need help with simple VIN check

[Frame Maker]

Long story is that once again I am planning to build a motorcycle from spare parts. In the past when I purchase bare frames for these types of projects I'll stop by my local CHP field office and ask the vehicle inspection officer to run a quick VIN check just to be sure that the frames I've purchased (if no title documents are provided) are not stolen. Normally there are no problems getting an officer to do this quick check. Then I can proceed in building the bike with confidence that there won't be any issues later on when I go through final inspection and apply for a title. I've done this numerous times in the past without issues.

Today I stopped by my local CHP office to request the same check, however due to C-19 they are closed to walk-in services. When I called on the phone the officer explained that he would only run the VIN if he could see the frames in person. Of course this would happen at some unknown future date when everything re-opens, so no idea when that would happen. I thought it was odd as in the past I'd just write down the VIN on a piece of paper and hand it through the window and they'd do a quick check.

He suggested I contact DMV for a background search. Unfortunately the DMV is not accepting phone calls (also due to C-19) and DMV offices are only open for customers with pre-existing appointments and not taking walk-ins or new appointments.

I did run the VINs through the NICB website and that came back clean for both. However my understanding is that the NICB data base is very limited.

Anyway, short story is that I'm just looking for a LEO that could run the numbers and provide a simple "yes" or "no" as to the frames having a clean history. I'm NOT looking for any detailed history or personal information. Just simple public service to confirm that I'm not in possession of stolen items.

Any help would be much appreciated and can be handled through PM.

Thanks!

 

[matty]

I was able to speak on the phone with the DMV last Thursday. After the initial prompts, I think I said vehicle registration and then I hit 0 to speak with a representative. They called me back within a half hour. You could give it a shot, while you wait for a Leo to respond to this.

 

[Frame Maker]

I was able to speak on the phone with the DMV last Thursday. After the initial prompts, I think I said vehicle registration and then I hit 0 to speak with a representative. They called me back within a half hour. You could give it a shot, while you wait for a Leo to respond to this.

I guess when I called last week I hung up when the recording said to call back after May 29th. I took your advise and tried calling again today and listened through the entire message... however I didn't get the "call-back" option and the recorded message said there is an estimated 2 hour wait time... you certainly had much better luck than I am having.

 

[matty]

Sorry, I should have been more clear, a half minute or so after the estimated wait time recording, it will ask if you want to be called back, or at least it did with me.

 

[Frame Maker]

Sorry, I should have been more clear, a half minute or so after the estimated wait time recording, it will ask if you want to be called back, or at least it did with me.

I know exactly what you mean... I've used the DMV call-back feature many times. I just did not get that as an option when I called today. Perhaps there is a cut-off time to enable that feature (so they aren't calling people back after the end of work hours).

 

[auntiebling]

You can send in a form to dmv that will give you the name of the owner on record, and it appears you can do it on line too?

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/online/vrr

I cant did the snail mil form, there is a fee of course and not as fast as a phone call.

For my curiosity, what do you do if the frames come back with registered owners and huge back fees?

 

[buellistic]

You can send in a form to dmv that will give you the name of the owner on record, and it appears you can do it on line too?

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/online/vrr

I cant did the snail mil form, there is a fee of course and not as fast as a phone call.

For my curiosity, what do you do if the frames come back with registered owners and huge back fees?

File a Non opt...

 

[auntiebling]

File a Non opt...

Have to have the title and fees brought current to then file non-op.

Since he lost know if they're stolen or not I'm assuming he has no title or other paperwork and these are allegedly "out of the system"

 

[buellistic]

Have to have the title and fees brought current to then file non-op.

Since he lost know if they're stolen or not I'm assuming he has no title or other paperwork and these are allegedly "out of the system"

Nope. I have done it.
Had a plated husaberg..
To register it I would have to pay all back fees.
The DMV employee told me to non opt it and they would go after the previous
Owner for the back fees. So I did.

 

[Shaggy]

PM me the VIN and I will check when I go to work tomorrow

 

[Frame Maker]

For my curiosity, what do you do if the frames come back with registered owners and huge back fees?

In the past I've had bikes with DMV fees more than the bikes were worth. I tried several times with several bikes to get back fees waved with no luck. Sometimes I would part-out the bike. Other times I'd find a cheap out of state frame on eBay and transfer everything to the new frame. It just depends.

Seams recently DMV has changed their policies. One of the frames I just got was last registered in the late 90s so I expected huge back fees and penalties... but when I ran the calculator it only listed $21 in penalties and late fees. I'm okay with that.

PM me the VIN and I will check when I go to work tomorrow

Thanks Nick. PM sent with VIN#s. Much appreciate the help:thumbup

 

[Frame Maker]

For my curiosity, what do you do if the frames come back with registered owners...?

That reminds me of something that happened many years ago, and also why I always like to get law enforcement to run VINs before I get too involved in a project...

