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Illinois DOT harassment horror story-true

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by kurts49plym, Apr 19, 2008.

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  1. kurts49plym
    Joined: Nov 2, 2007
    Posts: 386

    kurts49plym
    Member
    from IL

    I will try and keep this short. A year or so ago I flew to AZ (from IL) and bought a rough 63 chevy suburban for under $2000. I barely made it home as the engine was tired. Our state charges a flat fee for titles of old vehicles (no tax) so I wrote down what I paid and the title fee was charged to me. I drove the vehicle for some 6 months and worked on the engine getting it running better. I then sold it. 4 months later I receive a letter from DOT stating I owe approx. $900 due to their records showing "63 chevys" are valued over $15K. This was some kind of tax and if I didn't pay, I would be charged interest on the $900 or so and who know what else (arrested? License taken away). They said I had to prove with a bill of sale (faxing it in) what I paid. At that time I had lost any bill of sale. I asked a buddy of mine this letter and he says he knows of one guy that owned (for 5 years and still does) a 60s torino that got the letter asking for money. He just sent the money in since he still owned the car. I had my suburban appraised for under 2500 and faxed that in even though I had since sold the truck months earlier. I called the guy I sold the truck to and he had not even transfered the title yet so nothing was due to his interaction. This letter was really intimidating and caused me a lot of grief. To this day, I'm not understanding how they can just send these letters out demanding money or else. Anyone else get these letters??:confused: Kurt
     
  2. Ole don
    Joined: Dec 16, 2005
    Posts: 2,915

    Ole don
    Member

    This sounds to me like nothing more than a crooked local official trying to supplement his income. I would take all the original paper work, and walk it into the office of the secretary of state police in Springfield. Then apply for a permit to carry. Two can play that game. If they are on the level, also have along a copy of old cars weekly Price Guide. Simply explain the difference between a restorered car and a parts car and the ones in between.
     
  3. this has been an on going issue with Illinois
    it is the people who do not have a bill of sale or are intimidated into sending in the extra money that are fueling this fire
    this happened to me once and i now know how to never let it happen to me again
    when you are transfering titles attach a copy of the bill of sale to the paperwork
    done
    you will never get this letter again
    Illinois is searching for every penny it can steal from us hobbiest so be aware
    tom
     
  4. Zettle Bros.
    Joined: Oct 17, 2004
    Posts: 1,358

    Zettle Bros.
    Member

    Don't feel like it's just the hotrodders getting nailed. Farmers who buy trucks and equipment second hand from private parties are getting it too.
     

  5. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,730

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    WTF? what planet are you on?


    We have property tax like this in NC, either take a copy of the bill of sale or an appraisal. A copy of the price guide may help. Pictures always do here, I showed a pic of the car they valued at $18k here and they lady at the Revenue office promptly lowered the value to $1500...
     
  6. oldchevyseller
    Joined: May 30, 2004
    Posts: 1,851

    oldchevyseller
    Member
    from mankato mn

    well ,aside from this is nothing new ,what are you doing letting the title float around still in your name,? WTF:confused:
     
  7. 23 bucket-t
    Joined: Aug 27, 2005
    Posts: 1,366

    23 bucket-t
    Member

    You can move to Connecticut all cars 20 year and older a tax appraised for $500.
     
  8. Russco
    Joined: Nov 27, 2005
    Posts: 4,327

    Russco
    Member
    from Central IL

  9. Rudebaker
    Joined: Sep 14, 2007
    Posts: 1,598

    Rudebaker
    Member
    from Illinois

    Blagojevich, don't ya' just love him? :mad: I haven't ever heard of that one and I have bought and sold a few older cars in the past 15 years and always just paid the flat fee. Sounds like the parking ticket scam Chicago pulls every so often where they send out a mass mailing of parking tickets to people all over the state who haven't been anywhere near Chicago in years. I'd be visiting the States Attorney and checking into this, somethin' doesn't smell right.
     
  10. 39cent
    Joined: Apr 4, 2006
    Posts: 1,569

    39cent
    Member
    from socal

    the infamous ca. dmv tried that on me. Wanted to charge me for a wrecked 82' chevy caprice wagon. my neighbor got me the car from a towing yard for $200. it needed a new front group and frame straightened. got that done for about $400. It was a 4yearold car and ran great. They didnt like the $200 dollar price and told me that it was worth $3500. [I said 'SOLD" !] told them that i fixed it up. they said didnt matter, so I said i should get, the cost of repairs, deducted , they didnt care. so I finally got it straightened out at the auto club. paid fee on the $200. They should stay with fees for the roads not worry about how much its worth.
     
