Kit car fraud in California

[soareyes]

I found this article while researching registration procedures. This kind of bad publicity sure won't do the "kit car" industry any good in California:

http://www.caag.state.ca.us/newsalerts/2004/04-042.htm

Stan

[magnusfeuer]

Hmm..

It seems like this guy took a substantial bite out of the allocated smog certificates. It is also very interesting that the registrations will be cancelled. I wonder if the certificates will be up for grabs again...

/Magnus F.

[Anonymous]

From the article I suspect that these cars were not registered under SB 100. States pretty much accept cars from other states almost universally. This dodge would seem to attempt to fool CA into believing that the car has truly been registered elsewhere and driven there; when, in fact, the cars have never been near AL and likely never left CA once construction commenced. There is some degree of reciprocity in states accepting the registrations from each other because citizens do move, buy vehicles out of state, etc. SB 100 did not become a method of registration until 2002, and these Cobra kits seem to date back to 1999. 8)

[michael bedard]

Yikes!!!!!!

When I bought my seven over ten years ago this was the only way you could bring a modern seven into Ca. without going through hell with the DMV so i decided to follow the path of least resistance and now I might face the prospect of spending time in jail with over 70,000 car nuts. Maybe they'll just fence us into a concentration camp at Willow Springs and suffer having to watch everyone having a great time at the track.

[magnusfeuer]

Don't worry Michael,

During visiting hours I'll read the latest articles from Low Flying to you over the phone while you cry on the other side of the glass.

/Magnus F.

[michael bedard]

Thank you Magnus, I saw you as a compassionate human being the first time I laid eyes on you..

[Roll a 7]

Michael: I suggest that you request a private room, with a view if possible. I've heard that the room mate selection system can sometimes present difficulties for some guests. 8)

[michael bedard]

I KNEW AMERICANS HAD TROUBLE WITH IRONY BUT SARCASM TOO?

[Michael Murphy]

Q: What do you call an artist in a suit?

A: The Accused

I can lend you a suit if you need one.

[michael bedard]

I beg everyone to not open the floodgates of attorney jokes.

[Roll a 7]

Last week I spoke with a guy in the SoCal Cobra club---mostly kit cars. Their websites have been actively discussing the fraud title situation as many of them used the AL title to get registered. Apparently the state comes after them for taxes which were not collected, frequently related to the original valuation of the car. Example: If the owner claimed he got from AL and it was worth $5000 and sales taxed as such, the state may feel that CA is owed additional $$$ based upon original value AND subsequent mis-represented value when the registration was annually renewed.

CA is not yet constructing a new prison system to hold all of the possibly 70,000 cases. Searching out a Cobra website or two will probably shed some light on the current situation. It seems that the state is primarily interested in collecting $$$ in theses days of budget deficits.