After much gathering of papers and money, I am progressing at a snail's pace toward getting a title and plates for my car. I sent in a packet to springfield that a lawyer would have put together on June 08. It included a stack of receipts, tax form, statement of construction, serial numbers and bills of sale for major components, appraisal, and an insurance bond. Told that the process will take 6-8 weeks, I planned to be patient. I decided to call at five weeks, the lady told me that my packet was going to be looked at soon and I could call her next week. I called at the end of the sixth week (Friday), the lady told me that something was amiss with my paperwork and to please call her back the following week. I got home from work, and a letter that the DMV had sent was waiting for me in the mail stating that I had not provided the receipt for the engine and transmission. OH REALLY, so the DMV in Springfield lost my original BILL OF SALE for my engine and transmission. Not a problem since I photocopied everything I sent, In anticipation of the department being irresponsible and delaying my process. So Saturday morning first thing - I drove to work, photocopied the photocopy, and mailed it certified mail to the DMV with the letter I received. Just called today (Tuesday), and politely asked the lady if she had received my receipt in the mail because it should be there by now. She checked her in box and found it there. She said it would be processed out to the state police for VIN# assignment. State police will contact me when they get the stack of papers looked at (at their convenience). I asked her how long that may be. She said possibly 3 weeks, then to schedule an inspection. who knows how far out that will be. GAWD!!! After the inspection, the State Police will return the paperwork back to the DMV with the assigned VIN number to sit in an eternal stack of papers again for title issue and plates. When they get through to my file, they will finally mail me my title and plates. I know this was a long read, but short compared to how dissapointing it is to wait months for this pathetic process. Really, this is horribly Communistic. This boring process of waiting and lost paperwork is a total buzzkill for a hobbyist just trying to build a playtoy. This bullcrap circus routine will definately be in the forefront of my decision to build another car ever again.
Nothing remotely "Communistic" about it. Bureaucratic perhaps, but not communistic. Part of your problem might be that IL doesn't have a DMV. You'll be wanting to go to the Secretary of State's office.
Yea, DMV sends crap to Sec/State. Sec/State sends crap to dept/ revenue and State police. State police sends crap to Sec/state. Sec State sends crap to DMV. No wonder my shit got lost. Communistic in the way I have no control over how they get my stuff done, and deaf ears to complain to.
Sounds like the People's Republic of Illinois is not much different than the People's Republic of Maryland.
Stuff like this is always a pain in the butt, but once it's done it's done, and becomes a faded memory. BTW, are you sure you sent it to the right place? I lived in IL most of my life, and unless they made a big change in the two years since I've been gone, there is no agency called the Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The agency that does what most state DMVs do is the Secretary of State's office. I mention this just because it's possible you got some kind of address off of the internet that was a fake, and now some sleaze-balls have all your stuff and are trying to make money off of you. If you Google Illinois DMV you get lots of results, almost all of them unauthentic. Not trying to make you paranoid, the stuff the lady on the phone told you sounds believable, it's just that you keep mentioning the DMV, and there isn't one. I hope everything works out for you, I'm sure it will, and you enjoy your car for many years.
I have heard that the process is actually improving and taking as little as 3 months. It took a friend of mine 18 months to complete the process a couple years ago. I will be going through the experience myself. With the true purpose of this process being the collection of taxes you would think they would make it as short as possible.
say thats not real bad it took my dad 3years to get the title done for his 34 ford fiberglass kit car. yes illinois is a bunch of bs with this so called problem. i feel your pain.
Wow, could hardly imagine 3 years. I at least got to drive mine last season, but they didn't like the title. I could have pushed the issue, but I knew I didn't have a leg to stand on.
WOW!!!!! Sounds like a whole lotta Arizona, or somewhere else in your future. I had a title for my 57 Country Sedan that was thwe otriginal title. The nice lady wrote all over it in So. Cal when I went to register it there. I moved to AZn without going any fartyher. 14 years later I weent to the MVD here and was out in 20 minutes with a title and plate. Granted it was middle of the week and not welfare week. I wouldnt let this sour you on the hobby.
