historic vehicle backfee exemption- have you done it?

auntiebling

auntiebling

megalomaniacal troglodyte
Staff member
i'm wondering if anyone has tried this. the internet has several references to it, usually cloaked in secrecy because people that like old junk are paranoid?

CA VC 4604 (a) points immediately to 4604 (d) (3) exempting vehicles in:

CA VC 5004 (3) which states vihicles of historic value can be "at lest 25 years old and of historic value*"

CA VC 4604.2 (b) says "An application for registration or renewal of registration of a vehicle described in Section 5004 or 5004.5 that has not been operated, moved, or left standing upon a highway shall be accompanied by a certificate of nonoperation for the period during which the vehicle was not registered" sounds to me like if you state it hasn't been on the road the retroactive NON-OP is granted?

CA VC 5051 (a) defines what a collector is, and it's pretty much every hoarder i've ever met including me so...


*by whose definition isn't specified, so i assume it's ME of course.
 
rtmac

rtmac

Hondaholic
Are they still in the DMV system? I believe they drop after 5 or 7 years. I've registered three 70's bikes that were no longer in the system. As long as they aren't found in the system they require you write a "statement of facts" and have the bikes inspected by CHP, then they create a new title and give you new plates. All of mine were surprisingly easy (other than the hassle of trailering the bikes for inspection) and inexpensive. The fee's were based on my estimated value, which wasn't much ;)... definitely cheaper than the times I've had to pay back fee's.
 
auntiebling

auntiebling

megalomaniacal troglodyte
Staff member
There is no longer a time frame for when things fall out of the system even though there are numbers on the DMV website that contradict that fact. I have 2 1983 hondas. One last registered in 1996, the other in 2001. Both have in excess of $700 in fees, strangely the more recently registered one had slightly more due than the other.
 
rtmac

rtmac

Hondaholic
auntiebling said:
There is no longer a time frame for when things fall out of the system even though there are numbers on the DMV website that contradict that fact. I have 2 1983 hondas. One last registered in 1996, the other in 2001. Both have in excess of $700 in fees, strangely the more recently registered one had slightly more due than the other.
Click to expand...

But, if the bikes are old enough, like mine were (not registered since early 80's), they probably will have dropped prior to that change and won't be found in the DMV system... maybe?
 
rtmac

rtmac

Hondaholic
auntiebling said:
Yes, it is still possible they have dropped out. I am only disputing the "DMV stops keeping track after X years" when X is anything under 20 years. Computer memory is cheap and DMV wants money

More good info here:
http://modernvespa.com/forum/topic55523?highlight=historic*

Quite encouraging
Click to expand...

I don't doubt you on that on that at all.
DMV used to stop keeping track after X years... so, if the bikes been sitting around un-reg'd for decades, it may have dropped out of the system.
 
zoomsplat

zoomsplat

And I was all "Braap!"
I believe there is a way to do a statement of facts explaining that you were not the owner during the time the reg went unpaid, which exempts you from having to pay the back fees. I've heard it before, but never done it myself so I don't know if its true or what the proper form is.
 
auntiebling

auntiebling

megalomaniacal troglodyte
Staff member
No form for that, it is dependent on the clerk being sympathetic and very unreliable as such. They have quite a bit of leeway in waiving fees if you can get them on your side
 
bikinggrrl

bikinggrrl

Member
Howdy -

That's what I've heard too.... you present a statement of facts to a DMV senior clerk and it's really up to them. I have heard they can waive up anything over 3 years of back fees, I am unclear as to whether you would owe the 3 years. I'll check. (My source is a DMV employee acquaintance through my brother).

I've dealt with a lot of old/vintage bikes and registering them has changed with the advent of better technology (bigger faster cheaper computers). I have to go through the same thing with a 70s bike I have in my stable. I'll keep you updated.

Good luck!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top