Posted on 08/13/2015 11:11:32 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
A North Texas man is fighting the North Texas Tollway Authority over $1,436 in tolls for a car he insists he no longer owns.
David Barlett, of Kemp, said he sold his 2002 Nissan Maxima in October 2013 to a man who responded to a Craigslist ad.
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"I signed the title over to him and didn't really think much else about it – until I started getting bills from the tollway," Bartlett said.
The buyer never turned in the title to the state and kept the same license plates. So on paper, Bartlett remained the registered owner.
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Bartlett said he believes the new owner then ran up the toll bills without paying.
For cars without an electronic toll tag, the NTTA takes pictures of a car's license plate and bills the registered owner.
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"By law, if you look at it, he still owned that vehicle through all the time of these tolls, and we've seen nothing to change that thus far," said NTTA spokesman Michael Rey.
Bartlett admits he has no proof he sold the car. He said he no longer has the bill of sale, which the NTTA said would void the bill.
The authority also said Bartlett called about the charges in November 2013 and was advised to file a vehicle transfer notification with the state, which is separate from a title transfer. Records show Bartlett did not do so until October 2014 while more tolls accumulated, Rey said.
He also could have kept his license plates when he sold the car, according to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
Bartlett said he'll take his case to court.
"I will go to jail before I pay this, just out of principle," he said.
DANG!
Sorry about the link lines in the article. Posted by mistake.
When you sell your car in Texas, all you have to do is go to the texasgov website and record your sale, at that time you are relieved of any penalties the purchaser runs up.
Also the new tag stickers would have to be bought by the lawful owner
So if the car was sold three years ago how did the new owner get license tags?
An illegal owns that car now. The guy was dumb to not pull the plates.
The old guys car has been racking up the bills
I'm just glad it was just toll fees; could have been much much worse.
As for his ‘willing to go to jail first’ mentality - You kept receiving renewal information, toll bills, and more, and you took over a year to do the minimum to correct it. Hope they make a deal and send you off to Sheriff Joe, you get some nice pink undies and green baloney.
Yes. I get paper bills in the mail if I go over my account balance. He knew...
Apparently he drove off with the former owner’s tags on the car and just never bothered to get the title registared in his name. Sticker’s probably expired. Remember to make a copy of the receipt.
I’ve sold many a car...wouldnt ever let anyone even see my plates....much less leave them on the car.
I’m gonna file this under “self inflicted”.
I live in No. California. I once sold an old car that wasn’t running to wreckers for 75 bucks. Normally the seller turns in a transfer of ownership form to the DMV, but since I thought they would just part it out I didn’t bother. Six months later I got a hold on my license for an unpaid parking ticket and expired tags in Calexico, CA down on the border about 500 miles south. Fortunately the DMV let me file a backdated form and released the hold. I learned my lesson though.
Something “stinks” about this article.
In Texas, when you sell a vehicle you sign the original title of the vehicle over to the buyer. Your signature is upon the face of that document showing transfer to the one who bought it. You are also advised to notify the DMV of the sale to protect yourself from liabilities.
Now, the next part: Each year you have to purchase two things. One is an inspection sticker and the other is the yearly license plate renewal.
The inspection sticker is no problem...just go in and have the vehicle inspected. No paperwork required. However, to get plates you must have 2 things. 1. Your title or the renewal form mailed to you from the DMV AND proof of current liability insurance.
To insure your vehicle you must be the owner and the insurance company will not grant the policy unless you are. As a matter of fact they will not issue the policy until they receive a complete report from their investigative source which discloses all driving history and certification of ownership.
This “dufus” was too lazy to notify the state of the sale and is reaping the rewards he so deserved by ignoring the simple act of filling out a very simple form and mailing/emailing/or online the document.
Boo-Hoo!
fI used to make fun of all the Yankee toll roads.. Why pay for the same stretch of asphalt hundreds of times per day? Unless the gas tax and the registration taxes are erased, why toll roads? That is like paying for the same gallon of milk every week.. Some of the toll roads are bad around here, which makes even less sense. That’s like paying for an almost empty gallon of milk hundreds of times a day.
I had this happen in CA; sold my car to an Indian dude and signed the title over - immediately started getting parking tickets.
Threatened him with court and he finally went to the DMV and paid for the tax and title.
Since no proof of sale exists (apparently he didn’t send in the Title Transfer Notification), then report the car stolen.
Who sells a car without removing the license plates?
Only until recently the plates stayed with the car and even now it is optional on the sellers part.
Letting someone else keep your license plates is really, really stupid. What if the new owner robs a bank? Kills somebody in a hit-and-run?
Easy Answer. The State says he owns the car. So he should go get it back.
Sell it again. And this time - take the plates off and notify the state he sold it.
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