texas title issues revisited

[SSSammy]

Mike,
Congrats on the new Hurricane! I'm looking forward to seeing it on the road. A couple tips .. you don't admit to having a factory built replica. You have purchased a chassis, engine, and other bits separately and "assembled" them into a replica, or paid for it to be done. There should be separate receipts from Hurricane for the chassis and the job of assembling it, if that was how it was done. Most chassis manufacturers have another "dba" name for that purpose. It looks to me like you will have a 2008 ASVE (assembled vehicle) REPLICA 65 Ford when it all settles out. That is how mine is titled.

The title people in my county told me that on an owner built assembled vehicle, the assumption is that sales taxes were paid on the individual components. So no tax due on that stuff. They really didn't examine the receipts, and didn't care to get that deep. Other folks who have posted here over the years have reported both ways, taxed and not taxed. But it's worth bringing up if they try to tax you. I paid no sales tax at all.

Sam

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by SSSammy

Most chassis manufacturers have another "dba" name for that purpose.

I would dispute "most" manufacturers doing this. Some do as well as some dealers, but don't count on that protecting you. California for example has recently refused registration and title to some "turn key" cars that were sold and completed by entities that were not "arms length" companies. It is easy for the DMV to look up business registrations and find that the registered owners and addresses are the same! A car done in that manor is defined under Federal law as a "vehicle" produced by a "manufacturer" and therefor subject to all standards and rules.

Now if a chassis supplier has an "affiliated" company they recommend, said company in different location with different ownership, that is OK. We have a couple of installers we use and recommend but they have no ties to us other than being friends and servicing people we refer to them.

Playing by the rules does not guarantee that you will not have problems with registration, but NOT going by the rules WILL guarantee the possiblity of it coming back and biting your butt.

[SSSammy]

Originally Posted by Mark IV

I would dispute "most" manufacturers doing this. Some do as well as some dealers, but don't count on that protecting you. California for example has recently refused registration and title to some "turn key" cars that were sold and completed by entities that were not "arms length" companies. It is easy for the DMV to look up business registrations and find that the registered owners and addresses are the same! A car done in that manor is defined under Federal law as a "vehicle" produced by a "manufacturer" and therefor subject to all standards and rules.

Now if a chassis supplier has an "affiliated" company they recommend, said company in different location with different ownership, that is OK. We have a couple of installers we use and recommend but they have no ties to us other than being friends and servicing people we refer to them.

Playing by the rules does not guarantee that you will not have problems with registration, but NOT going by the rules WILL guarantee the possiblity of it coming back and biting your butt.

Thanks, Rick. A much more accurate statement from someone who knows!

Sam