With a nod to Milt...
I bought a used 4 Runner from Onewhippedpuppy two weeks ago. I was on business in San Diego so I fly into Wichita on my way back to Maryland to pick up the car.
I meet Matt, great guy, the car is EXACTLY as described.
Life is good.
Off we go to the DMV and I get, after Matt signs over the title, a 30 day temp tag from Kansas so I can drive home. Insurance is happy, I have a Kansas registration in my name, Bill of Sale just in case and the temp tag is on the car, life is great.
I wave good-bye to Matt and his family...trip home is cool, back roads about half way. Everything is bueno-ificent
I get the car inspected here in MD, everything is perfect so I trundle off to the Maryland DMV.
With POI, inspection, title, BoS and KS registration in hand, all that's left is to pay the MD tax to the lovely clerk and be on my merry way.
Nope. Kansas is an, "and/or" state on car titles, meaning if there are two name on the title either one of them can release the title, both do not have to sign. Maryland does not recognize and/or titles, both parties must sign if they are listed on the title. Only Matt signed the title. My oxygen tanks have just been stirred. Houston, we have a problem.
No amount of logic will sway the DMV folks...after all, I plead, I HAVE a KS title IN MY NAME. Kansas has RELEASED ownership TO ME. While this stuns her momentito, a bureaucratic rally ensues...since the has never seen this little biscuit of a problem, she launches the clerks bureaucratic photon torpedo: There is no president, it is not in the rules, you must go talk to my supervisor. Next, please.
Upper management, good there is hope, I have a path to righteousness.
Nope: my little DMV yellow brick road is under construction. The supervisor is a good sort, and understands my desire to depart his company with my "Save the Chesapeake" plates in hand soonest. But, since he has also never seen this particular conundrum, he quickly dips into the bureaucrats bag of customer kryptonite: There is nothing I can do, you must get the other signature. Next.
I'm pissed now and tell him that it is not possible that the law in KS cannot apply. The car is registered in my NAME!!! I'm not leaving until I get a ruling for someone qualified...you MUST call the head shed DMV and speak with the Generalissimo of Titles or I'm not leaving.
To my chagrin, he does.
A ray of hope, a sliver of opportunity, a crack...you get the picture, I'm still a contender, baby!
Somewhere Casey, mighty Casey is whiffing like the mighty chiquita he remains forever cast in literatures bronze, but not me, Sportsfans, I am standing exactly where Thayer wanted:
"Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright; The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light, And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout the Generalissimo of Titles has a solution!"
Sort of. Here is the deal. I have to call Matt, get his wife to write a quick letter assigning me Power of Attorney for the single purpose of transferring the title of the 4 Runner and fax it to the supervisor. Once that is done, I can sign the title over to myself. The irony is not lost on me and I choke the urge to point out just how stupid this all is.
I run out to the car and call Matt. He is in, understands the pickle I'm in and agrees to the deal. He also has a fax machine! Five minutes later I'm got the DMV in my rear view mirror!
Thanks Matt, thanks G of T, whoever you are!
