A DRIVER racked up $8,300 in extra fees after a parking ticket before she was entered into a conservatorship.
However, the family discovered that the DMV actually owes HER $5,475.
If a car is towed, after a significant amount of time the car can get sold in a lien sale[/caption]
Thousands of dollars can be made at auction[/caption]
But you can claim profits from any sale from the DMV[/caption]
In San Francisco, a Californian named Joan McAllister racked up $1,113 in parking tickets in 2022.
The car was eventually towed and she accumulated storage fees of over $8,300.
Her brother Stephen explained that someone found her “wandering the streets,” and she had been hospitalised afterwards.
Before he was appointed as her conservator, he tried to intervene, although he lacked the legal authority in California.
Since then he claimed the towing yard sold her car, as he told Cal Matters: “In the year that the court system took to appoint me as her conservator, the car was booted, towed, stored and auctioned off.”
What he didn’t know, is that the car was sold for $5,475 more than what his sister owed the DMV.
He told the publication: “Nothing surprises me at this point, the whole process from start to finish seems to be a money-making scheme.”
Joan passed away in December 2023 just after she turned 74-years-old and he has not been able to locate a title for the car.
He since claimed the possessions of his sister are locked in a storage unit in Oakland as the family awaits the “end of probate of her estate.”
How does the rule work?
According to state law, towing companies, storage yards and car repair shops can sell your vehicle to recoup their costs in what is known as a lien sale.
This is if you do not settle your debts and pick up your vehicle, and the DMV does not notify owners of the proceeds of the sale and by law, it says it doesn’t have to do so.
However, car owners can claim the lien sale profits after the state receives the money.
Although most sales result in a loss, some might result in a profit and it’s likely that vehicle owners have no idea that their property was even sold.
They may have a right to any profits, but they have only three years to claim it before it goes into the DMV’s coffers for good.
Would you suffer through the DMV for a loved one?
More than half of Americans would suffer through going to the DMV (53%) for the sake of their loved ones, according to new research.
To understand how far people are willing to go to help others, a recent survey of 2,000 U.S. adults explored the concept of loyalty in terms of friends, family and even brands.
The DMV’s line is not the only sacrifice. Two in five Americans said they’d happily donate an organ to their family and friends, showcasing the depth of loyalty in interpersonal relationships.
According to the results, Americans would also act as a reference for an apartment or job (62%).
Partners (35%) and best friends (27%) were ranked as the top two most likely people respondents would start a business with.
And if $100,000 were to suddenly fall in their lap 82% of respondents are even likely to share their winnings with family and friends.
Conducted by Talker Research for Circle K’s Inner Circle Rewards Program, results also found that brands and businesses also pull a similar type of loyalty.
Almost three in five (57%) have certain items or services where they prefer one brand over another, including shoes (52%), technology, such as phones or computers (51%), hair products (50%) and clothing (44%).
Seven in 10 (71%) have loyalty to their grocery store, and 59% feel loyal to certain restaurants and food services, while others prefer certain gas stations (39%) and convenience stores (27%).
In fact, the average American has remained loyal to their favorite brands and products for 13 years, while 35% indicated that two decades have passed.
Nearly three-quarters (74%) even agreed that they can tell the difference between the same products made by different brands.
“Loyalty is fundamental to our relationships with family, friends, businesses and brands. The more loyalty you give, the more you get — and it deserves to be recognized,” said Rick Rasor, Vice President of Loyalty at Circle K.
“That is why we are dedicated to rewarding customers for continually making us a part of their daily life.”
Within the DMV’s three-year window, Stephen McAllister only has months to claim the profits of the lien sale of Joan’s car.
Huge profits
According to the outlet, a Lamborghini Murciélago Roadster was towed and it was left unclaimed in 2023,
The vehicle sat for five months at a Torrance tow yard, which was long enough to give the towing company the right to sell it.
The tow, storage and lien sale costs came to $11,332 which were easily recouped.
Nothing surprises me at this point, the whole process from start to finish seems to be a money-making scheme.
Stephen McAllister
However, the car made $99,668 in profit from the lien sale which went back to the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
The owner has until 2027 to claim the funds before it lands in the DMV coffers forever.
How much has the DMV made?
From the start of 2016 until the fall of 2024, the department collected more than $8million from cars that were sold at auction.
DMV self-service kiosks
The California DMV offers an array of self-services at their kiosks. Let’s take a look a the new offers:
- Vehicle registration renewals that are not past the due date
- Driver’s license renewals that do not require an in-person visit
- Requesting copies of vehicle registration records that show the vehicle’s ownership history
- Requesting for copies of driver’s license records that show a driver’s history
- Replacing a lost or stolen driver’s license/identification card
According to analysis from department data by CalMatters, 5,300 cars were sold during the period.
In 2016 alone, $760,000 was recorded from the sales and in 2023, the number rose by around 76% to $1.33 million.
It’s not just luxury brand sports cars that recoup huge profits, and according to DMV records the owners have not claimed the money.
In 2016, a Ford F-150 made an extra $14,232 in profit from the lien sale, and a 2019 Honda HR-V raked in $5,475.
The DMV says it doesn’t need to inform the owners their property has been sold according to state law[/caption]
One family has discovered that the department owes them thousands from the sale[/caption]
Owners have just three years to claim for the profits[/caption]
From 2016 until 2024, the department collected more than $8million from vehicles[/caption]
