Guilty until proven innocent? It’s not what we’re used to hearing but that’s what a Seattle man is experiencing. His issue is with a vehicle he no longer owns.
It wasn’t too long ago when you would sell a car and let the new owner keep your old plates. Rick Davis is glad was a victim of the old process and is glad to see it changing.
“It’s been a nightmare,” said Davis.
Stuck at Lincoln Towing is Davis’ nightmare on Aurora Street – a piece of junk 1977 RV he sold five years ago. But it keeps coming back like Freddy Kruger.
“I submitted my title transfer to the state and I was done with it,” recalled Davis.
When Davis sold the vehicle in 2010 he followed the law and completed a sellers report. This released him of responsibility for the vehicle. However, since then, he’s received five parking tickets, notice of an accident and impound notices.
“I have to explain that this vehicle is not mine, I sold this vehicle and taking time out to make sure that that letter is mailed and that they receive it,” explained Davis.
Brad Benfield with the Department of Licensing confirmed Davis followed the law perfectly.
“People shouldn’t be going after someone with an active sellers report on the record for that vehicle,” said Benfield.
According to Benfield, police and other agencies should be able to see in the system when a vehicle has changed owners so notices aren’t sent to a previous owner. In Davis’ case, the RV had been sold a second time so there’s no way he should be getting letters.
I decided to take Davis’ case one step higher, to Representative Mark Harmsworth so see if more can be done with the process. He said under the current law DOL should go after any buyer who doesn’t complete ownership transfer.
“They need to be working with people like State Patrol and other agencies to go after these people that are taking vehicles and not completing title transfers so that the owner that’s done everything right doesn’t get penalized at the end of the day,” said Harmsworth.
Since the current rules aren’t being enforced, Harmsworth said he will write legislation so people like Davis are not haunted by these kinds of oversights.
“We can put an amendment around this. We can even amend it in committee as well. And come up with the right solution that will really have some teeth in it as you said to go after these folks that are making life difficult for everybody,” said Harmsworth.
In January, the state started requiring buyers get new license plates so whenever you trade a car make sure you take those plates with you!
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