transit forge journal: dept of motor villany

dept of motor villany

yes, every trip to the local dmv leaves one with a new crease in the forehead and an ulcerous growth in the stomach. mine started at 9:30 this morning.

after four, count ’em, four, months of awaiting a special inspection by the NYstate dmv junk and salvage division, i was blessed with an email and a letter of notification for an inspection appointment (monday 10:30am). trying to get registration and plates after moving from VT is no easy task when you have the bold, red words REBUILT VEHICLE stamped across your title. guilty of something, trying to hide stolen parts, who knows? the nydmvjsd will find out!

i had been driving with my VT plates since the registration was good through june, but i was immediately told by the surly nydmvjsd mechanic that i would not be driving this truck home as the plates were not legal. evidently when one surrenders a title for reregistration, the vehicle cannot be still registered elsewhere. i was aware that my paperwork situation was not totally sound, but i was left with few options as i would have been in a four-month limbo with no way to get to work or grocery store or pub. i asked about my options and was told: ”you gotta tow it.” this would require around 250-300dollars worth of towing as i was 45minutes from home. calling my shortlist of friends and having very limited luck with the u-haul corporation (its own set of computerized rules not allowing for a quote or availability response for a trailer without knowing the make/model of the vehicle that would be towing the trailer),
i finally got hold of two friends having lunch in the area as they were not working because of rain.

to the rescue, i was shuttled to get a towing bar at the friend’s house, then had to piece together a hitch (with a trip to the local napa) and various chains.
the plastic grill and thin sheet metal piece below my bumper had to be removed before we could crank down the chains and bracketry. this took some time and rains that had started upon my early morning arrival, persisted.
once we actually attached the tow hitch, the hardest work was done and a relatively painless trip north was uneventful.

i have borrowed a gas-guzzling cream-colored 3/4ton pickup from another friend for the next few weeks while i await the arrival of my new title (i passed the long-awaited inspection), and my sorry white pickup sits sad and grill-less in the rain.

god bless our common-sense laws and god bless the dmv.

2004-05-03 20:37

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That reminds me. My title is in a sort of limbo as I didn't receive it prior to departing for Chicago from Carbondale. I looked into things and the title returns to it's home in Springfield if it is not delivered successfully. Because of the huge delay and my confusion about actually having a title (I honestly thought I'd received it that same day at the DMV), the poor little bugger either was destroyed and I need it reissued or I simply have to get it freed by posting $60 to the proper Illinois authority. I'm guessing there are some heinous details awaiting me that I've not yet discovered. I suppose after I drive the little red Honda into the ground and want to sell it to some import tuner enthusiast I'll have to have that title. Maybe I better look into it since I'm guessing the car will be worth at least twice that but let's hope more.
— jmmygoggle May 10, 01:12 AM #