Many years ago, probably early 80s, I bought a motorcycle that was literally in boxes with no paperwork. It was very suspicious, but 20 year old me didn't care. It was still worth it just for the parts.

Anyway, I stopped by my local PD and had a LEO run the VIN. It came back clean. Next I proceeded to the DMV to apply for a title. Back in those days (long before privacy laws) the DMV would print out the name and address of the last registered owner. I was given some forms and told to send them by registered mail to the owner of record for signatures. If 30 days went by with no reply, or if the forms were returned with signatures I could title the bike.

About two weeks later I'm having dinner with my parents and the phone rings. Its a detective with the local PD asking if I had the motorcycle in my possession. Turns out the bike had been stolen, but not reported until my forms show up in the owner's mail box. Then he decided to make a report. It scared the crap out of me, but I was polite and answered the officer's questions. Because I was cooperating he said he would hold off on sending a truck to recover the bike. That scared me even more because I had a few more of the same model motorcycle and bunch of parts. I was worried they would take everything. So I mentioned having a bunch of spare parts to which the officer explained that they would only take what was "physically attached to the frame."

This is where the story goes sideways... I then explained that I had a bare frame with only the engine cases attached. What the officer said next I will never forget.... he said, "well, in that case perhaps the owner might be interested in selling the title for $50." That blew my mind. The officer went from vehicle theft detective to used vehicle sales broker. The next day I put $50 in the mail and a week later I had the title. True story!

Lesson learned, I don't shy away from deals with missing titles, but I ALWAYS have law enforcement check VINs before I get too far into a project.

 

[bojangle]

This is where the story goes sideways... I then explained that I had a bare frame with only the engine cases attached. What the officer said next I will never forget.... he said, "well, in that case perhaps the owner might be interested in selling the title for $50." That blew my mind. The officer went from vehicle theft detective to used vehicle sales broker. The next day I put $50 in the mail and a week later I had the title. True story!

:laughing

That's what we do. We're problem solvers. Sometimes problems are solved with arrests and sometimes in other ways.

 

[Shaggy]

Seams recently DMV has changed their policies. One of the frames I just got was last registered in the late 90s so I expected huge back fees and penalties... but when I ran the calculator it only listed $21 in penalties and late fees. I'm okay with that.

If it was last registered in the 80s, it's probably fallen out of DMV's system and there are no back fees attached. I don't know this for fact, but I've heard that 7y of inactivity with no Pending Master File and it will drop out of DMV's electronic records.

 

[Frame Maker]

:laughing

That's what we do. We're problem solvers. Sometimes problems are solved with arrests and sometimes in other ways.

Very good. This is nice to know:thumbup

If it was last registered in the 80s, it's probably fallen out of DMV's system and there are no back fees attached. I don't know this for fact, but I've heard that 7y of inactivity with no Pending Master File and it will drop out of DMV's electronic records.

I don't know what the official DMV policy is, but what I've noticed from personal experience is that many years ago vehicles would fall out of the DMV system after about 4 or 5 years. Sometime around the mid to late 90s everything changed and vehicles records seamed to became permanent. One of the frames I'm looking to have checked has a registration tag of '97. When I ping the the DMV system to get registration fees it comes back and indicates 1997 is in fact the last year of registration. So it has remained in the system for 23 years. Perhaps a previous owner decided to non-op it. I don't know but I was kinda surprised that it was still in the system.

 

[Shaggy]

I don't know what the official DMV policy is, but what I've noticed from personal experience is that many years ago vehicles would fall out of the DMV system after about 4 or 5 years. Sometime around the mid to late 90s everything changed and vehicles records seamed to became permanent. One of the frames I'm looking to have checked has a registration tag of '97. When I ping the the DMV system to get registration fees it comes back and indicates 1997 is in fact the last year of registration. So it has remained in the system for 23 years. Perhaps a previous owner decided to non-op it. I don't know but I was kinda surprised that it was still in the system.

If it was non-op’d then it should remain in the system since there is no required action to keep it on non-op status annually.

 

[Alan_Hepburn]

In the past I've had bikes with DMV fees more than the bikes were worth. I tried several times with several bikes to get back fees waved with no luck. Sometimes I would part-out the bike. Other times I'd find a cheap out of state frame on eBay and transfer everything to the new frame. It just depends.

My son went through this many years ago - a friend gave him a Honda Shadow that needed a ton of work. He rebuilt the engine and tried to register it: DMV reported that it had almost $1000 due in back fees! He sent in a Statement of Facts reporting that those fees should not apply since he was a new owner and the old owner should be responsible. DMV was adamant that the fees were due before they would do anything. So, my son simply parked the bike in his garage. About a year later he was moved by the Navy to Norfolk, Va and all his vehicles were loaded on to a transport for the move. Once in Virginia he was able to register the bike with no issues at all! He never rode it, though, and finally sold it to a buddy in Norfolk.