You may recall a few months ago I bought a new car, and sold my old one. Not being an idiot, I did my due process and made sure to immediately fill out the Report of Sale with the Department of Licensing. I probably even did it within a half hour of the car being sold.
Anyway, I’m glad I did. Yesterday I received a notice from a towing company up in Bellingham. Apparently the new owner failed to register the vehicle. Then now got in an accident. Then couldn’t decide what to do with the car. So it was towed away. Up to this point, I don’t care. I start caring when apparently I’m still listed as the owner.
Luckily ( I think to myself ), I’m awesome and saved all the documentation, including the Report of Sale stub from the bottom of the title, as well as the printout from the Department of Licensing website giving me the exact date/time and the filing number for my Report of Sale. I’ll just call them up and inform them that they’re mistaken.
If only it were that easy…
So I call them up, and I tell them that I filed the Report of Sale waaaaay back in April, and that I’m not the owner, and I’m simply not going to pay. They say that according to the State Patrol database, the Report of Sale was invalid. “Why?”, you and I might ask? Oh, it’s because the buyer didn’t provide me with his zip code. Yeah. That’s a load of crap.
Anyway, the gal at the towing place has been very understanding, but can’t do anything because that’s what the database says. Great.
So next I call up the Department of Licensing, wait on hold for a few minutes (as if there’s any other possible way), and end up talking with another nice gal who says that the report is perfectly valid and I’m not the legal owner and it’s a civil matter now. Great.
She does however offer the tip to go and request a copy of their copy of the Report of Sale, for some evidence. Unfortunately it could take up to five days to get said document, and each day longer is another $50 the towing place is going to try to charge me on top of the $300 fee to begin with. Great.
Anyway, I file to get their copy of whatnot. I don’t have much else of an option. At least you can submit the request via printing out a form, scanning it, and emailing it to them rather than having to mail it.
Then what do you know, I get home and WOO! more mail. This time from the Bellingham Municipal Court and the Bellingham Police Department. Apparently (because the State Patrol thinks my Report of Sale is invalid) they’re now trying to collect on some parking tickets. The mail for the Bellingham PD appears to just be an accident report, albeit a completely illegible carbon copy.
So, it’s about 4:15 now, and I try to call the Bellingham Municipal Court. Guess what. Those jerks close at 4. Now I’ve got to wait till tomorrow, and deal with them. Great.
Same thing with the Bellingham PD. Great.
So, I go and dig around on the Washington State Patrol website and dig up the number for their Bellingham office (which seems to be where everything went down). Luckily, they ARE still open and I talk with a gal who says to me that this whole situation is totally ridiculous and she’ll get it fixed right up for me in the morning, because the guy who deals with the towing companies leaves at 4. THANK YOU!
Finally someone who can do something about this whole pile of ludicrousness (even if it’s delayed till morning).
So now, I hope to be receiving a call back from her in the morning informing me that the database should be fixed up. So then I can go back and call the towing company, Bellingham Municipal Court, and the Bellingham Police Department, and tell them to all go shove it.
Way to teach me to sell a car and fill out the proper paperwork like I’m supposed to…