Forums > General > Traveling Mexico

sweetpheni

Jun 17, 2010, 9:03 PM

Post #1 of 13 (5011 views)

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vehicle permit disaster

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Somehow, I messed up big time. I drove my truck down to mexico and did everything the right way. But when I drove back I thought I would never return to mexico and didnt cancel my vehicle permit. I know now big mistake. I have since sold the truck and now find myself wanting to go to mexico again. and now i have a new vehicle. i am single with no family that i know of so putting it in someone elses name isnt an option. what can i do to fix this? does anybody know? if anyone has an actual amount on the fines? there are different amounts all over the internet. i just want to know how much i should take with me for the fine if i am even able to get a new vehicle permit? help please and thank you

Reefhound

Jun 18, 2010, 7:41 AM

Post #2 of 13 (4955 views)

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Re: [sweetpheni] vehicle permit disaster

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I don't know EXACTLY what you need to do but I'm pretty sure you aren't going to be able to just show up at the border and pay a fine and get a new permit. You are going to have to prove that your old vehicle was brought out of Mexico. Somewhere on these forums (no time for me to search now, maybe later today) I posted a link to a Mexico Mike that says he knows the procedure, which basically involves getting a certain form from Banjercito in D.F., getting that signed off by your local authorities (police if stolen, insurer if totaled, etc) along with proof like bill of sale or police report, and sending it back to D.F. I've heard it takes months. I also recall someone here who recently had to go through that.

Reefhound

Jun 18, 2010, 7:48 AM

Post #3 of 13 (4953 views)

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Re: [Reefhound] vehicle permit disaster

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Here's the thread containing that link.

You also might need to get a copy of the permit itself (not the sticker) which is addressed in this thread.

Hound Dog

Jun 18, 2010, 8:39 AM

Post #4 of 13 (4931 views)

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Re: [sweetpheni] vehicle permit disaster

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As Reefhound says, it is not so simple as paying a fine. Having personally experienced this in Nuevo Laredo I can tell you that they will not allow you to legally import the new vehicle - period - unless Reefhound´s roundabout method works which I bet would be real fun and I wouldn´t try it if I were you. In my case, my wife and I each imported a vehicle when we moved down here. In 2003, I drove the vehicle she imported and exported it in order to sell it in San Antonio but, due to complications could not sell the thing so decided to drive it back home. No way they would allow me to import that very same vehicle my wife had imported since I had imported that other vehicle at the same time. The only way we were able to re-import the vehicle is my wife, who was on record as having exported her car, took a bus from Lake Chapala to Nuevo Laredo and re-imported it. They are not kidding about this.

I believe your best solution depends on your goal. Are you moving permanently to Mexico or just coming down for a short visit? Do you plan to drive about or will public transportation do as well? There is a zone of about 20 kilometers from the border in which you can drive without an import permit and from there you can take luxury buses all over Mexico - at least in Nuevo Laredo.

If you drive the vehicle into Mexico without a permit, that is a crime and they may seize the vehicle if you are caught and, believe me, the federales are looking out for you on the roads down from the border.

Give us a few more details and maybe someone can help you.

chinagringo

Jun 18, 2010, 8:42 AM

Post #5 of 13 (4928 views)

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Re: [sweetpheni] vehicle permit disaster

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There is an outside chance that they may not have a record of your vehicle permit. While chances are slim - answers to the following could provide some hope:
1) What year was the vehicle permit originally issued?
2) What type of Mexican Immigration document were you using at the time?
3) Did you properly cancel/turn in your Immigration document?
4) Did you use a U.S. or Canadian Passport during your initial entry? Or did you use some other form of identification?
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

Reefhound

Jun 18, 2010, 9:07 AM

Post #6 of 13 (4918 views)

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Re: [Hound Dog] vehicle permit disaster

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Dawg, not sure why you say "unless Reefhound´s roundabout method works which I bet would be real fun and I wouldn´t try it if I were you" as it is, best I can tell, the legal prescribed method for resolving a situation like this. Of course, it will likely take lots of time, lots of jumping through hoops, and probably some money.

