<VV> California DMV -- Now NJ DMV

[Joel McGregor]

I'm pretty sure they would just arrest you if you asked to see the law here.  That's been my experience any time you ask a question they don't like.

Joel McGregor


________________________________________
From: VirtualVairs [virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org] on behalf of Vairtec Corp via VirtualVairs [virtualvairs at corvair.org]
Subject: Re: <VV> California DMV -- Now NJ DMV

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.