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dandalton123

Aug 20, 2010, 4:59 PM

Post #1 of 14 (6325 views)

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car permit in mexico

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my buddy is mexican and wants me to drive his truck into mexico under my name and change title to my name to get permit faster. if i do not take the car out what type of penalties am i looking at can i transfer title to his name by paying a tax once in mexico??? will this ban me from entering mexico again by plane on a vacation? or does it just stop me from entering country with another car??? please help supposed to leave sunday the 22nd

Reefhound

Aug 20, 2010, 5:17 PM

Post #2 of 14 (6314 views)

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Re: [dandalton123] car permit in mexico

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Don't do it! You'll definitely be barred from getting another car permit but more importantly, it is against the law and the penalty is not just "can't get any more permits".

On the back of the Promise To Return document you will sign, it says "I understand that non-compliance with any of the above terms will result in penalties as established under Mexican law, including, but not limited to, incarceration or fines."

While they are probably not going to bother hunting you down for it and certainly won't try to extradite you for it, if you were to go to Mexico at a later date and get into some kind of legal trouble, it might come up.

chinagringo

Aug 20, 2010, 5:18 PM

Post #3 of 14 (6313 views)

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Re: [dandalton123] car permit in mexico

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There is so much wrong with this plan that I am not sure where to start:
1) Here it is Friday, the 20th and how are you going to get a title change by Sunday?
2) In order to get a permit, I believe the vehicle has to be both registered to you and the title in your name.
3) The deposit must be charged to a credit card in the name of the registered owner. Cash deposit may be a different story but in order to get the deposit back, one must exit with vehicle at the same point of entry.
4) Not taking the vehicle back out will prevent you from ever driving in again. No restriction on flying in and back out.
5) If the vehicle is brought in under your name - I do not believe a Mexican is allowed to drive it. Secondly, as long as it is in your name, you will be liable for any accidents.

Disclaimer: I believe that I have most of this right but could be off on a few details since rules and interpretations change.
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

Reefhound

Aug 20, 2010, 5:19 PM

Post #4 of 14 (6312 views)

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Re: [dandalton123] car permit in mexico

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And no, you can't re-transfer it back to him in Mexico if it is in the country under a temporary permit.

dandalton123

Aug 20, 2010, 5:34 PM

Post #5 of 14 (6305 views)

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Re: [Reefhound] car permit in mexico

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Okay i am glad you have clarified this info to me... Thankyou so much. Is it impossible for him to import the car into mexico is that why he wants me to put it in my name. I am trying to understand. He is my friend and i want to help him drive it to his home in oaxaca but i need to watch my own ass first and foremost. can u transfer in texas back to his name i think he is affraid of driving it in america b/c he is a illegal immagrant trying to return to his family. i have no problem helping him but are there any recourses for him so thaat i can still help him and not break the law. I have family in mexico and visit on a regular basis. and would be heart broken if i could not visit my family and friends

Reefhound

Aug 20, 2010, 7:00 PM

Post #6 of 14 (6285 views)

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Re: [dandalton123] car permit in mexico

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One of the reasons behind these laws is that Mexico wants to protect the Mexican automobile industry. Mexico does not want Mexican nationals (your friend) to have U.S. cars because then they are not buying Mexican cars. Your friend is in fact the very target of these laws. I don't think he can even get a temporary vehicle import permit and he cannot import a U.S. car. They have thought of all the workarounds so they don't allow U.S citizens to bring a car in on a temporary permit and then sell it or leave it. If you don't physically return the vehicle to the border to have the permit removed and canceled (they don't even allow you to remove the permit until they have checked all the VINs and verified everything), the assumption will be that the car was left in Mexico, either sold or given away.

The only way you could legally help him now, assuming he needs to leave this weekend, is for him to leave the car with you, then you sell it and wire the proceeds to him in Mexico, whereupon he can buy a Mexican car in his area. Maybe he can just sign the title and you don't actually have to transfer name registration but I would worry that something might come up that needs his presence and he obviously cannot return so easily. Or just buy it from him and give him the cash now. Bottom line: the U.S. car needs to be sold in the U.S. and the money used to buy a Mexican car in Mexico.

mexliving

Aug 20, 2010, 10:40 PM

Post #7 of 14 (6260 views)

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Re: [Reefhound] car permit in mexico

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i would not call that a buddy...... everyone knows that the vehicle you import with a temp import permit has to be taken out of mexico by the due date, unless you have a fm3 or fm2. if you import a vehicle with a temp import permit...... and sell it down here or give it to someone.... like everyone else says.... your in the system and you will not be able to get a permit next time you drive into mexico... and now with new fm2 / fm3 visas, they are going to be able to denie your entry into mexico if you fly into mexico.