As for the possibility of them not having a record of it, one way to find out is to apply for a new vehicle permit online. If it goes through you're all set. If not, you'll be notified you have an outstanding permit and you'll know there is a problem long before you get to the border.

sweetpheni

Jun 18, 2010, 5:02 PM

Post #7 of 13 (4873 views)

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Re: [Reefhound] vehicle permit disaster

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okay thank yall for your advice i got the permit in 2008. and i used a birht certificate to get a tourist visa. i think i am going to try the online thing and see how far i can get that way. thanks yall for your help and information it is really appreciated.

chinagringo

Jun 18, 2010, 5:18 PM

Post #8 of 13 (4866 views)

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Re: [sweetpheni] vehicle permit disaster

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I was hoping that you responded that you had used a Birth Certificate. Since you now have to cross with a Passport - it is probably clean with no stamps re: your old FMT or FM3 or whatever. I say this because, I had done the same with a Birth Certificate and then when I used a clean Passport, they had no idea what my previous activity had been since they could not look at stamps. A new Passport # would preclude them from tracing your previous activities. My best GUESS is that they will not know that you had a previous FMT or vehicle permit. It has been stated many times on this and other forums that your vehicle permit and Immigration Document are tied together but evidence does not support this.

Now I am hoping that you did cancel the FMT (now FMM) when you left Mexico!
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

Moisheh

Jun 18, 2010, 5:20 PM

Post #9 of 13 (4865 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] vehicle permit disaster

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It really does not matter what form of ID you provided. This is 2010 and Mexico knows how to build software! Everything you provided is linked: Your name, passport # DL#, etc. Your only hope is that form from a previous thread.

Moisheh

chinagringo

Jun 18, 2010, 5:41 PM

Post #10 of 13 (4860 views)

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Re: [Moisheh] vehicle permit disaster

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Moisheh:

While I would agree that has undergone vast improvements in their tracking system - I have to dispute your contention based on personal experience. In August of 2009, I was crossing with a brand new unstamped U.S. Passport, having used a Birth Certificate (heavily stamped on the back side) in the past. We had both failed to cancel our FMT's within the 180 day window. I turned in my new application for an FMT first and there were no issues. Then Kathy turned hers in and they discovered an entry stamp but no cancellation stamp and she was busted. Initially she tried to deny it but realized that wasn't going anywhere. So she pulled out her expired FMT out of her wallet. She did not realize that mine was folded inside of hers and all of a sudden we were both busted. Granted this is not the vehicle permit but as we all know: Official Stamps mean everything in Mexico!
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

Moisheh

Jun 19, 2010, 3:40 AM

Post #11 of 13 (4812 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] vehicle permit disaster

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Hi Neil:

Until recently (if at all) there has never been a tracking system for FMT's. There are a million file boxes filled with those little papers. I would imagine that the new FMM's will be computerized. Car permits are a whole other matter. The former are the responsibility of Immigration. Car permits are the domain of the Hacienda. They are the equivalent of the IRS and the most powerful arm of the Mexican Government. Totally computerized. We had a car in Mexico that was brought in when they first started the sticker program. 9 years later we wanted to bring in another. Had not returned the old vehicle yet and the new vehicle was not allowed. Of course the agent has the final say and sometimes you can sweet talk them. Normally their supervisors are watching over them like an overseer building the pyramids.

Moisheh

chinagringo

Jun 20, 2010, 3:00 PM

Post #12 of 13 (4720 views)

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Re: [Moisheh] vehicle permit disaster

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Moisheh:

Thank you for the education on Hacienda! That being the case, I guess we got very lucky a few years ago. We had a vehicle planted at our Mexico home since 1998 and decided to bring that vehicle NOB in 2005. Out of "pure ignorance", we drove the vehicle across the border without canceling our permit. It simply never dawned on us that we needed to do so. Anyway that vehicle was never taken back into MX but we have taken another vehicle down a number of times and they have not caught the fact that we had an open permit. Probably, the paperwork fell through the cracks and we just got lucky?
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

normamc288

Jun 22, 2010, 8:57 AM

Post #13 of 13 (4625 views)

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Re: [sweetpheni] vehicle permit disaster

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That happened to me also and I got the info from the person who bought the car. Once they saw it was sold I was ok...and sold in the US.