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Sales Tax/Coach Licensing
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Flyu2there, why post something like that? It’s just not true. I have run thousands of miles the last 4 years in California with MT plates and never been stopped.
If you get stopped just for plates, that is illegal, now I undertsand we live in a Police State in USSA now but you can not be pulled over in a state just for having plates from another state. That is an illegal stop, if police use some other made up reason to check your papers then we have bigger problems (and we do).
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G-Man, I gather you are a CA resident from your remarks, also noted you wisely drive a 40. They can and will stop for any reason they choose, there really is no such thing as an illegal stop; usually these are CA DOT Highway Patrol Trucks….the grab many a driver for being overlength when the coach and toad exceed 65 feet. They are also fond of stopping 45 foot coaches on roads (and there are many of them) where 40 feet is the max length. As for the bounty…yes sir that’s true! Have a look at the CA DMV page, they even encourage a neighbor, anyone, to turn in out of state plates that apparently live in CA. Thats when the fun begins…..
I understand you are a proponent for Montana registration but if you are a resident of CA and keep that coach in state, they will get you, sooner or later. The LLC is of little help mainly because 99% of the folks that have them overlook the fact that they have to register the LLC as a foreign entity within 60 days with the Secretary of State (if they are determined to be CA residents), and when and if they do, California law takes precedent. The loopholes are closed. The Franchise Tax Board went after me for PPT on my airplane because I own real estate in CA and was there, “too often”. That took a year to fend off! Dealing with the California Franchise Tax Board is very painful, 99% of their front line workers…well, English is a second language and they just do not care.
Andy, do some research on the Escapee’s…….that’s the full timers place to go, at least I have been told. South Dakota and Texas are popular with them.
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No longer a CA resident, left about 6 years ago.
I agree it may be dicey being a CA resident and MT plates, not advising anyone either way, just in my experience over 100k miles all over the state I do not see RV’s being pulled over and hasseled. And I do not agree that a chp or otherwise can pull you over just to check your papers are in order. It may happen but most CA cops are busier with much more important stuff.
Prior to the Prevost I had a 5th wheel and dually with MT plates, ran all over CA between NV and AZ only place I was ever pulled over was NE and KS….and that was when I had CA plates!!!!
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Dicey is not the world….try dangerous to ones wallet. That said, as mentioned, it is not the CHP cars to worry about, its the DOT CHP Trucks that can tear you apart with, perhaps a routine safety inspection. That is not an illegal stop and while most of their time is spent with truckers, they will attack motorhomes of all flavors without warning. Over length, red diesel and registration questions can ruin anyones day. The fines in CA can or will take your breath away…not to be messed with IMHOP! They have bigger dogs! Only place worse that comes to mind is Searchlight NV, cost me 1300 for 27 in a 25 zone, or so they said….thanks so much Harry Reed! Montana, Oregon, S Dakota plates…while you may not be stopped, you can be assurred that they will “run” that plate to determine if the stop is worthwhile…..
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G-man. He is right. And you have been lucky.
At our very first rally with our first Prevost in March 1991 we were parked next to a CA owner who used the OR licensing back then. He had a CA driver license, he had a NV registered toad, and OR plates on the coach which was only a few months old.
He got stopped in CA for reasons he did not mention, and the bottom line was at the time his sales tax he evaded had to be paid and he was slapped with a $75,000 fine. He told that story to anyone who would listen.
I do not know what other state’s do or require, but when we moved to TN all of our vehicles were previously registered in NY. As long as they had previously been registered in another state TN did not reach out and collect any sales tax. I since came to understand some other states follow similar practices. So maybe the MT licensing is used by some as a stop gap measure.
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Not lucky, I am not a CA resident, so am not worried one bit.
Anyways, when did DOT start inspecting recreational vehicles? Show me some proof of that one. If RV is now subject to DOT insp, why not hours of service? Scales?C’mon guys.
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Apples and oranges.
DOT inspections have not been done on RVs beyond the requirements of states that require vehicle inspections like NY that I am aware of. If they were everyone would be screaming about that.
But there have been RV owners who have been stopped for whatever reason and the MT licensing has popped up as an issue. RV forums have covered this to a great extent. Bottom line, owners should do whatever they choose to do regarding how they deal with licensing and sales tax. We are all adults and free to make whatever decisions we choose.
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TMI, I erased my post. Sorry for the rant
Later
bv -
In case anyone thinks a cop has to have a good reason to pull you over, think again.