Rolly

Aug 21, 2010, 1:04 AM

Post #8 of 14 (6256 views)

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Re: [mexliving] car permit in mexico

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and now with new fm2 / fm3 visas, they are going to be able to denie your entry into mexico if you fly into mexico.
Where did you get that information?

Rolly Pirate

Hound Dog

Aug 21, 2010, 8:42 AM

Post #9 of 14 (6205 views)

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Re: [dandalton123] car permit in mexico

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If you import a vehicle into Mexico and then transfer title to anyone down here whether Mexican or foreign, and whether or not any consideration is exchanged for this title transfer, you will have committed an illegal act and you will forever be liable for any accident that vehicle is involved in in the future no matter haw many times the vehicle changes hand in the future nor who is driving it at the time of the accident. That means that if your "friend" has an accident or sells the truck and then it is sold again any number of times and the future owner who you have never met nor even heard of, gets drunk and runs over and kills someone even several years from the day you imported the vehicle, you will be in a great deal of trouble. This guy is not your friend. Don´t walk away - RUN! Mexican prisons are not fun places.

By the way, the reason for the strict rules on importing vehicles is not simply because the Mexican government is trying to protect the Mexican auto industry but because dealing in stolen imported vehicles is a huge industry down here. Don´t even think of getting involved in this criminal activity. You will be in way over your head.

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on Aug 21, 2010, 10:05 AM)

chinagringo

Aug 21, 2010, 8:58 AM

Post #10 of 14 (6199 views)

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Re: [Hound Dog] car permit in mexico

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Dawg:

To your point, within the past couple of weeks, I read an article in I believe in EL INFORMADOR that contended that 25% of all private vehicles in Guadalajara were "chocolate".
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

skier14

Aug 21, 2010, 10:32 AM

Post #11 of 14 (6186 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] car permit in mexico

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I brought my 1993 Dodge 1 Ton dually to Mexico with the proper permits and then had it legalized (big costs), but into my mexican wife's name. No problems.

Goyo

Aug 21, 2010, 10:34 AM

Post #12 of 14 (6185 views)

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Re: [skier14] car permit in mexico

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In Reply To

I brought my 1993 Dodge 1 Ton dually to Mexico with the proper permits and then had it legalized (big costs), but into my mexican wife's name. No problems.

Thanks for sharing.

Goyo

Aug 21, 2010, 10:42 AM

Post #13 of 14 (6181 views)

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Re: [dandalton123] car permit in mexico

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In Reply To

Okay i am glad you have clarified this info to me... Thankyou so much. Is it impossible for him to import the car into mexico is that why he wants me to put it in my name. I am trying to understand. He is my friend and i want to help him drive it to his home in oaxaca but i need to watch my own ass first and foremost. can u transfer in texas back to his name i think he is affraid of driving it in america b/c he is a illegal immagrant trying to return to his family. i have no problem helping him but are there any recourses for him so thaat i can still help him and not break the law. I have family in mexico and visit on a regular basis. and would be heart broken if i could not visit my family and friends

Consider the situation you describe: an illegal alien asking you to do something that is basically illegal. He may be a friend and a fine fellow but his system of doing things may not work for you. Looking for schemes or devices to circumvent or work around legal structures can generate unexpected problems. Sometimes the best thing a friend can do is say "no". And by the way... are you the person that wants to teach English in Mexico? Before you start, check out the proper spelling of the word, "immagrant"... you might be surprised.

mexliving

Aug 21, 2010, 10:12 PM

Post #14 of 14 (6126 views)

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Re: [Goyo] car permit in mexico

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chocolate vehicles in gdl/ a lot of mexican nationals go to the usa and bring vehicles to mexico/ they usually do the importation process entering mexico (they know the system). and then sell the vehicles down here.

if your a canadian or american driving into mexico, you get your temp import permit....... you could try to find out what year vehicle you can import and pay the fees to legalize in mexico........

if i knew the process, i would be buying and selling vehicles down here.... i dont.... and no one is going to share their trade secrets .