Where's the Title?
OK I'll buy It
I decided to buy my son-in-law's 2008 VW Jetta for the lease buy-out price, approximately $9700. This led to the decision to sell my 2002 Jetta with 102,000 miles. For that I needed to find the title. OK, the car was nine years old. Same for the title. Actually, I hadn't seen it - the title - in a while. Nor, as it turned out, could I find it presently.
New titles, I learned, could be had at the nearest DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) site.
Off to the DMV
So, intent on procuring a new title for the 2002 Jetta, but feeling a dread much like a five-year old headed for a flu shot, at 7:30 AM on a recent overcast morning, I head for the agonizing NJDMV, 19 miles west on NJ Route 10. I pack a full coffee mug, newspaper, requisite DMV papers (application for new title, car insurance card, registration for the 2002 Jetta) and laptop.
It is my second DMV trip this month. The first, three weeks prior, was for the same purpose but ended in every DMV customer’s nightmare - i.e. get to the front of the line after an hour’s wait and be told, sorry but you have the wrong papers.
In my case, today, I had the papers, but still failed. What I heard at the end of the line was, “Sorry there is a lien on your car. You’ll need a release letter from VW credit.”
Now I actually owned my car – outright – so I thought – huh?
“I own the car,” I told the man, but I don't think it registered.
“You can have them fax it to me,” he said, unimpressed.
I Knew This Would Happen
I grabbed my documents – registration, insurance card, title request form – did a military-like about face and marched away, breezing past several hundred poor souls in various stationary lines, out to the front vestibule and toward the door. I reached for the aluminum door handle. Oops – there was a sheet of paper, 8½ X 11, looking like it was ripped from a child's homework notebook and with hand scrawled words “Not an exit.” It was taped to the glass. OK, must be the other door I surmised and looked over my shoulder. “Exit here,” it said. Fine! Out I went, mumbling to myself, “I knew this would happen.”
The way I figured it was that since I bought my car and paid off VW Credit, they should no longer claim that there was a lien on my car. Wouldn’t you say? So why was I told, "there's a lien on your car?"
You Won’t Have to Worry
A few days before, the used car lot man had offered me $1300 for the 2002. It appealed to me because the guy said, “Sell it to me and you don’t have to worry about what happens to it, if anything goes wrong.”
He knew me - knew that when I said I could sell it to a friend that I was the type of guy that would worry about future breakdowns – and that I’d put the sale money into savings, and when the breakdown occurred (inevitable) I'd refund the money.
I fretted over a possible breakdown on an interstate, at night. Fortunately it was the husband, I was told, who’d be driving the car and he appeared to be in NFL pre-season condition. Still!
Regardless of who bought the car I needed VW Credit to send a lien release. Then I’d take the release letter to DMV, hand over $60 and get a new title. This irritated me because I paid $19K cash for the car some nine years ago.
I have a vague memory from when I bought the car, of falling for a come-on from the sales person, “If you finance for a month you’ll save $200 off the price, or $100.” Something like that. He didn't mention adding $60 for the title.
Did Anyone Send Me a Title?
So, did I ever get a title? Maybe, years ago, they actually sent me a lien release letter. If so I probably looked at it – said to myself, “That’s nice, especially since I just handed over $19K. Should I save this letter? Can’t see why. I’ve got a registration. What more do I need?”
License and Lien Release Letter Please
During the next nine years I was stopped by a cop twice. First, driving 3.5 mph turning right on red on an empty highway. Second, pulling over onto the shoulder too soon to turn right. Each offense was $350. The point is, I had all the necessary papers. No patrolman asked for a lien release letter.
So, now, here I am, again, off to the DMV. This time I am armed with the infamous lien release letter. I'm told it will cost $60 for the new title. I have cash, a checkbook, and a credit card. I'm wise to the DMV. It makes their day to bring someone to the front of the line and just when they're about to fork over cash, say, “We take only checks."
It's a private DMV employee game called "Front-of-the-line-turnback." The employees keep a tally, crown champs, have a party at year-end, the whole nine yards. It makes the day go faster.
Don't believe me?
Next time you get turned back after getting to the front, pivot and walk away, but then do a quick turn-around. You'll catch the person smiling, probably marking his or her tally, and comparing scores with the guy at the window next door. You'll see.
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