License + Registration in NJ (insurance, how much, transfer)

[twista6002]

Okay, I'm in a bit of a pickle here. I had out of state license and plates and expired registration. So my car got impounded and the only way to get it back is to show the police valid registration and insurance. The problem is the person who has the car under his name is out of state and in order to get it re-registered I have to have it smogged in CA. So to avoid that I'm getting it registered in NJ. Now since the legal owner isn't in NJ I have to have it transfered to me. What exactly do I need to do with the DMV to get this done? Also, am I going to have to get new insurance? Has anyone else gone through this?

[luckyshoes]

The owner has to sell the car to you legally (for whatever amount, a dollar, etc) and then give the deed to you as proof that the car is yours. Then you go register it at DMV. You need to get NJ insurance at the same time.

[mumra]

not sure about the legality of someone selling you a car that is impounded. Something that you might want to check out before actually transferring the title to your name

[RobRiguez]

Where the vehicle is physically located is no matter. The vehicle has to be sold to you. If the value of the vehicle is substantially higher than the purchase price they will ask you to pay taxes on the fair market value of the vehicle, regardless of what you actually paid for it. Once you have the CA title or deed or whatever its called in CA, you contact an ins agency in NJ and get ins. It can simply be liability at first just to get it out of impound. Once you have ins, you take the CA paperwork to the DMV and apply for title/registration/plates. Typically they can do it all in one day. Once you have the ins and registration in your name, you take those docs to the impound yard, pay the storage fee, an hopefully they dont care that your putting new plates on the car. Once you have the car you have 30 days to get it inspected.

This is the order in which I suggest you do everything.
1) Get in contact with the impound yard and explain whats going on, make sure they will accept new docs in your name to release the vehicle. If not, no point in step 2
2) Visit a local DMV office and find out exactly what paperwork, ID, etc you will need to bring with you once you are sold the vehicle.
3) Once you have everything from both places, start the paperwork process. If you overnight the paperwork from the owner I dont see why you couldnt have everything done in about a week.

[rscalzo]

not sure about the legality of someone selling you a car that is impounded

Obtain a valid title, signed over to yourself. Obtail insurance and have it registered, then the vehicle can be released from impound.

You must ask yourself is the value of the vehicle going to be worth this cost? If not, you can simply turn the title over to the salvage yard (or they will get a salvage title when the value of the car isn't as high as the yard fees.

Before you go through this, why was the car impounded? Were you issued a Failure to Maintain/Have Insurance? If you your DL privileges in the state will be suspended making a car (for the usual three month suspension) a waste of money.

[twista6002]

Thanks guys

[twista6002]

Also, another question I have is, between license and registration fees and impounding fees, how much am I going to be billed total?

[rscalzo]

That is impossible to say. The cost of the registration is somewhat static but the cost of insurance has too many variables. The cost of the impound will include the actual town but the storage costs can add up quickly.

you still will have the cost of the motor vehicle summons which will include a mandatory license suspension if you were issued a Uninsured Operator summons (39:6B-2).

You can call up the impound yard which should get you a good ballpark on their costs. As you still have to get a title for the changeover to a NJ registration, I'd say your costs are going to be very expensive.