  11. 2-TONED
    Joined: Jan 31, 2005
    Posts: 1,683

    2-TONED
    Member

    someone there in ill. has been watching Barret Jackson & they saw those HUGE prices & nothing but $$$ dollar signs rang up in the head!!

    get pics of the vehicle, write up your own legit looking bill of sale if you lost yours, take it in to the DMV. fight it.

    here in minnesota its a flat fee of 90.00 if you buy a 57 chev for 400 bucks or buy one for $90,000.00 thats IF you put collector plates on it. + a couple other license plate fees etc... its over 100.00 total.
     
  12. kurts49plym
    Joined: Nov 2, 2007
    Posts: 386

    kurts49plym
    Member
    from IL

    I don't understand your question Oldchevyseller? Can you explain or maybe you are misunderstanding my post? Once the car is sold to another person, I don't have any say into telling them to go transfer it into their name-so there's your WTF.
     
  13. GSX-PKV
    Joined: Feb 18, 2008
    Posts: 47

    GSX-PKV
    Member

    Illinois is a very corrupt state where most former (and most likely the current one) wind up in prison! When we lived in Illinois, my daughter was involved in a "scrape" incident where her Camaro had no damage and the other driver, a grumpy old man, called the police to make a report for a small 4" long surface scratch on his car that I could have easily taken out with just cleaner wax. There was not even an insurance claim or anything... he just wanted to be "cautious" in case there was any hidden damage to his mini van so he insisted on a police report.

    Since there was a police report the Illinois DOT sent us a bill for several THOUSAND dollars to replace a damaged guard rail that was near the accident site that neither my daughters or the old man's car came close to. I took photos of the dozens of dents in that guardrail and sent it with an explanation to the DOT and after many back and forth letters, they dropped the charges. I wonder how many dozens of people they sent intimidating letters and bills to for that same guardrail?
     
  14. GSX-PKV
    Joined: Feb 18, 2008
    Posts: 47

    GSX-PKV
    Member

    "Illinois is a very corrupt state where most former (and most likely the current one) wind up in prison"... I forgot to say governors.
     
  15. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,828

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    I don't understand your question Oldchevyseller? Can you explain or maybe you are misunderstanding my post? Once the car is sold to another person, I don't have any say into telling them to go transfer it into their name-so there's your WTF.

    here in sunny California when you sell a car you send in a release of liability with the name of who you sold it to. not sure how other states do it but I would imagine they all have the same thing.

    as it is now you are still liable for that car. if he gets a parking ticket it will go to you.

    I got a car a few years back and parted it out. 6 months later the guy I got the car from said the registered owner that he got it from called and said he got a parking ticket in the mail. this car was completely stripped down and parted out.

    a guy did buy the empty shell. so either he built a car out of it, or I sold the bumper with the license plate still on it and someone put that on thier car. either way the guy who sold it should have filled out the release of liability. he ended up paying the ticket for a car he doesn't even own and no longer even existed.
     
  16. oldchevyseller
    Joined: May 30, 2004
    Posts: 1,851

    oldchevyseller
    Member
    from mankato mn

    If the buyer gets in an accident in the vehicle, the seller could be sued as the "owner" of the vehicle. This can be a very expensive and distressing experience.
    If the vehicle is impounded, the government may require the seller to pay the charges of towing and/or storage of the vehicle.



    the title is still in your name!!! thats WTF
    dont care it the pope bought the car, you have to transfer to be legal!
    anytime you sell a car you go to your local dmv and transfer, if you had done this you would not be in the system anymore as owner, he would and the fees charged at that time would be all taken care of.
     
  17. MercMan1951
    Joined: Feb 24, 2003
    Posts: 2,654

    MercMan1951
    Member

    Signing over a title to the new buyer doesn't release you from anything until it's transferred into the buyer's name. In Michigan, you're supposed to go to the Sec. of State with the buyer and have the title signed over and transferred into the buyer's name in your presence, to avoid anything bad from happening. (Pain in the ass, but it releases you from ownership.)

    Story- I bought a car from a guy that lived across the street from a body shop I worked at. I was going to fix it up, I got it for cheap. My "buddy" calls me up one day, asking if I had anything to sell, since he was out of a car and needed wheels. I told him I'd sell him the car, and he agreed on the price. I never got around to putting the title in my name since it was just parked since I got it, (I only had it for a couple weeks), so I just gave him the signed off title I had for it, and he said he'd go transfer it over and get insurance, blah, blah. I had no reason to doubt him. Except-

    FF a few months later...the guy that lived across the street that I bought the car off of comes over to me while at work, saying he got a bill in the mail for towing of an "abandoned vehicle"...apparently, my "buddy" never bothered to transfer the title into his name, the car died, and he just left it on the side of the road somewhere, and it got towed. :mad:

    EDIT: oldchevyseller: Yep. You type faster than me. :eek:
     
  18. when i sell a car , i meet the new owner at the license bureau and we transfer title then and there...saves on problems and misunderstandings later on
     
  19. Man, I'm not moving to Illinois.
     
  20. Something else to consider when you vote this fall.

    Here, they base it on the reciept you give them. They don't care how much it says - I literally gave someone 2 cents for a car a few years ago and they took it. I had to pay the tax on one dollar, but what the heck. It costs $50 from the state to get a new title and you have to actually register an older car to transfer it to your name, so a lot of cars get sold and re-sold without ever being put into people's names. Even when it was still just $10 for a new title, people just didn't bother with the hassle.
     
