car registered.

loki

Redleader,

I want to add that I bought mine used out of state for cheap so it wasn't a price comparison to a new car here in CA. If the OR dealership said they'd take care of CA fees, state that to the CA DMV and they will/should persue this with the dealership. Or in most cases the dealership figures out what the CA DMV fees would be, calculates that into the total and cuts a seperate check to you to give to the DMV for it's tax fees. Sounds like you didn't get a check cut back to you for that, I'd look into that ASAP before you visit the DMV.

Good luck.

NoFe2O3

Redleader,

Talk to your dealer again. No way you should be paying taxes twice!! I got mine in the midwest. Paid NO state tax there, but had to pay CA tax when I went to register at DMV. Still saved a bundle.

I also had a quote from another dealer (in AZ). He said I'd have to pay AZ tax, but that, when shown evidence thereof, CA would only tax me for the difference. Since I didn't end up buying there, I have no personal comments as to the veracity of this.

redleader

thanks for the helpful advice folks.

I contacted the DMV today and they said they didn't receive anything yet. however, when I mentioned that I had bought this car brand new out of state and drove it back, the lady said I can't register it if its UNDER 7000miles. I nearly flipped! After some research, she discovered that this only held true for cars NOT California equipped (I think this means smog legal?) and that the exceptions were if you are moving to CA from OR, if you bought the car in OR while stationed there as military personnel, if you inherited the car, if you won it in a divorce settlement, if you bought it in OR because your primary vehicle you drove there with broke down or got stolen, yada, yada. BUT, if the car was brand new, but is CA legal, then you can register it with less than 7k miles. WHEW!!! I guess it will be registerable. Well, I guess it must work since all you other guys have pulled it off.

Now, back to work on finding out where the dealers sent the papers...AND THE MONEY!!!