Out of Town Car Purchases???

Kma697 · #1 (**permalink**) May 31st, 2007, 05:27 PM

Getting ready to buy a car from Florida and no cash has changed hands yet. If I buy the car (cash purchase) what options will I have for a plate for the car? The owner is going to turn in his plate, but if I buy it what do I use? I'm sure someone else has done this, do I just put car in transit sign on the back and get pulled over 20 times????

19TTA89 · #2 (**permalink**) May 31st, 2007, 05:56 PM

Funny...I just went through this a few weeks ago,Flew to Florida and drove the car back.

You will need to find out where the nearest "Tag" office is..usually the Tax Collectors office.Ask the guy your buying the car from,I'm sure he could take you right to it.

You will need the title,And be prepared to pay the sales tax on the purchase price of the car right there.

I had the owner with me,I think they only asked him for his I.D...Went real smooth,They then issued me a temp tag which I put in the back window,And I was good to go.

Oh yeah,The tag was good for 1 month,And I didn't have to pay the sales tax back here in NJ.I believe NJ and FL. have the same sales tax.If your state is Higher than 7% you may have to pay the difference between your state sales tax and Florida's.If your tax is lower...Im sure you lose out...

Hold on to the paperwork from the Tag office/Tax collector...As proof you paid the sales tax on the car when you go to register it in your state.

Hope that helps...

Shawn

Kma697 · #3 (**permalink**) May 31st, 2007, 06:06 PM

Wow!!! Thanks for the info I wasn't expecting to have to pay the tax there. My state tax is higher so lucky me I pay twice!!!

19TTA89 · #4 (**permalink**) May 31st, 2007, 06:16 PM

Well...just the difference between the two taxes.

If they even notice...Chances are good they wont.

no-nos · #5 (**permalink**) May 31st, 2007, 07:24 PM

come to an agreement with the guy , if it cost $5k ask him to say your buying it for only $2k save's you some dough ( i'm sure you thought if it already

19TTA89 · #6 (**permalink**) May 31st, 2007, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by no-nos

come to an agreement with the guy , if it cost $5k ask him to say your buying it for only $2k save's you some dough ( i'm sure you thought if it already

Yup...I sure did get the deal of the century for $1500 Bucks...

When they look at the Title...They are probably thinking..."Damn...That must be one nice Regal for him to spend $1500 on a 20yr old car"

Grumpy · #7 (**permalink**) May 31st, 2007, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 19TTA89

Funny...I just went through this a few weeks ago,Flew to Florida and drove the car back.
Oh yeah,The tag was good for 1 month,And I didn't have to pay the sales tax back here in NJ.I believe NJ and FL. have the same sales tax.If your state is Higher than 7% you may have to pay the difference between your state sales tax and Florida's.If your tax is lower...Im sure you lose out...

Hold on to the paperwork from the Tag office/Tax collector...As proof you paid the sales tax on the car when you go to register it in your state.

Hope that helps...

Shawn

I was wondering how that would work in Mass

..got a car down there in Jan ... dealer gave me a temp plate and I paid sales tax up here ... did I say that Mass sucks ass on sales tax

ok enuff of a rant

70Mach1 · #8 (**permalink**) May 31st, 2007, 09:52 PM

Do you own another car? Of so, leave it parked where you are, take the plates off of it and use those to drive the car back. That is what I have always done.

I carry the title and bill of sale with me. I did get stopped once when I lived in PA, because I was riding on PA plates and had no inspection sticker. When I was stooped, showed the cop title and bill of sale, explaining that I was just driving it back home from a recent purchase, and he left me go.

Good luck with your new car.

vintageracer · #9 (**permalink**) May 31st, 2007, 09:57 PM

Be careful about paying sales tax in Florida or any state in which you are not a resident unless you are registering the car in Florida. Some states DO NOT recongnize the fact that you paid sales tax in Florida and may require you to pay sales tax again in the state in which you reside and register the car.

You may be able to buy a transit temporary tag in your state of residence and take it with you or do what most people do which is to take a tag off one of your other cars and use it on the car you purchase. Not necessarily legal but done all the time. Make sure you have a bill of sale and the title with you as stated earlier.

Make sure you have proper insurance on the car during transit

19TTA89 · #10 (**permalink**) May 31st, 2007, 10:08 PM

Like I said earlier....Just went through this...It is not worth getting pulled over and towed 1000 miles away from home...Happened to a buddy in Alabama...A complete nightmare,Another buddy also bought a Truck from PA...Threw the plates from his truck on for the ride home...Pulled over in NJ,(where he is a resident)...And sure enough,They towed it.

To me...It is not worth the risk

As far as another State not recognizing you paying sales tax in another state...I have never heard of it...And if NJ didn't question it,I don't think anywhere would...They will rip you off anyway they can

Whut · #11 (**permalink**) June 1st, 2007, 02:18 PM

I did it all wrong

I bought my GN in Wisconsin, on the east side while I live on the east side of Minnesota. I drove that car home with plates from a Camaro on it. I never got pulled over but I am sure if I did I would have had some explaining to do.

