The Motor Vehicle Division

THE MOTOR VEHICLE DIVISION The Revenue Producing Unit of the Arizona Highway Department By E. M. WHITWORTH, Superintendent

THE present Motor Vehicle Division, operating under the Highway Code as passed by the Eighth Arizona Legislature, has proved most gratifying to those who are familiar with its workings and have knowledge of the large revenues derived through it for the use of the State Highway Department and the various county highway departments benefitting thereby.

For the information of those not familiar with these revenues, from January 1, 1929, to May 1st,, $636,879.38 was collected from the gasolinetax of which amount $67,501.80 was refunded netting to the State $355,860.98 and to the various coupnties $213,516.60.

In addition to the gas tax, the State received from motor vehicle fees and other sources $418,034.66. This sum, in the main, is derived from vehicle registrations, and, as the period above dealt with covers the re-registration period, represents 75% of the fees that may be anticipated from this source in the calendar year.

Car dealers and finance corporations are requesting that more time be given them for the development of title than is now accorded under the ten day period provided in the Highway Code. The Vehicle Division is not in sympathy with this request, inasmuch as there is no delay in the development of a new or transfer title, PROVIDED application is made in proper form. Counter application, when properly presented, requires a matter of twenty-five minutes for development; mail application, if in proper form, requires not to exceed 48 hours for development. Most certainly that is sufficiently speedy to meet the requirements of the car owning and car dealing public. Title in no instance can be developed if the application is not in proper form and accompanied by necessary supporting af fidavits if such are required to make requisite showing.

Criticism of our failure or delay in developing title is made by dealers and garage men who make request for title on the basis of a garage man's lien. Dealers will bid in a car or auction a car on a garage man's lien with no concern as to the previous history of the car, especially if in foreign registry; they will fail to make application for title until a prospect is had. In fact, will often sell a car that is in foreign registry without having any details of the previous history of the car. At the time application is made for development of title, this department interests itself in the previous history of the car and discovers there is a lien showing against the car in a foreign state, which necessitates the clearing of this lien before title can be developed. Suggestion has been made to car dealers that when a transaction of this kind is made, they immediately make application for title in their ownership, or, when they contemplate acquiring a car in this manner, that they make inquiry of this deparment regarding the status of such car in foreign registry, and we, in turn, will ascertain the status of the car through proper channels in the state involved. This would eliminate embarrassment and possible financial loss to the purchaser.

A dealer who is a guarantor to a finance company for the payment of lien upon the sale of car under conditional sales contract, upon default of payments by purchaser, with resultant repossession, should immediately forward repossession affidavits to the lien holder for signature, in which case transfer of title is developed in the lien holder, or, if the guarantor wants to take title in his ownership, he should immediately clear the lien, obtaining such clearance from the lien holder, and accompany his application for title with such evidence of clearance. Should the lien holder fail to maintain an office in this state, several days elapse before said lien holder makes application for title in his ownership. The same delay is in effect should the guarantor clear the existing lien, as he must await proper clearance from the lien holder. One of the greatest causes of delay in development of repossession title is failure of the lien holder to accompany application with receipt for returned license plates and registration card.

County Assessors, by statute, are designated deputies of this department, and are instructed to make monthly report to this office, but in many instances have been very remiss in the development of such reports, at times being delinquent in such deports for ninety days. In counties where the assessors make their monthly reports monthly, should it be impossible for a finance corporation or dealer, upon repossession, to secure the registration card, the accompanying of the application for repossession title with an additional fee of 50c will make possible this department granting a duplicate registration card. This, of course, can only be done where the various assessors keep their reports up to date.

One of the very great delays in development of repossession title is the failure of the applicant to accompany the application with a copy of the contract. To expedite the intelligent application of a dealer or finance corporation, affidavit forms, as a guidance, have been furnished them. While it is impossible to develop an affidavit form to fit all cases, the forms drawn for their guidance cover a great majority of the cases. Form letters have been forwarded to car dealers covering all types of cases where unusual situations exist. Unfortunately, many dealers have a complete disregard for the helpful suggestions offered in such letters.

As a matter of further information and aid to dealers, this department has made compilation of the various states that have the Certificate of Title law, together with those states that do not have such law, which have been furnished to dealers. Dealers who fail to heed the instructions in these bulletins and to comply with same, have failed and will continue to fail to secure Arizona registration.

Changing motors in cars also causes a great deal of confusion and grief. In many instances a dealer will change a motor in car, and fail to notify this department of such installation of bloc. If the bloc in car owned by A is to be transferred to car owned by B, it is necessary that A transfer his certificate of title to B, setting up in application for transfer that he has sold this motor to B.

Sometimes unscrupulous methods are used in attempting to evade the payment of personal property tax. For instance, a car may be sold April 10, and the purchaser informed by his dealer that he will renew the ten day sticker a sufficient number of times to carry him past the close of personal property tax collection for current year. The purchaser may be fully in accord with such attempt to evade payment of personal propery tax, and not make ap(Continued on page 47)