  21. kurts49plym
    Joined: Nov 2, 2007
    Posts: 386

    kurts49plym
    Member
    from IL

    Not in IL. There is no official transfer paperwork. When I sell a vehicle in IL, I sign the title over to the new owner-That's it, that's how we do it. However, I always get a signed copy bill of sale from the buyer that states that I sold it to him on that day. That covers me in case he robs a bank or whatever. That's something I do-no law involved or official paperwork. We do not go to DMV every time we sign a title over-Not done and never heard of it here anyway. How about a IL class action lawsuit to stop these riduculous threating letters?
     
  22. MercMan1951
    Joined: Feb 24, 2003
    Posts: 2,654

    MercMan1951
    Member

    Hmmm.

    This was interesting:

    http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/vehicles/title_registration/apply_custom_rod.html
     
  23. Rudebaker
    Joined: Sep 14, 2007
    Posts: 1,598

    Rudebaker
    Member
    from Illinois


    It is a felony in IL to be in possession of an "open" title that isn't in your name unless you are a licensed dealer. By "open" it means signed by the seller (you) but not by the buyer. Once you sign the title he has to sign it as well otherwise if he's caught with it he's in big trouble with the Secretary of State's office.
     
  24. 392_hemi
    Joined: Jun 16, 2004
    Posts: 1,736

    392_hemi
    Member

    IL tax used to be a flat fee of $50 or so for old cars, now it's a percentage of the sale price thanks to Gov. B. If you have a bill of sale, send them a copy along with the payment and that should be it. If you don't have a bill of sale or some other proof of what you paid, the tax is based on market value of the vehicle. How that's determined isn't specified in the regulations.
     
  25. Why don't you look harder and "find" your bill of sale?
     
  26. tdoty
    Joined: Jun 21, 2006
    Posts: 821

    tdoty
    Member

    Every time I've tried to have a bill of sale attached, the DMV people want nothing to do with it. "That's for you, we don't need it."

    Tim D.
     
  27. willowbilly3
    Joined: Jun 18, 2004
    Posts: 4,356

    willowbilly3
    Member Emeritus
    from Sturgis

    I always thought it might be fun to set in jail for sawing some pencil neck's desk in half with my 090 Stihl. I have threatened to and got some results. Just make it very clear you intend no personal harm to the humans.
     
  28. LEECOUNTYRODS
    Joined: Nov 19, 2006
    Posts: 394

    LEECOUNTYRODS
    Member
    from Dixon, IL

    Great, just today I did my title and plates here in Illinois on my 48 Plymouth. What I do have which they asked for, is a bill of sale. I will hold on to it just in case. I never heard of this before.
     
  29. RilleCustoms
    Joined: Nov 22, 2005
    Posts: 158

    RilleCustoms
    Member

    I have been on the shitty end of the stick too .....just by not knowing all the rules .....I do rods and choppers all the time ...... and up here they paper work you to death !! ... they make the rules !!! ...so you just play by there rules , lol. I just paper work them to death too , and that way you give them no way to move at all or scam you ! I have even had a receipt for a T body wrote out on a peice of toilet paper just to be a prick and prove a point ... its legal , its a reciept ! They want a paper trail ... ok I will give them one ! ...doesnt mean it is any good or not ... cause you know people move and phone numbers change , if you know what I mean .. As long as you give the mindless goverment worker what they want with out thinking and fill in all the blanks , so know little red flags come up , your good to go! ..... but if you make them think ,question or the red flag goes up , your screwed ! thats how they scam you ........you have left your self wide open to screw you . So make the rules work for you !! fill in all the blanks and paper paper paper !!!!! and take a shit load of pics start to finish ! With them I question everthing to death and drive them crazy , and when I get them anserwed I take ther name and number just in case it is wrong( and they sure dont like that if you start writing there name down , watch them scworm ) and you dont get caught holding the bag ! and if they screw up they will just make it go away , if you know what I mean ..... thats funny how it works .. so just remember , you want me to play by the rules ... fine , I WILL ! ..... and that way if they screw up , you can send them the bill or they owe you money from there mistakes ....... and I have done it and won , and made them pay me ! .... so really its just all a big game and thats all it is , you just have to know the rules ........ the best offence is a great defence ! ... cheers
     
  30. LEECOUNTYRODS
    Joined: Nov 19, 2006
    Posts: 394

    LEECOUNTYRODS
    Member
    from Dixon, IL

    They did ask what I paid for my Rod today and I told them $5000 because they wouldn't accept the fact I swapped my rod with another person.
     
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