Cynthia
Jun 11, 2002, 10:09 AM
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DRIVING ALERT: re cancelled stickers
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There have been a number of recent portings here about uncancelled stickers at the border, and also, if the computer system recognizes cars that enter and leave at different ports. Two days ago, after a 1600 mile cross country trip, my vehicle was refused entry into Mexico in Matamoros, because the computer shows a recent sticker on a truck that is still at my house in Mexico, and also a prior uncancelled sticker on the same vehicle. When we drove to Mexico in December of last year the prior sticker (from 1999) did not show up on the computer, but this time it did (that one was issued in Tapachula). <p>The previous posts about taking the sticker and the permit to the nearest border or consulate would not be accepted, we were told, because it would be possible to sell the vehicle in Mexico, remove the sticker, and do the above. There was another guy at the same crossing who lives in Nicaragua. His car in question was sold in the States last year. He was told theat a fax of the bill of sale would suffice, but when he returned with it, the jefe said no copies would be accepted--he would need a certified ORIGINAL bill of sale. I remet him en route on the same bus to Veracruz...He is not sure what he is going to do. I left my dog, cat and car at a kennel in Brownsville and am going to Chiapas by bus to get the truck and deal with the problem. The problem I have is that while the current sticker is still valid and it is just a matter of drving the 1986 truck out of Mexico (and selling it in Texas??); on the previous sticker, the bank clerk who typed out the permit transposed a "6" in the VIN number into a "G". Even though the rest of the numbers and letters match , and the description matches, they are saying it is a different vehicle. A title search on a US computer shows no such vehicle exists, but they are not accepting that. We went to three different points of entry; nobody was really helpful about how remedy the solution except to appear with a car that isnīt real! <p>I have lived and worked in Mexico for 5 years. I recognize that I am a guest there, and have always tried to be respectful of the rules and the laws, even if they seem silly or outdated to me. I have always abided by the rules: obtained the correct FM3, got a new FM3 when I was offered a job, paid taxes...In my time living there I have seen a lot of red tape and beauracratic mix-ups, but they always seemed possible to remedy (usually involving money). I realize that this is my fault (though an honest mistake--when we would get to the border the guard would say andele, so we did. Even when we changed the sticker in Tapachula (which did not even involve driving out of the country) the aduana there would not come and get the old sticker. So I was lulled into thinking this was just another "business as usual" situation.) What is frightening here is that there really doesnīt seem to be any ways to remedy this. We are going to drive to Tapachula with a lawyer on Thursday adn see what happens there. But I fear that I may be in the situation that I own a home in Mexico, but will not be able to drive there again...<p>Any suggestions would be appreciated. Especially from people who have been in this situation and found an answer. (That is the other thing that is strange here--this must happen hundreds of times, yet they donīt seem to have any mechanism to deal with it.) Also a WARNING: when you are issued your permit, make sure that the numbers match the information on your title and car VIN, and that the description matches the English tht is written there and not copied wrong. <p>Thanks in advance for advice, Cynthia
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