# U.S. Plated truck left in Cabo



## WashingtonState (Mar 30, 2016)

I was hoping to get some advice on a problem I have with a U.S. plated car left in Cabo.

Quite a few years ago my father retired and moved from Washington state to cabo san lucas. Actually a small town a little north called LaRibera. When he moved he drove his 2001 GMC Sierra pick-up down and kept it there. However he kept the truck registered and licensed in Washington state. To make it easier to keep the truck up to date with license tabs, we transferred the title into my name. I would then bring down current registration papers and tabs when I would come visit. This worked for many years with no problems from the local police.

The problem. My father has since passed away and I now have a Washington state plated truck sitting in Cabo with my name on it. I have no interest in the truck. I’m looking for advice on what to do with it. 
Some questions I have are:
Can I sell it?
Are there liability issues I should be aware of?
Suggestions on what I should next?

Any advice you can offer would be much appreciated.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

Go get it and sell it up north
Pay someone else to go get it
Give it to someone else if they go get it
Advertise on the Yahoo Group "lapazgringos"
Advertise on craigslist

One way or other you're going to have to be invoved to sign the Title off

Or let it sit there and rot


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

The TIP or Temporary Import Permit has a clause that the owner will remove the vehicle from Mexico when the TIP is about to expire. It also has a clause the owner is not allowed to sell the vehicle in Mexico. It is on the paperwork you get when getting a TIP. It would be best to remove it from Mexico, example San Diego, before selling it to avoid any liability issues.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

If he stays up north I seriously doubt there could be any liability issues in/from Mexico


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

AlanMexicali said:


> The TIP or Temporary Import Permit has a clause that the owner will remove the vehicle from Mexico when the TIP is about to expire. It also has a clause the owner is not allowed to sell the vehicle in Mexico. It is on the paperwork you get when getting a TIP. It would be best to remove it from Mexico, example San Diego, before selling it to avoid any liability issues.


 Is there a current TIP on the vehicle? If so was it in the son's name or the father's name. There might be a deposit which could be recovered when it is removed from Mexico. If it is sold in Mexico, it would be a problem for the buyer down the road, since the vehicle will be in Mexico illegally.

The liability could be an issue even if the son never wants to visit Mexico. If someone used the vehicle for smuggling drugs, the DEA might end up on the son's doorstep.

Drive it north across the border and sell it in the US.


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## WashingtonState (Mar 30, 2016)

Blue book value of the truck is $2-2.5k, not worth the time and money to go get.
BUT I like the idea of selling to another ****** down there. That just might solve my problem.

THANKS!!


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## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

WashingtonState said:


> Blue book value of the truck is $2-2.5k, not worth the time and money to go get.
> BUT I like the idea of selling to another ****** down there. That just might solve my problem.
> 
> THANKS!!


Well, unless you mis-understood some of the above..... you CAN'T sell it to anyone 'down there' if their intentions are to keep it there without driving it out and cancelling the TIP at the border. If they are going to drive it out then OK (but hopefully no Federale will stop them along the way and see the TIP is not registered to them). 

Otherwise your selling it won't change a thing. Regardless of whose name is now on the title, yours or a new 'buyer', the TIP/car has technically been there illegally since the last time your dad didn't renew it. Your having current plates on it may be satisfying the local fuz since they can see it is at least current, but that doesn't change anything. 

That's the 'technical' side of things. From the 'practical' side of things it's debatable as to whether anything will ever come of it (bad for you) since the only records of the car with the Mexican government (the TIP) are from your deceased dad. The VIN# will point it to you until someone gets another title on it, but......


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## WashingtonState (Mar 30, 2016)

yeah I guess I did misunderstand some of the advice. I thought as long as the buyer wasn't mexican I could sell the vehicle down there. Doesn't South Dakota till register vehicles by mail?

But I guess it all doesn't matter because the TIP must be way out of date. My dad never mentioned the TIP to me.

Uggh what a mess! I don't care about getting any money from the vehicle, I just want to NOT be attached to it or liable for it. I still would like to visit Mexico and not be worried about being detained for some legal troubles associated with the vehicle.

thanks for all your advice, its been a very educational day.


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## perropedorro (Mar 19, 2016)

WashingtonState said:


> But I guess it all doesn't matter because the TIP must be way out of date. My dad never mentioned the TIP to me.


Better check this on the Baja sites (bajabound.com), but I think the whole peninsula is in the "border zone", which means no permit is required. Maybe that's why your dad didn't mention it. Also think you're correct about South Dakota, at least one county (Clay?) that never has to see or inspect it, they'll send plates. A whole lot of the cars in Cabo have SD plates.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

There is a guy that posts here occasionally that buys and removes vehicles from Mexico or used to and sells them once over the border. If the TIP is still on the vehicle he also stops to have them turned in. I don´t think it matters if the TIP is expired; Banjercito takes it and cancels it in their database.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

perropedorro said:


> Better check this on the Baja sites (bajabound.com), but I think the whole peninsula is in the "border zone", which means no permit is required. Maybe that's why your dad didn't mention it. Also think you're correct about South Dakota, at least one county (Clay?) that never has to see or inspect it, they'll send plates. A whole lot of the cars in Cabo have SD plates.


I think you are right that the whole Baja Peninsula is a "Free Zone" for foreign plated vehicles. Therefore no TIP would be required.


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## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

If the whole of Baja requires no TIP (I thought it was only Baja Norte but am probably wrong!) then your problems are not so bad. If that's the case, you 'could' sell the US plated truck to a ****** (only? am I also wrong about that? Baja has such different rules than the mainland) who could get SD title/plates. The 'only' catch is that SD does require a US address but many folks use a mail-forwarding address. The original title and plates as well as the annual renewal sticker would come to that address.

P.S. Clay County is not the only county in SD that does this.... they all will..... but they seem to be the go-to county. I get my plates there and the ladies in the Treasurer's Office have got Customer Service down pat!


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## tcreek (Sep 13, 2010)

WashingtonState said:


> Doesn't South Dakota till register vehicles by mail?



No.

You have to establish a mailing address, and have an agent do it for you.

There are a lot of mail box rental places which will do it for you, after you have obtained one of their boxes for a period of time. Then there is a fee for them, plus registration fees, plus a form you must sign to the State about being "nomadic."

No inspection required of the vehicle.


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## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

tcreek said:


> No. You have to establish a mailing address, and have an agent do it for you.
> 
> There are a lot of mail box rental places which will do it for you, after you have obtained one of their boxes for a period of time. Then there is a fee for them, plus registration fees, plus a form you must sign to the State about being "nomadic." No inspection required of the vehicle.


This is not correct. One can easily do it themselves. I have 4 autos with South Dakota plates. If you have a US address (a relative?) or just a mail-forwarding address that is all that is necessary. Call the ladies at Clay County.... (605) 677-7123... and they will walk you through the process and cost. Easy peasy.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

>>>>>> If the whole of Baja requires no TIP

That is why you get your TIP at the ferry dock in La Paz if going to the mainland


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## tcreek (Sep 13, 2010)

RickS said:


> This is not correct. One can easily do it themselves. I have 4 autos with South Dakota plates. If you have a US address (a relative?) or just a mail-forwarding address that is all that is necessary. Call the ladies at Clay County.... (605) 677-7123... and they will walk you through the process and cost. Easy peasy.


I stand corrected. I was thinking of in addition to getting a drivers license. 
There you have to show have proof of authorized use of address in the state by showing mail in your name. Getting mail from the state via vehicle title would help establish this.


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