Registration problems in Georgia.

JDSquared · 10-24-2019, 10:35 AM

I would love to say it was as easy as some people it would be. But she told me a bus is a bus is a bus. This is in Chatham county.

I was explaining politely about some of the other counties that didn't seem to have a problem with it she walked off for about 5 or 6 minutes, came back started typing, I thought it was going to be good news. But nothing changed.

Registering as a bus has a $281 tag fee. Plus a $100 have it used to be. Every year.
That's too much, but even if I was willing, I would need a commercial license to drive this bus over 26 thousand pounds. She said she didn't know about the license, but a bus is a bus is always a bus.

I could titled it only, and I might to avoid the late fees. But I can't legally drive it right now.

Also I can't get insurance with my agent. I told her that last week, lol but she didn't believe me. She doesn't work for progressive, but that's my insurance company and that's the only one she works with that insures RVs. I got a commercial policy to drive it home on Friday. While she was on the phone with progressive, that agent knew what a skoolie was. That Progressive agent said to be sure to come back and register as an RV. Today when my agent called progressive they said they don't insure converted school buses. LOL I knew that was coming.

So I guess my bus is parked for a little while. I think I'm going to try the Vermont route just get plates from there.

Brad_SwiftFur · 10-24-2019, 11:10 AM

I'm in GA and successfully registered mine with no hassle. In all fairness, it's registered as a private passenger vehicle (in much the same way as any other car), I had to pay the usual upfront taxes (basically sales tax) and from that point forward it's $20 per year. Mine's under 16 passengers and under 26K pounds though, I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

There is a process to register (Not title!) it as an RV, since the tag clerk I dealt with did in fact ask me that very thing, apparently she was familiar with converting them. Getting the *TITLE* changed in GA to reflect RV requires jumping through some hoops (they apparently go by whatever the manufacturer listed it as) but the *REGISTRATION* is another matter and some counties are pretty relaxed about it. (Yes, in some states these are combined into one, but in GA the title and tag are separate things, the state issues the titles but the counties issue the tags, has something to do with the counties getting a portion of the taxes collected).

Some folks focus on getting the *Title* changed and perhaps in some states that's a big deal, but GA doesn't care as much, since the registration is a separate thing and that's what's used for collecting taxes and determining what license you need to drive it. So the registration is what I recommend focusing on. When driving, you'll be showing your registration to officers, not the title (which should be left at home, safely stored).

Get the Progressive Commercial Vehicle for Private Use policy (it's a lot cheaper than a regular commercial policy). It's well established they won't cover converted buses so you'll need an RV policy once finished. Since I'm using mine as a people hauler (not for business) I'm staying with the Progressive policy.

o1marc · 10-24-2019, 11:51 AM

Progressive is no longer writing policies for converted school buses. Try Stae Farm, they want our business.

JDSquared · 10-24-2019, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by o1marc

Progressive is no longer writing policies for converted school buses. Try Stae Farm, they want our business.

Yeah like I said I told her that last week.

By the way is that your bus for sale on Craigslist already? I didn't even think you went to pick it up yet.

john61ct · 10-24-2019, 03:12 PM

Get working with completely different staff, most are pretty clueless about the law with unusual edge cases, but some are friendlier than others.

Smaller more rural offices are often better.

A bus is a bus but yes can be personal, can be an RV.

Going to another county if necessary, may be better than the VT route.

___
You need another agent.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f18/ho...ate-28907.html

o1marc · 10-24-2019, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDSquared

Yeah like I said I told her that last week.

By the way is that your bus for sale on Craigslist already? I didn't even think you went to pick it up yet.

Yes it is, nothing wrong with testing the waters before I get it home.
I may list it on CL in some major areas on the way home. Wouldn't be opposed to selling before I get it here.

JDSquared · 10-24-2019, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by o1marc

Yes it is, nothing wrong with testing the waters before I get it home.
I may list it on CL in some major areas on the way home. Wouldn't be opposed to selling before I get it here.

I got mine home Tuesday and had it up for sale yesterday for a while. Got a phishing scam and some out of state guy who wanted to write a check in two weeks then send his movers to come get it.

Tested some of the rust under my bus later in the day and decided I would try to clean it. Much of it is light surface rust. So I took my ad down.

o1marc · 10-24-2019, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDSquared

I got mine home Tuesday and had it up for sale yesterday for a while. Got a phishing scam and some out of state guy who wanted to write a check in two weeks then send his movers to come get it.

Tested some of the rust under my bus later in the day and decided I would try to clean it. Much of it is light surface rust. So I took my ad down.

The check writer is the Nigerian scam.

JDSquared · 10-24-2019, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by o1marc

The check writer is the Nigerian scam.

I feel bad for people who fall for these scams. Then I think maybe they don't deserve their money. Then I start to wonder what kind of scam I could run. I could be rich if I had no morals.

o1marc · 10-24-2019, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDSquared

I feel bad for people who fall for these scams. Then I think maybe they don't deserve their money. Then I start to wonder what kind of scam I could run. I could be rich if I had no morals.

If you tried the Nigerian scam in the US, you would likely spend some long time behind bars. There's no law against it in Nigeria.
How it works is the buyer will agree to the price, lets say $5k. They say they will mail you the cashiers check. Deposit it and they will send their shipper to come pick the item up, no need to package it at all. When you get the check, it will be for $8k. They will tell you the accountant messed up and included the shippers fee into your check. Cash the check and send the overage to the shipper (the Nigerian). Well once you cash the check and send them $3k a week later your bank contacts you to inform you it was a fraudulant check and they want their $8k back. Nigerian has $3k, you're out $3k after giving back the $5k. But you still have your bus.
It is sad to see people in a position to try and make a deal that sounds too good to be true, actually come true.

ewo1 · 10-24-2019, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by o1marc

If you tried the Nigerian scam in the US, you would likely spend some long time behind bars. There's no law against it in Nigeria.
How it works is the buyer will agree to the price, lets say $5k. They say they will mail you the cashiers check. Deposit it and they will send their shipper to come pick the item up, no need to package it at all. When you get the check, it will be for $8k. They will tell you the accountant messed up and included the shippers fee into your check. Cash the check and send the overage to the shipper (the Nigerian). Well once you cash the check and send them $3k a week later your bank contacts you to inform you it was a fraudulant check and they want their $8k back. Nigerian has $3k, you're out $3k after giving back the $5k. But you still have your bus.
It is sad to see people in a position to try and make a deal that sounds too good to be true, actually come true.

Hehehe..

Take the check and tell the scammer you spent the money!!!

LOL...

Yeah I know the check is no good but It would be fun to mess with them.

o1marc · 10-24-2019, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ewo1

Hehehe..

Take the check and tell the scammer you spent the money!!!

LOL...

Yeah I know the check is no good but It would be fun to mess with them.

I have played them to no end, it's really fun. As soon as you get the check they contact you and start hounding you go to the bank and cash it. I get back to them and tell them I got in an accident on the way to the bank and will be tied up in the hospital for a week. They try and get you to get your friends to cash it. I tell them I have a contact at the bank that lets me cash without ID. Thanks, I'm headed to Hawaii for the week. I have over $250k worth of worthless scam checks stapled to my office wall. I could cash them and leave the country.

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