Nothing is easy here in IL when you have to deal with the Sec. of States office. They've gotten better over the years but as horribly corrupt as this state is there is nothing but politics and bureaucracy tangling everything. I have heard that the fastest way to get anything done is drive directly to Springfield and handle it in person. Never had to do it but the people I know who have swear by it.....
move to michigan, title and tag it here, move back to illinois and re-tag it. the whole process should take less than a week
I had an original 1918 Chevrolet title that will never again see the light of day. It was signed over in 1924. I could have pushed the issue, but I manufactured my frame. I figured I'd be wadded up in red tape for years if I tried to argue with them about anything.
I would have if there is any information about doing so. They don't care how long you wait by the mail box, it's easier for them to shuffle paperwork at their leisure. Really discouraging though, honestly I'm considering selling over this. Of course, if I ever get a title to do so.
This makes me appreciate the state of Kansas even more. For a 1949 or older car with no title, it's a quick and easy process to get registered, if you deal with a title office.
When I was in Louisiana, I followed instructions and was in with my paperwork and out with my title in a couple of hours. The title was actually mailed to me in 10 days but I was legal to drive it home when I walked out of the DMV. I do read about the corruption in illinois in the news EVERY DAY
Next time enclose a few coupons for a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts, and a note, " Please take one and pass it along".
You did something really wrong, I posted about a year and a half ago about mine and got it titled plated bonded tagged and stickered. The process took about 5 months. Your packet must have been screwed up or something. The whole thing starts with Debbie, she is the say on what happens to your situation. She is basically the party that represents the state. If it never leaves her office it just is DOA. If it left her office it must have been complete. Where do you think it took a turn for the worse? I did not really find this whole experience to be that bad, them again I permit a lot of construction jobs so I'm immune to a lot of insanity. I just smile at them. They worry about that as they fear you're nuts or something.
You must have read something wrong. I'm 7 weeks into it so far, and she told me it could possibly be 3 weeks for the State Police to contact me. I'm wretching because the weather's good, and I don't want them to take another 3 months to mail me my crap. Really, what's the reason for them to sit on these so long? Debbie's been pleasant to talk to, and I've been real nice to her regardless. I do find it predictable that my original bill of sale was lost.
This is something I love about a Georgia and the classic car game- I walked up to a friend of mine who was an officer and asked her to sign off on the inspection. She did, and I went over to the DMV and registered the car. Took all of 30 minutes with all the driving. No title, no issues.
This is just a story, but a true one just the same...My daughter and son in law live in southern Illinois..he has a few 49-51 Fords He decide that he would not get a chance to finish them all. So thanks to his offer, I had a chance to own a '51 for FREE...cool, free is good..so we went to the local notery had everything noterized and signed loaded the car on the trailer and headed home...To Quebec, Canada..We got to the Canada Customs border crossing, They asked if I had anthing to declare..I said yes a '51 Ford....Well ya need to go inside and get it checked..The girl inside was just Great..my lucky night...she did all the paper work and, then said we need to inspect and have it appraised for taxes,..OH OH ..She then says Ben can go out and do that, you stay here...he comes back in 5 minutes he says the car is worth $750.00..OK so she says you need to pay tax on the appraised price...Then she says Oh you have been in the US for 3 weeks so you are allowed to bring back $750.00 duty FREE so there will be NO tax...she then says we HAVE to charge you tax, and the smallest amount can be a dollar..so I ended up paying 8 cents tax...When we got back to Quebec, the same thing.. since the Feds only charged you tax on a dollar that is the lowest we can charge..So the total cost was 15 cents pluse the $12.00 for the ownership title change..So then came the inspection..I had replaced all the brakes and other stuff..It passed inspection another $85.00 So we ended up being very LUCKY..so we now have a '51 that we are customizing...Thanks ...Sandy
I still argue with them about having to bond a body that has no VIN a bond is for a car that has a vin but no title so incase a future dispute over ownership arises they (ILLINOIS) are covered. A body without a manufacturers VIN cant be proven either way thus no bond should be needed. How could anyone prove one model A body form any other model A body? you cant that why a bonded title is BS.
YES, thank you! Just shows how retarded the system is. They also have no concept of someone having engines and transmissions out of a vehicle and changing hands for years. I had to list the year and make the vehicle was that I got my engine and trans from. I know I may be coming off as whining about this, but none of this makes any sence. The system is REALLY making it discouraging for gearheads to build Hotrods. This hobby will eventually die.
i agree, but now i can take my body and put it on any chassis and the title will follow looks like an aftermarket deuce frame for me next tk
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