How much is my rust-bucket really worth?, Robbed at the MA DMV today Options

[flippa]

I went to get the title for my car today at the registry. I will admit that it has been years since I have been there to register and/or get a title for an older car.

The woman at the counter told me that Massachusetts no longer assess the sales tax on the sales price of the car as too many people were cheating the system. The sales tax would be based on the car's book value. She left to go & look up my car's value. I thought to myself, "it's 37 years old, how much could the assessed value really be?"

I was shocked when she returned & told me that the car had a value of $8,900, and the tax would be 5 percent of that value, or $445. WTF????? I told her that I was surprized, stating that it is a 37 year old restoration project.

I asked nicely if she was sure about the value. I explained that I had the bare bones 1970 4 cylinder car, not the 6 (no need to piss her off, she is going to have a part in deciding how much I will be paying).

After looking up the value again, she came back & asked if $5,400 was better. What could I say? I was "saving" $175. Walked out with my new title and several hundred dollars less in my checking account.

How do the Department of Motor Vehicles / Registrys determine the value of the cars? Is it the same value that an insurance company would be using? Who determines these values? I know the 914's are increasing in value, but $8,900????

What is my 914 really worth?

[rick 918-S]

I had that happen to me once here in MN. when I transfered my 914 about 15 years ago. I declared I paid 1500.00 for the car as I did. The girl took my money and gave me plates. About a month or so later I received a letter from the DMV stating there was a problem with my vin. and they couldn't send me a title until I called them. The DMV guy told me that based on the info they had my 914 should be worth 10,000.00 and I owed the tax on that value. I gave him two options. He could send me my title or an invoice for the amount of tax he felt I owed. But I told him that the Attorney General recently made a radio commercial warning citizens to be on the look out for people attempting to extort money from you. I insured the DVM guy that If I received a bill instead of my title I would have his name into the Attorney Generals office the next day in a formal letter of complaint.

I received the title.

Tha whole system is a huge government ripoff!