Fascist Georgia DMVS outlaws kit cars and custom motorcycles!

[Keeper]

Originally Posted by athens550

Supposedly, the reason for the change was fear of legal liability against the state if someone was involved in an accident with one of these non-federally compliant vehicles.

But, I can buy a 2+ ton mid-60's muscle car with an emissions-waived 7.7 liter engine and that's OK? A lot of classic cars didn't even come with seatbelts. Until recently, SUV's weren't even close to passenger car requirements.


Many kit cars are very light with modern engines. If a Caterham slams into a Lincoln Navigator, what's Mr. Lincoln going to sue for? The scratches on his muffler?

BTW, In Taxachusetts, we pay 2.5% of the car's value every year in Excise tax after 5% sales (registration) tax. They depreciate the cars very rapidly, so it's always much less than normal depreciation.

[Bavarian Motorist]

Please let's get this law removed lest it infest other states in this country.

[Keeper]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Motorist

Please let's get this law removed lest it infest other states in this country.

I agree. The kit car companies, especially, should be fighting this.

[lotusforsale]

Originally Posted by Keeper

BTW, In Taxachusetts, we pay 2.5% of the car's value every year in Excise tax after 5% sales (registration) tax. They depreciate the cars very rapidly, so it's always much less than normal depreciation.

Jeez, I hope our gov isn't reading this. Our permanently 'Democratically' dominated legislature just raised taxes across the board...income, sales, fees, small business...you name it, in one fell swoop, higher than has ever been done in this state.

We expect them to copy soon the Virginia $1000 speeding tickets. They see this, and they will jump on it.

I think Maryland is the one state more liberal, and liberally taxing, than Taxachusetts.

[lotusforsale]

Originally Posted by Keeper

I agree. The kit car companies, especially, should be fighting this.

Pretty late to the dance. The vintage car hobbyists have been fighting the crusher laws some states have. Believe me, kit cars are the least of the car hobby's problems.

[Eye Candy]

It must be spreading. In NC as of Jan 1, if you have a kit car that has never been titled in the state before, EVEN if it has been titled in another state, you must first have the car "bonded" which means that you get two estimates of the car's value (from car dealers) and then go to an insurance company and pay a fee, THEN you have to turn over that information to your county's DMV enforcement officer who then researches the car to make sure it isn't stolen or contains stolen parts (to take liability off the state) and that officer issues the title and the tags (instead of the usual DMV office) and any updates forever.
Until Jan 1 if you had a title from another state all you had to do was take a bill of sale to the DMV and pay a tax. If you had a 1965 replica car you could get antique plates and avoid a state inspection. No more sweet deals. Our local county officer is in the process of trying to figure out how to manage the paperwork for a guy that has been building a FFR for five years. I was going to get plates for mine just to be able to drive it to get work done (and maybe the occasional burger run) but its not worth it anymore for a race car.

[pla_time]

Originally Posted by lotusforsale

Jeez, I hope our gov isn't reading this. Our permanently 'Democratically' dominated legislature just raised taxes across the board...income, sales, fees, small business...you name it, in one fell swoop, higher than has ever been done in this state.

We expect them to copy soon the Virginia $1000 speeding tickets. They see this, and they will jump on it.

I think Maryland is the one state more liberal, and liberally taxing, than Taxachusetts.

Not to inject too much politics into the discussion, but it should be pointed out FWIW that since 20004 in Georgia, the state House, Senate, and Governor are all REPUBLICANS.

[CCR Elise]

I suspect the reason for this in Georgia and other southern states is because of the large numbers of used cars entering the ports from Japan that are Japanese Domestic Market vehicles that were never intended to be sold or driven on the roads of the U.S. Nissan Skylines and Nissan Silvias are very popular cars for the "tuner" crowd and customs is not doing a very good job seizing these vehicles as they should be doing since the cars were not de-registered in Japan and bonds were not filed when they were shipped. Many of these cars were stolen in Japan. Once these cars enter the states, one preferred way to get them "state" legal is to buy a wore out Nissan 240 and swap the VIN to their illegally obtained Silvia or Skyline and call it a kit car or a rebuilt car. The California ports have a pretty good handle on this and is why importers are now using Gulf coast ports and southern ports.

Regarding the comment about Republicans in Georgia, this is the first time in Georgia history that we have had a republican at the helm. Thank God!!! Sonny Perdue, our Governor, is trying to do away with the unfairness of the ad valorem tax system that was developed by the wealth shifting democrats. Don't even get me started on the valuation process other than to tell you that it is racist as well as facist. It is designed to help minorities pay less. When a F-150 is taxed higher than a 60K to 70K BMW, it makes you wonder.

[pla_time]

[quote=CCR Elise;925043
Regarding the comment about Republicans in Georgia, this is the first time in Georgia history that we have had a republican at the helm. Thank God!!! Sonny Perdue, our Governor, is trying to do away with the unfairness of the ad valorem tax system that was developed by the wealth shifting democrats. Don't even get me started on the valuation process other than to tell you that it is racist as well as facist. It is designed to help minorities pay less. When a F-150 is taxed higher than a 60K to 70K BMW, it makes you wonder.[/QUOTE]

Don't know how you got those numbers. I put in a brand new F-150 (4WD) and a brand new BMW 6-series. The Ad Valorem tax on the F-150 was $437.62 and the Ad Valorem tax on the BMW was $1274.24. How do you get that the F-150 is taxed higher than the BMW?

