Forums > General > Traveling Mexico

Cynthia

Jun 15, 2002, 6:10 PM

Post #1 of 3 (1084 views)

Shortcut

EXPIRED STICKERS: the story continues...with a Mexican twist at the end...

Can't Post |

I am here in Chiapas now after a two day bus ride, leaving dog, cat and car in Brownsville. We went to Ciudad Cuahtemoc both Thursday and Friday this week, 5 hours each day. It turns out there is a THIRD (expired) sticker on the truck...So, for the update: one sticker that is current until 6/20, (but with a different date than is on the FMT), one sticker without a permit, on the truck, and another permit that is missing a sticker. (Both on previous FM3`s)...The officials in CC couldn`t have been nicer. THe first thing we had to do (Thurs) was go to another nearby government office and get two actas for the missing documents, the sticker and the permit. They cost 400 pesos. We could have gotten just one, for 200, but felt it was better to keep them separate. When we returned to CC the licenciado was not there, and so we were told to come back the next day. When we returned the next day, at first he said I would have to pay a fine. I told him that was okay with me, but after playing with his calculator, he said I couldn`t pay the fine, it was too much. He even wnet as far as to say that this was not completely my fault (which I kept saying it was) because the Mexican officials shouldn`t have been putting stickers on a vehicle that had old (uncancelled) stickers on the window...We got multiple copies of our papers (including the two actas--also, remember that one of these permits had the digits transposed, so that in Matamoros they were claiming it was a different vehicle.) They ended up calling DF, and talking to the head aduana there. The "official" word from DF was that they are forgiving all permits issued before 01/01/00, but that they are starting to go through the computers now, and if they find outstanding permits, will start to charge for them, and impound the vehicle if the opportunity presents itself. Because one of my two outstanding was issued in CC and they put it on with another sticker uncancelled, they went ahead and cancelled that one outright. THen I was told I needed to write a letter explaining the situation with the other one. I told them that I would have to return to San Cristobal (2 and 1/2 hours away) to get help with the letter as my Spanish is not good enough to type an official letter. Instead, the clerk in the office undertook it upon himself to type the letter for me. I signed it, the licenciado okayed it, I got 6 (!) copies of all the documents (what do they DO with all these copies??) and then they proceeded to not only cancel my other outdated permit, but they cancelled the current one (that expires next week) and reissued it so it will match my current FMT and is good for 60 days...I offered to pay for the extra services (the letters, the help, etc) and was turned down.I asked about others with uncancelled stickers. This is what I was told. UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, don`t remove the sticker and send it in yourself with the permit. THey will take this as an admission that the vehicle has been sold in Mexico. Go to the nearest border (it doesn`t have to be where the permit was issued) and have it cancelled there. If you are not near a border, go to the consulate and do it there. BUt make them take off the sticker and cancel it, and give you the paper. This is your proof. He said to carry the cancelled papers with you when you re-enter to show that they have been cancelled somewhere. He said that if people voluntarily do this, that they may avoid fines (like myself.) otherwise, that paper you signed when you entered gives them the right to impound the vehicle. In the future, always insist that someone cancel your sticker, even if the guy at the gate says it is not necessary. Go back to Banjercito and get them to come out and cancel it. If you have since sold the car, you need a notarized letter showing that. The end to my saga is that I then asked about legally being able to sell the truck to a Mexican since it is a 1986 (older than the 1992 required by Mexican law), so I don`t have to drive it back to Brownsville. The licenciado told me that it would be no problem...I drive to the border (in this case, to Ciudad Cuahtemoc again) and cancel the current sticker. WIth the cancelled permit in hand, I then turn the car over to the new owner, signing the title (he told me that a notary is not required like in the States.) I take the money, and a bus back to wherever I am going. THe new owner is now responsible for nationalizing the vehicle. If he doesn`t, it is his problem, not mine, as I have the cancelled sticker and am no longer the legal owner of the car. The end ...the licenciado in the aduana office offered to buy the truck! Only in Mexico....it is these kind of things that make me love this country. So, hopefully, by next week the truck will be sold for a lot more than I can get for it in Texas, and it is back North by bus to get car, dog and cat and return to Chiapas...Cynthia

Rolly

Jun 15, 2002, 7:15 PM

Post #2 of 3 (1081 views)

Shortcut