Taking a Toll

[Creek Jenkins]

We traded off our old camper last January and bought a new Paradigm 310. Yay. Dealer experience was less than stellar , we thought we were getting a good deal but found out later it was an average deal. Which was fine but then they took us for a ride on an insurance claim. That’s another story.
Anyway, after we traded it in we spent the rest of the winter in Texas, then drove back to the snowy northern land of 10000 taxes. Since we got home we have been getting “final notice “ letters from every toll jurisdiction in Texas on our old camper. I am not sure if the dealer has moved it to a couple different stores or if they sold it and the new owners just left our plates on it and are joyriding around Texas. The dealer won’t tell us, every time we call to ask we get transferred to someone that is not at their desk and doesn’t call us back.
I have spent hours on the phone with the toll payment people, sent them copies of bill of sale and assorted paperwork which never seems to be what they want. And they don’t tell you that it’s wrong, they just send another final notice and then you end up speaking to someone completely different and start the whole process again.
It’s absolutely ridiculous. I’m thinking the only move I have left is to hire a lawyer. Or don’t go back to Texas. Thanks for listening to me whinge.

Cheers
Creek

 

[Bozo]

Rule of thumb when selling or trading vehicles: ALWAYS take your plates! ALWAYS!

 

[Bozo]

Did they try to get payment over phone? Scam?

 

[Creek Jenkins]

No it has been bills by mail.

 

[M and E]

The first thing you need to do is find out how you file a lost/stolen/abandoned plate report with the jurisdiction who issued the plate. You should be able to backdate it. It will then remove your data and be entered into NCIC as lost or stolen. Sooner or later it will trigger on a plate reader. Not certain on the state’s view on backdating but it will stop all future bills. Retired LEO on this side of the keyboard.

 

[Midnight Rider]

We traded off our old camper last January and bought a new Paradigm 310. Yay. Dealer experience was less than stellar , we thought we were getting a good deal but found out later it was an average deal. Which was fine but then they took us for a ride on an insurance claim. That’s another story.
Anyway, after we traded it in we spent the rest of the winter in Texas, then drove back to the snowy northern land of 10000 taxes. Since we got home we have been getting “final notice “ letters from every toll jurisdiction in Texas on our old camper. I am not sure if the dealer has moved it to a couple different stores or if they sold it and the new owners just left our plates on it and are joyriding around Texas. The dealer won’t tell us, every time we call to ask we get transferred to someone that is not at their desk and doesn’t call us back.
I have spent hours on the phone with the toll payment people, sent them copies of bill of sale and assorted paperwork which never seems to be what they want. And they don’t tell you that it’s wrong, they just send another final notice and then you end up speaking to someone completely different and start the whole process again.
It’s absolutely ridiculous. I’m thinking the only move I have left is to hire a lawyer. Or don’t go back to Texas. Thanks for listening to me whinge.

Cheers
Creek

I got several of those notices because my old rig ended up in Texas. I just figured they were a scam And ignored them?Maybe it was for real? Either way Midnight Rider is not paying!

” I got to run to keep from hid’en
I‘m down but I keep on rid’en
I got one more silver dollar
And I ain’t gunna let‘em catch me no,
I ain’t gunna let them catch the Midnight Rider!”

 

[Bozo]

Again, when you relinquish possession of any vehicle, ALWAYS keep your plates. When a vehicle has plates, it makes it easier for person to operate it without registering in their name….you are legally tied to that plated vehicle until transferred. That is why my state requires: signed and dated title, bill of sale, and registration slip. I always take pics of title, reg., and bill of sale, as well of driver license of buyer. I also note make, model, and plate number of vehicle buyer shows up in. That said, dealer should have insured that you had your plates before you left. Around here, they usually have the plates off before the ink is dry on the purchase agreement….if not before.

 

[Lantley]

Yes in my state, owner is required to turn in old plates to DMV upon relinquishing ownership.
Turning in the plates avoids all the tolls and ticketing nonsense..
Failure to turn in plates can result in fines, penalties and lots of unforeseen liabilities.

 

[J. Thomas]

You have no problem at all since it is from Texas. Go online and find the form VTR-346. It is a notice to the state that you have sold a vehicle, car, trailer, etc. Fill it out and return that form. On it you need to show the approximate date of sale, and who you sold/traded it to . Once they have this form, you can not be held responsible for anything related to that car/plate after the sale date.

 

[Creek Jenkins]

Finally got in touch with someone at the dealership. They were very apologetic and when we sent them copies of the bills they paid immediately and sent us copies of the receipts. Our old camper was transferred to another store and sold, so no more tolls should be issued.