Date:         Fri, 13 Oct 2006 17:50:32 -0700
Reply-To:     John Bange <jbange@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Bange <jbange@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: california registration laws - how does one deal with expired
              tags?
Comments: To: Florian Speier <groups.florian@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <dad0e8a40610131630idcd2a4dmeb662866b3b24c69@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

> I just got a donor car for my subaru conversion here in the bay area. now,
> the tags expired this july, and i was surprised to read on the dmv page that
> even vehicles that are not running need a tag..... and that there are late
> fees that the buyer is responsible for .....
> so, how does everyone deal with this? I just want to take the engine out and
> then get rid of the car

Well, you could register it "non-op" like Todd mentions.... or you
could just ignore it. Non-op status is just a way for you to pay a
minimal fee and stop the late fees from piling up. Thing is, if you
never plan to operate the vehicle on the road ever again, you will
never need to pay for new license tags, so the state will never have
the opportunity to collect those late fees. If all you're going to do
is pull parts and send the body to the crusher on a flatbed, the
state's not in much of a position to demand anything in the way of
registration. Like the web site says, the new owner is responsible for
any late fees, and once you hand the carcass off to the junkyard,
that's THEM. Besides, they just turn in the pink slip for a
"Nonrepairable Vehicle Certificate", which flushes all the late fees
anyway.

The "correct" way to do it would be to file non-op, but that will
needlessly cost you money.

Non-op used to be free, and would make the late fees disappear. Back
in the 80's, before they closed the loophole, you could actually walk
into the DMV to pay your 2 months late registration and turn in a
non-op form with your registration papers claiming it had been non-op
during those 2 months and they wouldn't charge you late fees! I used
this dodge many times as an impoverished youth. Unfortunately they
don't let you do that anymore...

--
John Bange
'90 Vanagon - "Geldsauger"