All of us that have been stopped in the middle of NM or CA or AZ for example to check for illegal immigrants, or house plants or lettuce in our refrigerators know if we are on the highway we will be stopped along with every other law abiding citizen.
We recently went through AR on our way back from OKC and we had just passed a DOT scale or roadside inspection station. Didn’t pay much attention other than to notice trucks were pulling in. A cop blew buy us at a high rate of speed and pulled a motorhome over. The motorhome was lettered up and pulling a trailer so maybe he was a commercial vehicle that decided not to pull in. Don’t know but was a little surprised to see that.
About two years ago TN had a law on the books that read that buses could not tow trailers. (Since been rescinded). Two entertainer coaches were stopped in Cookeville because both were pulling small trailers. One was registered to a private individual and even though it was an entertainer coach the driver and coach papers were checked and he was allowed to continue. The second one was a leased entertainer coach with commercial registration. He had to disconnect, hire a pickup truck to pull the trailer to the eastern TN state line (about 200 miles) and the driver was ticketed for not having a Class A commercial license. He had a Class B but that does not allow trailers.
The point is we are not immune to stops. On the two occasions when I have been along side of the road with an officer I never had to show my license, registration or proof of insurance. Once was because my coach caught fire, the second one was so the cop could tell me to move over for flashing lights on a cop car (I did and he acknowledge but only half a lane). But the second cop also ran my plates before he approached me.
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Perhaps I should have been a bit clearer in my remarks. California, as does Arizona, has Highway Patrol units that specialize in vehicle safety and the vehicle code. They are commonly called DOT when in fact they are regular patrolmen assigned now to SUV’s with all of the “stuff” needed to measure, test or otherwise check motor vehicles. Instead of the uniform, they wear a dark blue jump suit otherwise they are the same, save that they have had some additional training. This thesis is very easy to test if you happen to have an old school bus handy, helps if it is painted pink (with a roller), has some flowers as embellishments and macrame beads dangling from the windows……… While their focus apparently is mainly on truckers (dirt haulers get the brunt of it), they will not hesitate to stop an RV (next to a converted school bus, a 30 year old Winnebago will garner their attention), any car that is smoking or “smells”, yes they have an over the road sniffer for unburned fuel/oil or anything that they determine might need an inspection…..cracked windshields, loud exhaust, bald tires…the list is endless. They are fond of over length vehicles and, unlike many states DOT, they have full law enforcement capability.
I know that this thread has drifted a bit off topic however, remember California is a bell weather state and as such, the laws enacted there will likely find their ways to many other jurisdictiions. California has ferocious prosecution of tax avoiders and as what happened with Oregon, Montana LLC’s or just plain registration can catch their attention. As Jon mentioned, the penalties can be staggering. I think it is fair to say register where you want but always be prepared to deal with the consequences remembering that they could take years to mature.
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The TN motor vehicle inspectors at the scales and who also sit in the median or at rest areas are also full fledged TN highway partol officers. While they do vehicle inspections as their assignment, they also carry guns (depending on their role) and are as much a cop as the other highway patrol officers.
Lately I have noticed they hang out at rest areas. We watched one wake up a driver to get his paperwork. I just stopped to pee so I did not see if he went further with an inspection although he did have on overalls.
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All of those companies ended up in Court and some never recovered.
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G-Man,
You can legally be pulled over if your licence plates do not match… ie…. Montana plates on coach and different State plates on toad.
Diane
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Diane,
Help
me understand that… I was in Law Enforcement for 10 years and can’t
image how a police officer can pull you over for different tags on
the toad and bus, assuming there was no probable cause for the stop.
If the bus has a Montana tag, valid registration and proof of
insurance and the toad has a different state tag again with a valid
registration and proof of insurance, what law has been broken? In
addition, if the driver has a CDL, once again, what law was broken?
Bernie – Is this a law in CA?I
suppose the state could have enacted a law addressing the issue and
if so, how would that state make the general public aware of that law
while traveling through the state? I’ve never heard of a state
with that law in place, so maybe someone can jump in here with
factual information.So
does this also apply to the guy with a 5th wheel with tags in
different states? Or even the big trucks towing a car or pick-up
after an over dimension load being delivered and on their way to
the next load.I
new this thread would be a long one.:) -
As long as both registrations are current, you are not breaking the law. You are raising curiosity.
Let me address this thread as started. If I were purchasing a 150k bus paying taxes on it are chicken shit compared to what it will cost you over your time of ownership. It’s not worth it unless you have the means to back it up if called upon.
Later
bv
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