2QUIK6 · #12 (**permalink**) June 1st, 2007, 03:33 PM

Man ya'll all confused the heck out of me reading what ya'll have done for out of state purchases.
I've bought 4 cars out of state...never have I paid taxes upon pickup of the car, 2 of them were from dealers too.

I go down to my local DOT office/courthouse were you normally pay your registration and title transfer fees and ask for a 10-day temp paper plate.

You take the paper plate with you to get the car.
Exchange the money and get the clear title....drive back with title and paper plates on the car.
Then when you go to transfer the title to your name at your local DOT/courthouse, thats when they collect the sales tax.

Some states make you have a bill of sale stating what the sales price is, while other charge the tax based on the blue book value regardless of the real condition of the car. Also depending on your emissions laws, you may have to get the car emissions tested first before you can xfer the title.

tommynos · #13 (**permalink**) June 1st, 2007, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by no-nos

come to an agreement with the guy , if it cost $5k ask him to say your buying it for only $2k save's you some dough ( i'm sure you thought if it already

put even trade,if you put a low amount, florida will send you a automated letter of what the car should have been bought for and you will owe the balance of taxes....believe it!..its happened to me 3 times...then i started putting "even trade" and paid no taxes and never got the letter..you can call and dispute the letter then you have to send proof,bill of sale or something from the owner..
even trade works,gauranteed...save the money and send it to me

fubar2578 · #14 (**permalink**) June 1st, 2007, 03:42 PM

Transferring plates from one vehicle to another where I live is known as "ficticious plates", and carries a pretty hefty fine. You're better off to have the title, insurance card, and bill of sale and showing these to the police than having to pay the fine.

19TTA89 · #15 (**permalink**) June 1st, 2007, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2QUIK6

Man ya'll all confused the heck out of me reading what ya'll have done for out of state purchases.
I've bought 4 cars out of state...never have I paid taxes upon pickup of the car, 2 of them were from dealers too.

I go down to my local DOT office/courthouse were you normally pay your registration and title transfer fees and ask for a 10-day temp paper plate.

You take the paper plate with you to get the car.
Exchange the money and get the clear title....drive back with title and paper plates on the car.
Then when you go to transfer the title to your name at your local DOT/courthouse, thats when they collect the sales tax.

Some states make you have a bill of sale stating what the sales price is, while other charge the tax based on the blue book value regardless of the real condition of the car. Also depending on your emissions laws, you may have to get the car emissions tested first before you can xfer the title.

Thats nice if your state offers it....NJ will not issue a Temp tag for the purpose of Transporting.I have probably bought 6 out of town cars in the last 2 years easily.Im sure there are many other states that do not offer such a tag.

You say that you get your temp tag in your state...Sound like the reason why you dont pay the sales tax when you pick the car up?Why would you,You dont ask them to put a temp tag on the car.If you did...Bingo...Sales Tax time.

19TTA89 · #16 (**permalink**) June 1st, 2007, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fubar2578

Transferring plates from one vehicle to another where I live is known as "ficticious plates", and carries a pretty hefty fine. You're better off to have the title, insurance card, and bill of sale and showing these to the police than having to pay the fine.

Add unregistered vehicle to that also...And you now find yourself on a hook.Im sure if you run across an understanding officer,He may let you go.But as my 2 buddys were told from officers...."If we let you drive this thing,After stopping you and Knowing that it is unregistered and is using fictitious plates,And you were to be Involved in an accident,The cop gets in big trouble for it"

They both had Insurance cards...The Title,And Maybe the bill of sale...All the Trooper/Officer needs to see is it's unregistered...And your done,wouldn't really matter what else you have.

Kma697 · #17 (**permalink**) June 1st, 2007, 05:34 PM

Spoke with someone at my DMV and they said "NO TEMP TAGS ISSUED unless title and bill of sale are presented then they will issue the plate". This is becoming more of a pain in the ass then its worth! The seller and myself have busy schedules and its becoming a joke. I think I'm going to wait and let him drive the car in to me!! Screw all the headaches!!!

Oh yeah even asked about a "transit tag" and was told NO.

Whut · #18 (**permalink**) June 1st, 2007, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kma697

Spoke with someone at my DMV and they said "NO TEMP TAGS ISSUED unless title and bill of sale are presented then they will issue the plate". This is becoming more of a pain in the ass then its worth! The seller and myself have busy schedules and its becoming a joke. I think I'm going to wait and let him drive the car in to me!! Screw all the headaches!!!

Oh yeah even asked about a "transit tag" and was told NO.

You could always do what my buddy did. Drove out there in a truck with valid plates and a trailer with valid plate. He then took the no plate having WE4 and put it on the trailer. He got pulled over for speeding and the cop didnt even bother him about the car with no plates on the trailer.