Date:         Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:35:24 -0230
Reply-To:     Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Crossing into Canada with just a "pink slip"
In-Reply-To:  <193204.58913.qm@web112019.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hi John,

I'm not sure I quite understand what you are worried about - is your concern
crossing the border, or is it what would happen if you had an accident or
were for some other reason stopped by the police?  YOU need paperwork to get
across the borders - passports, for sure - but your car doesn't.  I've
crossed the border any number of times in my van, and no one has ever asked
for anything pertaining to the vehicle.  Not in either direction.

For the unlikely event that you get stopped by the police or you are in an
accident, do you have the registration?  Is it current?  And do you have any
documentation (e.g. a will) showing that you have inherited the car?

I don't understand, though - by OR title, do you mean an Oregon title?  Or
something else?  Presumably something else, since you also say you have a
California title.  Are you planning to register the car in Alaska?  Some
states take FOREVER to give you a title when you register your vehicle.  NY
told me it would take months, when I registered my van there.  That was in
early July, I haven't seen any sign of the title yet.  Virginia, on the
other hand, gives it to you immediately - pay them a few dollars, they hand
you the title.  You don't need the title to take your van across the border,
I've never traveled with it.




Joy


On Sat, Sep 12, 2009 at 3:06 PM, John Anderson <wvukidsdoc@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Excuse a bit of lack of VW content, but it might have some (at the
> bottom...)
>
> Wondering if anyone has any practical experience with this in a post
> homeland security, post needing passport to get into Canada world.
>
> Situation, wife has inherited dads car from CA and we want to drive it to
> AK.
>
> Wife and I need to drive a California plated, titled vehicle from
> California to AK, across the border from WA to Canada then Canada to AK.  We
> had no issues about even needing to present anything but ID at the border on
> our way up 2 1/2 years ago, certainly didn't need anything about the vehicle
> (at least to present at the time) but this was just before you needing
> passports (which we had/have of course.)
>
> So we will have a signed California title (an OR title from her dad and
> stepmom signed over by stepmom), the California plates from previous owner,
> and still insured by same for the trip, plus will put it on our insurance as
> well.  I'm sort of queasy about it all and want to just have title sent here
> and title/plate it in AK, but the stepmom, a real rule stickler, can't seem
> to make this happen, because something about not transferring a California
> title for 40 days after someone dies for lien issues (not that the vehicle
> isn't payed off) and not that AK would give a rats ass as long as I have an
> OR title signed by one of the owners, but admittedly it would get back to
> California before the 40 days and I don't want her in trouble.
>
> Anyone do something like this recently with any opinions.  Trying to find
> anything from the borders or DMVs has been pretty useless as has been
> internet searching and I don't want say to get into Canada then not get back
> into the US.
>
> For VW content and to complicate issues, I may very well also pick up a
> Vanagon in the Vancouver area, non-op to tow dolly back.  Anyone know if I
> still pay full 25% "truck" duty on a parts vehicle, and if I'll have any
> trouble with just a BC title to get back into US as a parts vehicle?  This
> truely will be a parts vehicle, I have no illusions of ever running it, and
> will have it destroyed within the year/etc.
>
> Thanks
> John
>
>
>
>