Crackdown on fraudulent registrations

SpyderMike · 04-14-04, 12:14 PM

Any comments on the recent arrests/crackdown on the fraudulent registrations of replicas sweeping the US? I read that the local Superformance dealer (Hillbank?) was busted and that a company called Titles Unlimited is heavily involved. This was in several papers and internet news sites.

Mike

BenL · 04-14-04, 04:10 PM

Here's California's view on the issue.
http://www.caag.state.ca.us/newsalerts/2004/04-042.htm

Mark Worthington · 04-14-04, 07:34 PM

In Massachusetts they've been on to that Alabama operation for a while now.

Steve Toner · 04-14-04, 08:04 PM

My guess would be that everyone's been on to them for a while. It's just a big deal now for California because they need the money... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

Brian Kissel · 04-15-04, 02:36 AM

There is quite a bit of information to be found about this if you use the search function. In this thread Titles Unlimited .
Ron states, that the state of California was sueing them. I had a hard time getting my money back from them, but eventually my credit card company did a charge back to them. They (TU) dragged their feet to get over the 60 day limit for charge backs, but did not fight it once it happened.
Regards Brian

SpyderMike · 04-15-04, 01:10 PM

My immediate concern was that the Superformance dealer here was specifically mentioned as being arrested...they were the ones I was talking to about the 40 coming out. I wonder is there will be any problems with the Superformance dealer network in general (or just this one).

Mike

Steve Toner · 04-15-04, 03:28 PM

Here is an article from Car & Driver that talks about kit cars.

I really don't think it's going to be a problem if you're just willing to pay your state whatever fees it wants. The problem comes when you try to minimize taxes by claiming a newly-built kit car is a 1966 vintage vehicle.

Gary Gibbs · 04-19-04, 04:23 PM

I think a couple of problems are coming to surface. One is dealers should not sell complete cars or they would be considered manufacturers and subject to the normal DOT regulations related to crash testing and emissions, etc. Thus the dealer should not sell the car with an engine or transmission. The owner should obtain these elsewhere and have the car assembled by himself or a third party. If the owner happens to select a third party that the dealer "knows" then so be it.

Also the registration of the vehicle as mentioned in this thread is getting hard from a TU style setup. However in states like CA the registration of "home built" cars is becoming easier.

BenL · 05-10-05, 06:32 PM

It sounds like California is getting serious about cracking down on title fraud.

http://www.autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=102188

Hot Rods in Hot Water: Boyd Coddington cops plea in title-fraud investigation

BOB GRITZINGER
Published Date: 4/18/05

California hot rod builder Boyd Coddington is the first big name to cop a plea in a wide-ranging title-fraud investigation California prosecutors and Coddington’s own attorney say could involve 70,000 illegally registered vehicles.

[...]

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Another articles says: "As part of his community service, Coddington will speak to the hot-rod community at trade shows and in magazines to explain why vehicle-registration fraud is a crime and how to correctly register custom-built vehicles, Morgester said."

Hershal Byrd · 05-10-05, 10:49 PM

Boy ! What a Hoot!,
Coddinton new it was illegal to register all those cars the way he did. Everybody out there in the Streed rod and Kit car world knows it too so I really can't see the benefit of Boyd running around talking to a bunch a guys that already know it's wrong.
The real problem is the beaurocratic crap that each state has that makes it near impossible to get a title.This is why guys run around looking for another method to title their creations illegally or otherwise. When the government finally realizes that this is not a bunch of jolopys running around polluting, it's a multi-Million dollar business that effects the economy and the industry. If you don't think so then attend one S.E.M.A. show and that will graphically get the point across. SEMA has a program that they have gotten intituted in several states for titling and registering Rods and Kits. They have offered it to California but I an not sure if they were taken up on it. I hope they do. You can ask SEMA for this info and I'm sure they can send it to you.
If you want to tak bucks for what car guys spend on there hobbies then it's huge but if you want to talk Car population then we are but a small part of all the vehicles that run around today. I would say that hobbist like Rodders and Kits are less that 2 or 3% of the total. I hardly think this number of cars can cause the emmisions that will bring the earth to a screeching halt.
Most people don't realize that when Mount St Helens erupted it spewed more canaminates into the atmosphere than all of man did since the start of the industrial age.
Emmisions testing on cars today is nothing more than revenue generation. Most all of the old dinasaurs have been crushed and the ones that are left don't get driven very often or they have been updated with electronic technology.
OK, all done, I'm putting the soap box away.. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Hersh [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Pete. · 05-11-05, 01:42 AM

Well you guys are making me feel better, seems like OZ is not the only country in the world full of tree huggers trying to raise revenue in the guise of saving the planet.
Not only are Queenslands emmission laws ridiculous, they seem to bring out a new one each Month.Near where I live the freeway is gridlocked every day and the roads in dis repair. But the government chose to spend $30 million on a bicycle path that no one uses and ignore the traffic/road problem. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

John W · 05-11-05, 09:29 AM

Pete, bump the kerb and use the cycle way then [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Hersh, I totally agree. A friend of mine is a manager of an electrical wholesalers. They now have to increase all their prices by 20% to cover 'recycling' charges. They also have to have skips purely for old bulbs.
I asked what the chances are of the contractors returning with old bulbs when they buy their new ones for a factory fit-out.
His response was "they probably won't, but they could so we have to provide the bin".

The world has gone crazy over renewable / sustainable / recyclable / zero polution. I wonder just how much energy is actually used in persuing and enforcing these goals...

Mike Dozier · 05-11-05, 10:09 PM

Similar topic....

The Discovery Channel also broadcasts the enormously
popular show AMERICAN CHOPPER each week.
I certainly find it entertaining.

OCC, the cycle shop featured, creates brand new choppers from nothing but tubing and a large batch of purchased items
each week, usually including a new or rebuilt Harley engine.

How do the hundreds of the "standard" choppers OCC has made over the years get titled? They certainly are not a "Legal" manufacturer of new Harleys...and Harley doesn't give
you a title if you buy an engine from them....
Anyone know ?

MikeD