<VV> California DMV -- Now NJ DMV

[Vairtec Corp]

On 6/11/2014 2:17 PM, Sethracer wrote:

> I have almost always been treated well at the DMV. Sometimes it helps to
> know the rules better than the person on the other side of the counter. And
> sometimes it doesn't! That said, if you try to "Put one over on them", you
> can get slapped down.

Aah, an opportunity to re-tell my favorite DMV story, involving the DMV 
here in my home state of New Jersey.

I bought a Corvair from an estate in Connecticut.  The executor of the 
estate signed all the paperwork.  The DMV clerk in NJ said, "Whose 
signature is this?"  I said that it was the signature of the executor of 
the estate.

The clerk said, "We need the signature of the owner."

I said, "The owner is deceased, this is the signature of the executor of 
his estate."

The clerk said, "We need the signature of the owner."

I said, "The owner is deceased, so the executor of his estate has signed."

The clerk said, "We need the signature of the owner."

At that point, astounded by the clerk's lack of understanding that Dead 
Men Don't Sign Title Documents, I launched into a Monty Python riff:

"The owner has died.  He's passed on.  He is no more.  He has ceased to 
be.  He has expired and gone to meet his maker.  He's a stiff. Bereft of 
life, he rests in peace.  He's pushing up daisies.  That is why this is 
signed by the executor of his estate."

At this point, virtually all activity in the office had stropped and 
staff and customers were looking at me, since I had allowed my voice to 
rise as I spoke, ala John Cleese.

And the clerk said, "We need the signature of the owner.  It's the law."

At that point all sense of humor had left me and I replied simply, "Show 
me the law."

The clerk shuffled off and found a large book containing Title 39, the 
NJ Motor Vehicle Codes.  Much to her annoyance, when she found the 
relevant passages it indicated that in the event of a deceased vehicle 
owner, the executor of the estate must sign.

I got my new title and registration.