# Undocumented car



## Dr. Goodbody (Oct 19, 2013)

I have for complicated reasons, a US plated undocumented (No temporary Permit) rather flashy late model vehicle parked and rarely driven in the Lake Chapala area. Driving the car back out of the country is risky. I was stopped 3 times on the way down and mordita'ed, once more by the federales who released me after a nervous couple of hours with a $200 offer. I don't think they had a clue what to do with me and just kept asking the same questions.

I need to somehow get next to someone who has access to the T.P. computer list and get my previous Mex. vehicle off the list, so when I do get the current car back to the boarder somehow, I can turn around and bring it back in legally. This is a hard to find pristine car and I really don't want to take it across the boarder and leave it.

I cannot obtain get a temporary 5 day get home free pass because the car is not documented in Mexico.

If nothing else works, I am just going to drive the car as I please and risk confiscation. 

Does anyone know if confiscation is a real or imagined threat in the Lakeside area? Know anyone who lost a vehicle?

If it is confiscated, how would I get the car back, or is that even possible?


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

If you previously imported a vehicle and took it out of Mexico without having Banjercito remove the sticker and issue a receipt, you will have to bring that car back to the border and do that. If you no longer have that original car, you have created a problem that you probably cannot solve.
If you have a spouse, you could transfer title and the spouse could import the current car; but you cannot.
If you have an accident, I would not want to be in your shoes.


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## Bill Gruntleman (Oct 18, 2013)

When I recently nationalized my car, I did not take the trailer which was listed on the TIP, to the border. I only took the car. As a result my Import agent could not have either the car or the trailer removed from the gov't computers, even thought he successfully nationalized my car. He informed me that he could remove both the car and trailer from the gov't computers, without neither being present at the border, for a fee of US$520. I have yet to follow up with him on that service, but I plan to in the future.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Bill Gruntleman said:


> When I recently nationalized my car, I did not take the trailer which was listed on the TIP, to the border. I only took the car. As a result my Import agent could not have either the car or the trailer removed from the gov't computers, even thought he successfully nationalized my car. He informed me that he could remove both the car and trailer from the gov't computers, without neither being present at the border, for a fee of US$520. I have yet to follow up with him on that service, but I plan to in the future.


In Mexico a special "fee" = "bribe".


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## Bill Gruntleman (Oct 18, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> In Mexico a special "fee" = "bribe".


He never mentioned "fee", or "special fee". He stated what he could do and how much it would cost. If it is a bribe, it is him bribing, not me. 

This import agent has the best reputation amongst expats, of any operating on the northern border, and is perhaps the most mentioned and talked about, by name, on the internet.


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

I want to hear more about how you got a car this far into Mexico illegally.


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## kito1 (Aug 4, 2012)

I don't know how THIS person got their car into Mexico Illegally but I will tell you how I did!

I hired a driver (who said he had done the trip numerous times) to drive me from DFW to Chapala. He wanted to do most of the driving and took over completely when we got to Laredo. He crossed the border and we got waved thru, he drove through the town of Nuevo Larado, instead of taking the correct road to get the TIP and when we got to the Red light/Green light we just kept getting waved through. It was raining and none of the guys and gals wanted to come out of their dry places so no one ever looked at the car. After about half an hour into Mexico I said "something is wrong here, why haven't we gotten the TIP yet?" and he said "well we must have passed the booth, no need to turn around and get it now it would be quite a drive back to get it" 

I do have half a brain though and INSISTED we return and get it, I didn't care if it was going to be 2 hours go go back.... I wanted the TIP and a a tourist Visa, he turned around mad as fire and drove my car like a madman going back to get it. He spoke NO Spanish and had to rely on my terrible Spanish to find the place to get the documentation. We wer BOTH not really happy I can tell you that.

So, it was VERY easy to get into Mexico, at least on a rainy day, without the proper documentation!


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## Detailman (Aug 27, 2011)

kito1 said:


> I don't know how THIS person got their car into Mexico Illegally but I will tell you how I did!
> 
> I hired a driver (who said he had done the trip numerous times) to drive me from DFW to Chapala. He wanted to do most of the driving and took over completely when we got to Laredo. He crossed the border and we got waved thru, he drove through the town of Nuevo Larado, instead of taking the correct road to get the TIP and when we got to the Red light/Green light we just kept getting waved through. It was raining and none of the guys and gals wanted to come out of their dry places so no one ever looked at the car. After about half an hour into Mexico I said "something is wrong here, why haven't we gotten the TIP yet?" and he said "well we must have passed the booth, no need to turn around and get it now it would be quite a drive back to get it"
> 
> ...


Interesting that you could do it inadvertently.

It is a good thing that you knew enough to rectify the situation. If not you could have created major problems, one of which is a future accident (as highlighted by RVGringo) and the resulting ramifications.

KNOW THE RULES!


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