Posted by Curious on May 01, 2001 at 18:46:17:
In Reply to: Legalities??? posted by Whistler on May 01, 2001 at 13:49:28:
|
Before you get too involved you need to find out some additional information. Either stop at the office at the border and ask, or call (or visit) the Mexican Consulate. These rules seem to change a lot lately. You also need to be clear on what SHE wants. Issues you need to know and be ready to deal with: - Some cars cannot be legally imported into Mexico. - To import a car into Mexico legally there will be a tax due. This can be a substantial amount, depending on the make, model, and year of the car. Last I was told it was 32.5% of the value of the car (in U.S. dollars). They have some tables that establish minimum values for different types of cars based on the age of the car, so it is difficult to get them to accept that your 98 Caddy is only worth $2,000. There will also be additional fee's to pay. There are services that will do the paperwork for you (for a fee, of course). - Mexico has strange (and complex) laws about who may own and who may drive in Mexico, especially when the car is not registered in that persons name, or the car is registered in the U.S. It is not as simple as a Mexican citizen cannot drive a car registered in the U.S. (I know several Mexican Citizens - all with green cards - who legally own a car registered in the U.S. and drive it in Mexico.) - Many people in TJ do drive cars that are registered in the U.S. They can get into major trouble for doing so, however, if they do not have a green card or dual citizenship. And be SURE that the title gets transferred from you to her in the California DMV computers, or you can be in for major hassles in the future. (Better yet, don't get your name on any documents at all!) I sold a truck to a friend who lives in Mexico. He drove it into Mexico without completeing all the paperwork. Two years later when I wanted to drive into Mexico and had to do the paperwork on my car to get my travel documents, they wanted THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS (U.S.) or proof that the truck was back in the U.S. Oh, and they wanted me to deposit $7,500 to insure that I would bring MY car back to the U.S. (or a credit card). - The Mexican government has estimated that there are approximately one and a half to two million cars from the U.S. in Mexico illegally. It is VERY common. Just be sure you are not linked to the car in any way, and make sure she realizes the car will probably be impounded if she is caught and has not done the paperwork to import it into Mexico. - One final warning - watch out for that word "importing" a car to Mexico. Any U. S. Citizen who travels South in Mexico, or stays for any length of time, or has a VISA in Mexico, "imports" their car. Even if you only plan to drive to Mexico City and back, officially they call that importing your car. You will need to do paperwork, and pay a deposit, to prove that you won't leave the car in Mexico. So be SURE they do not get confused over YOU importing a car for temporary use, and HER importing one for keeps. Good luck!! |
|