Beware buying an RV in Minnesota

[mobeans]

Maybe someone from Minnesota can answer this. Anyone from there know what the current wait time is for a title transfer is?

We just bought a used motor home in there and what the dealer didn't tell us is is the Vehicle Registration System in MN (which got a $93M upgrade a year ago) is severely broken. It takes MONTHS to get a title transferred.

I read in an article from January some people are waiting up to 8 MONTHS to get the title to their vehicle. It said there were 23,600 titles that could not even be processed by the new system. Not sure what the numbers are today but someone just posted in another group that they are in their 4th month with no end in site. If you are from out of state you get a 31 day temp registration that is NOT renewable.

So as of right now if you buy a used RV in Minnesota basically you have 31 days to find a place to park it. Because without the title you can't register it, drive it or sell it.

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[hawkeye-08]

I see this almost daily in business. A new improved system is supposed to fix all the problems that the existing system has, problem is, the people writing the requirements for the new system really don't know all the details of the old system and more importantly, they don't know the business well enough to write decent requirements. Low bid gets the job and then the change orders start coming in, making the low bid very expensive, but it is all tied back to the poorly written requirements.

[wa8yxm]

Wow.. I'm used to Michigan where you hand in the title application and the registration and pay the sales tax, title transfer fee, Pro-Rated registration fee and the Service charge... They hand you a temporary title. Registration and plates.

The Computer will be updated on titles within 48 hours (usually closer to minutes) and not days the Registration as well. though in the old days that took like forever.

I go back to the old days and the 6 months or more REGISTRATION delay caused me to change the way I ran a plate when the troopers requested.

I discovered an "unintended" benefit.. Stolen Vehicle Recovery went through the roof as a result.. and a few DMV (SOS in MI) branch managers got new jobs as well.. Oh they are still in the license plate business.. Only now it is manufacturer not sales

[colliehauler]

Addy15 wrote:
I guess I'm just not understanding the problem. If you are from out of state and buy something here in Minnesota, don't you have to title it in your home state? Why would you be waiting for a title from Minnesota? The dealer should have signed over the title to you and you take that title to your home state to apply for a title there.

We bought a new trailer in May from a SD dealer. He signed over the title and our loan provider actually took care of the DMV transaction to apply for a new title and registration. We haven't received the printed title yet, but we got our license plate about a week before the temporary registration expired on July 1, so I'd say that took about 5 weeks.

I guess your addressing my post so I will give you a answer. I have more then one place. The vehicles are tagged where they reside. The vehicles I use in Kansas are tagged in Kansas, the vehicles that stay in Minnesota are tagged in Minnesota.

[Addy15]

I guess I'm just not understanding the problem. If you are from out of state and buy something here in Minnesota, don't you have to title it in your home state? Why would you be waiting for a title from Minnesota? The dealer should have signed over the title to you and you take that title to your home state to apply for a title there.

We bought a new trailer in May from a SD dealer. He signed over the title and our loan provider actually took care of the DMV transaction to apply for a new title and registration. We haven't received the printed title yet, but we got our license plate about a week before the temporary registration expired on July 1, so I'd say that took about 5 weeks.

[colliehauler]

Finally got the tabs for my tags from Minnesota today, paid for them in January. Only took 3 phone calls about a hour long each and 6 months.

[westend]

B.O. Plenty wrote:
Almost fell over. Got the new title back for one of my cars in one week! Last year it was almost 4months...Something changed there in St.Paul.

B.O.

New car or used? Regardless, that is the new record for title turnaround.

[mobeans]

Sam Spade wrote:

mobeans wrote:

So as of right now if you buy a used RV in Minnesota basically you have 31 days to find a place to park it. Because without the title you can't register it, drive it or sell it.

This makes NO sense at all.
If you are "from out of state", you would present the title for processing to your HOME state.

The same DMV that handles the titles also handles the registration.....right ??

They know you have a valid title....because THEY have it.
I have never been in a state where they do NOT issue permanent plates once you give them the title for processing.

I think you misunderstand something here.
Now selling it again would be a problem.

In Minnesota like in Montana the local DMV handles the transfer of title if you buy from a dealer. Yes I agree, it mkes no sense at all

[jdb7566]

Sam Spade wrote:

mobeans wrote:

So as of right now if you buy a used RV in Minnesota basically you have 31 days to find a place to park it. Because without the title you can't register it, drive it or sell it.

This makes NO sense at all.
If you are "from out of state", you would present the title for processing to your HOME state.

The same DMV that handles the titles also handles the registration.....right ??

They know you have a valid title....because THEY have it.
I have never been in a state where they do NOT issue permanent plates once you give them the title for processing.

I think you misunderstand something here.
Now selling it again would be a problem.

The Dealer has the title from the previous owner, who signed it over to the dealer. You purchase used RV from out of state dealer, you apply for title to your home state via the state handling the transaction as they will collect all taxes and fees for your home state. If the state handling the transaction has a huge backlog or in this case, computer problems, you may have a significant wait time. MN issues a 21 day temporary tag, if the license plate is expired, otherwise you have until the plate expires. In MN, you are at the mercy of a State, whose Gov is confused about which bathroom to use.

[B_O__Plenty]

Almost fell over. Got the new title back for one of my cars in one week! Last year it was almost 4months...Something changed there in St.Paul.

B.O.

[mowermech]

Allworth wrote:
I don't remember anybody asking about Montana!

You are right, nobody did. BUT, I rather like our system, so I bragged about it. Perhaps you should have stopped reading at "Here in Montana...". Obviously, the rest of the post held absolutely no interest for you, and it was a total waste of time for you to read it.

[Allworth]

I don't remember anybody asking about Montana!

[mowermech]

Here in Montana, if you buy from a dealer, the dealer prints a 40 day permit, the paperwork is delivered to the DMV Office (I think the dealer makes that trip once a week) in the County Courthouse, and the Office sends you a postcard saying they are ready to transfer the title and register your new vehicle. You go in, pay the fees, get (or transfer) the plates, and they tell you you will get the title in 4 to 6 weeks. Lately, I have found it takes about 2 to 3 weeks.
If it is a private party sale, YOU take the signed title to the DMV office, pay the fees, and transfer or get new plates. The Bill Of Sale and/or signed title is your 40 day temporary permit.
Just do not use a credit card to pay the fees. There is a surcharge for that!

[Tvov]

westend wrote:
Hey, they're slow but they charge a lot for their services!

lol, it is amazing that no matter what the issue is, your fee will be billed immediately and checks cashed right away!

[westend]

Hey, they're slow but they charge a lot for their services!