I’m listening to Jay Thomas’ show on Tuesday and someone named “Jack” is talking about having all the states stop adding sales taxes onto whatever we do and buy. I think he included the United States government also by having them stop deducting taxes from everyone’s paycheck, presumably ceasing to have whatever North Dakota and Minnesota residents from paying income taxes. So, whatever you make on your paycheck has NO deductions on it.
Sure, I’m certainly all for not having to pay more income tax to the state and U.S. governments. However, I think that’s about as realistic as not expecting our politicians to stop taking campaign contributions. And I think we all know that ain’t never going to happen!
But, here’s a good reason it should and shows how much we’re all being raped by our state, local and federal governments.
A friend of mine was looking for a car to drive in winter months so he can save his better car from the sand and salt our streets are paved with during winter. Plus his better car is a low riding car that isn’t really great during peak snow months. My friend is friends with a family in Fargo who just parked a 21-year-old Chevrolet Lumina their son had been using while in college.
When my friend asked how much they wanted for the Lumina and all the owners wanted was $1. Yep, just one dollar. They really just wanted to get rid of the Lumina from their driveway. They also knew my friend is a sort of “collector” and has a real knack for taking older cars that are in relatively good shape and turning them into better older cars that are reliable enough to drive another few thousand miles.
This particular car had just a few issues that needed to be dealt with. First and primary was the battery. It was literally D-E-A-D and needed to be replaced. The hood “stick” (OK, not the correct term, but you get my point) found inside the hood that holds it up was broken and while the body doesn’t have but one spot with rust on it, obviously, that too will need to be fixed eventually. That means at least some body work. And the inside upholstery needs to be replaced. Motor-wise, the car is still in good condition.
So, my friend buys the Lumina for $1 and takes it home. Monday he went to the North Dakota DMV in Fargo to change the title and pay for the car to be registered. Now keep in mind, this is a 21-year-old Chevy Lumina with about 200,000 miles on the original motor.
The state of North Dakota, in its infinite wisdom, asks for approximately 10 percent of whatever an automobile’s “assessed” value is for registration and taxes. However, without looking at the automobile or using Kelley’s “blue book” value of used cars, determined somehow this 21-year-old Lumina with 200,000 miles on it is worth $2,000. How or why is a secret only the state of North Dakota and the DMV can answer because no one else my friend or me have asked can begin to figure out how they came up with this car possibly being worth 2 grand! But — they did. And, to boot, the clerk waiting on my friend gave him erroneous information about not being able to sell someone something for only a dollar. According to the woman, since the car was not inherited nor bought from a member of his family, buying the Chevy Lumina for only a dollar is “illegal.”
Exactly when someone cannot sell anything that belongs to them for whatever price they choose, must be a “new” law to only North Dakota, because I don’t believe it’s true in Minnesota. But according to the woman my friend dealt with at the DMV that day, no one can sell anything for just $1.
The caveat on having to pay $200 for registration on this Lumina was if my friend took the car to a valid dealership and got a financial assessment on what they would trade or buy the car for, that amount my friend can bring back to the DMV and apply for a refund if the amount is less than what the DMV and the state of North Dakota deemed this 21-year-old Chevy Lumina to actually be worth. So, that is what my friend did.
The dealership valued the Lumina at about $500, but that of course is because by the time the dealer saw the car, my friend had bought a brand new battery for it. So, now my friend is about $85 down with the “car buy of the century” for $1. Add to that $200 for having to register the car.
Once he turns his appeal in and can show the court or the DMV and the state of North Dakota the amount of money he has already sunk into this newly-purchased car, hopefully the mistake made will be recognized and my friend will get his initial $200 registration reimbursed.
The frustrating part about that is it will need to be submitted to the state of North Dakota to look at and in its own sweet time they will return the overpayment to my friend — hopefully. And will the state of N.D. pay him back for using his money they should not have been able to take in the first place? I think we all know the answer to that.
My question to Jay Thomas’ guest is this: instead of chewing off more than you can begin to eat, wouldn’t it make a lot more sense to start off with “smaller” bites — like North Dakota’s very bizarre and rather arcane state laws before one tries to tackle the federal government? Try doing something about the law enforcement communities out in the western half of North Dakota not having enough resources or officers. Get something like that remedied and then go after the head of the monster, also known as “Uncle Sam.”
Got a question, comment or want to write a commentary of your own? Email it to our editor at: tfinney@ncppub.com or write to me at:
sooasheim@aol.com.