Truth is Bureaucracy, Bureaucracy Truth

A friend sold me her 87 Volvo for a dollar just before I left Georgia for Washington. I, in turn, donated my beloved but mildewed and dying “Little Zippy” to a charity where Christian mechanics fix donated cars and then give them to those who need them.

I tried to register my Volvo in Washington. The first time, I was told that you can’t sell a car for $1 in Washington. No one does that. Cars are worth at least $200.00. I left the office perplexed, unregistered and panicky. I had only a few days left before the registration deadline.

Perhaps I had misunderstood. Perhaps I just couldn’t get past a language barrier. I went to the website. I still couldn't figure out how to register my car.

The second time I went to a different office with new paperwork and they still said, the smallest amount a running car is worth in WA is $200. People just don't sell them for $1. I said, “But, that was exactly what happened.” I pointed out the blue book value of the car, the money I spent immediately repairing the car and the money that still needed to be spent on the car. It was actually worth less than a dollar. She said it was still worth more, but perhaps it could have been a gift. How do I handle a gift? She spoke in Bureaucratese, words that I did not understand. She didn't give me more paperwork or directions. She just looked at me. The ball was in my court, and so was the bill. I asked if she wanted me to write $200 on the bill of sale. She handed me back the paper and I wrote $200.00 where $1 had been.

The tax was only $17 but the whole bill was $90 something with $57 being in the category of "other." I asked her how it itemized out. She listed several fees all under $10, taxes that had been voted in at one time or another. She said one of the fees was a trauma tax.

I brightened, thinking of how traumatic it had been to get the car registered and said, "What's a trauma tax?"

She said that was for 911.

"Oh," I said with a rueful smile, "I was hoping the trauma tax was for therapy for you and me."

She returned with the same monotone in which we had conducted all this business, "This transaction has nothing to do with you and me."

Anyway, I would have preferred to switch to handling it as a gift but I didn't "get" how and they weren't going to hold my hand over it. And, I hadn’t been able to find the information on their website either. I'm lettttinggg it goooooo.

And when I got home, I had a certified letter waiting for me. The car that I gave to the charity had been towed and impounded and the notice came to me because the registration hadn't yet been changed. I could certainly understand that. I forwarded that letter to the charity. Hope it works out for whoever got the car.

At any rate, the dollar Volvo is a blessing and I feel I can park it outside the townhouse without bringing down property values.

Posted by Cindy 5/2006