[Thalen]

Originally Posted by lotusforsale

Florida makes up for a lack of state income tax by outrageous taxes on everything else, especially real estate. I 'love' Kissimee. The sales tax varies 1% on opposite sides of a highway.

Florida also makes up a HUGE chunk of it by having a bunch of toll roads with boothes extremely close together and the state surcharge on all rental cars of $2 per day. When I was in college, I worked for Enterprise and discovered that is a tax imposed on all rental car companies that is turn added to your rental bill. Many customers would question this (sometimes) signficant amount if they'd had the rental for a long time while their car was being repaired and often refuse to pay it thinking that it was just the company nickel and diming them. Now, given the size of the tourism industry in FL and the number of rental cars on the road in that state, just imagine how much $2 per day generates. Basically, FL shifts quite a lot of the tax burden to tourists.

[Bavarian Motorist]

Originally Posted by Thalen

Florida also makes up a HUGE chunk of it by having a bunch of toll roads with boothes extremely close together and the state surcharge on all rental cars of $2 per day. When I was in college, I worked for Enterprise and discovered that is a tax imposed on all rental car companies that is turn added to your rental bill. Many customers would question this (sometimes) signficant amount if they'd had the rental for a long time while their car was being repaired and often refuse to pay it thinking that it was just the company nickel and diming them. Now, given the size of the tourism industry in FL and the number of rental cars on the road in that state, just imagine how much $2 per day generates. Basically, FL shifts quite a lot of the tax burden to tourists.

YES! THEY DO! I was in Orlando and there was like four toll booths within 5 miles, charging $.75 each.



Of course, in NY you get only one booth but charged $4.50 each way

[CCR Elise]

Originally Posted by pla_time

Don't know how you got those numbers. I put in a brand new F-150 (4WD) and a brand new BMW 6-series. The Ad Valorem tax on the F-150 was $437.62 and the Ad Valorem tax on the BMW was $1274.24. How do you get that the F-150 is taxed higher than the BMW?

This was an actual experience from the Bibb County Tax Commissioner's office. That's how I got it - up the butt. Unfortunately, I'm getting too use to having my wealth shifted.

[tmr]

FYI. I sent a letter to my rep a few days ago and received this reply today:

Dear Tom,

Thanks for the note. I put this bill on the calendar for tomorrow and hope it will fix the problem.

Earl Ehrhart

I'll report if he sends any further news.

[John4378]

Up until a couple of years ago WA did have a policy to base registration on vehicles' worth. It was costing over $1,200 every year on our 2 cars and 2 bikes...rediculous.

Now, there was an initiative that got passed allowing everyone to pay a flat fee. The problem with that is the state still hasn't figured out how to make up the lost revenue.

Some "genius" got public support to pass the initiative but didn't care about the shortfall in revenue.....nice going jackass.

[codymac]

Originally Posted by Westrock

Unless there is a very pecular case of poeple using the kit car exemption to launder otherwise non-sellable vehicles.

Interestingly enough, there is - and it was in Georgia.

I doubt very seriously that it's got anything to do with the motivation for this though as the feds went after the guy, not the staties.

[athens550]

HB 950 passed the full House yesterday, 159 for, 0 against . It must now go to the Senate for consideration and passage. Thanks to everyone who has supported this legislation. If you can, please contact your Georgia Senator and urge them to support this bill as it moves through the Senate.

[Thalen]

Originally Posted by John4378

Up until a couple of years ago WA did have a policy to base registration on vehicles' worth. It was costing over $1,200 every year on our 2 cars and 2 bikes...rediculous.

Now, there was an initiative that got passed allowing everyone to pay a flat fee. The problem with that is the state still hasn't figured out how to make up the lost revenue.

Some "genius" got public support to pass the initiative but didn't care about the shortfall in revenue.....nice going jackass.

Oh, don't worry; I think they figured it out. As of '08, getting caught driving alone in the HOV lane is a $1000 fine in WA! Now, THAT is ridiculous. HOV lanes are the biggest waste of asphalt there is. Americans simply do not and will never carpool in large numbers unless gas is like $6.00 per gallon. All HOV lanes do is eliminate one whole lane for 90% of the cars on the road thereby making traffic worse BUT increasing the likelihood of state revenue by taking advantage of frustrated drivers who see an entire lane with almost no rushhour traffic in it.

[andykeck]

Originally Posted by Thalen

Oh, don't worry; I think they figured it out. As of '08, getting caught driving alone in the HOV lane is a $1000 fine in WA!

Where are you getting that number? I've heard that from a couple of people, but according to the WSDOT, it's still $124.

[xtn]

Originally Posted by John4378

Up until a couple of years ago WA did have a policy to base registration on vehicles' worth. It was costing over $1,200 every year on our 2 cars and 2 bikes...rediculous.

Now, there was an initiative that got passed allowing everyone to pay a flat fee. The problem with that is the state still hasn't figured out how to make up the lost revenue.

Some "genius" got public support to pass the initiative but didn't care about the shortfall in revenue.....nice going jackass.

They probably spend more researching ways to make up the revenue than the revenue is actually worth. Is there any politician alive that understands the phrase, "less spending?"

xtn

[Thalen]

Originally Posted by andykeck

Where are you getting that number? I've heard that from a couple of people, but according to the WSDOT, it's still $124.

Probably haven't updated yet. I saw the list of the traffic law changes for '08back in November from a guy at work who's wife works for the DOT.