Hi list,
First, let me say that your problems make my problems look like small
potatoes. I would rather drag old WWII iron out of the mud and crud and
have to go through some minor title problems than deal with the nitwits
y'all are dealing with. But, in that I am not hip deep in these incomplete
form 97 problems I may have a perspective on this that you're missing. Kind
of a "can't see the forest for the trees" thing.
IF the form 97's purpose is to lay the groundwork for getting a title,
AND getting these things titled is part of your obligation as a purchaser,
OR having the completed and correct form 97 adds significant value to your
purchase (which I'm sure it does) and conversely NOT having the form
detracts from the value of your purchase,
OR not having a completed and correct form 97 prohibits you from putting
your purchase to its intended use thereby detracting from it's value,
BUT the DRMO's CONTINUE to provide you with an incomplete form 97 which
prohibits you from obtaining a title after reasonable steps have been taken
to bring this issue to their attention giving them reasonable time to
correct the problem,........
I would say there is a B I G conflict of interest here. In essence, the
foundation of your argument with them is that they are taking your money but
not fulfilling their end of the contract....to provide you with a titleable
vehicle.
In other words.......YOU ARE BEING ROBBED.
One might also argue that if they don't know what they're selling, they
shouldn't be selling it! (same old problem, eh?)
So, as a policeman whose daddy is a retired judge and lawyer and whose
brother is presently a lawyer, I would suggest you, as a group, consult an
attorney and explain the problem. This may be a problem that can be nipped
in the bud by a well-written and well-placed letter on an attorney's
letterhead, by an attorney and sent to the right person(s) somewhere up the
DRMO chain of command (preferably naming names of the offending DRMO
subordinates.) The best person to deliver this letter to would be someone
of intermediate importance, who may be in trouble with his/her superiors if
he/she doesn't act, but is lofty enough to make life a living hell for
subordinates if they fail to solve the problem or make the problem go away
for their boss.
If they are taking your money but not delivering the goods....well, my
friends, you MAY have gounds for a lawsuit. You may even be entitled to
compensation over and above your investments! But, I would suggest your
goal be to notifiy whomever needs their cage rattled, that you are
CONTEMPLATING some kind of legal action. That usually will shake things up
sufficiently to get the attention of those who have to answer to their
superiors for doing stupid things like failing to complete simple forms that
enable to do what you need to do with your purchase.
I think that trying to educate these pea-wits as to a method for identifying
what year a vehicle was manufactured will be about a successful as teaching
a monkey to rewrite the complete works of Shakespear. Remember, if these
folks don't have the data in a book in front of them, or in their computer,
the information simply does not exist. Perhaps the last resort should be
NOT to buy those vehicles that cannot be identified by the little people at
DRMO.
I sure hope this helps just a little. And I am VERY serious about this
lawyer thing (in case you think I am being my usually goofy self.)
By the way.....lay the groundwork for possible legal action and take names
each and every time you talk to someone in the DRMO hierarchy about this
form 97 business and write it down in a notepad in front of them!....(even
if you do not yet consider legal action that an option and even if you don't
have an attorney yet.) But be pleasant about it.......no need to be
rude.....act like you know that a ton of bricks are about to fall on them
(and are pleased that it's actually going to happen.) You may be surprised
how much cooperation you get when they think their personal fat is going to
fall into the fire!
Good luck, fellas.
TJ
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Nov 01 2000 - 21:37:40 PST