Hi, Gary -
NC does not require that a car be "registered" as off the road. A car in
storage or otherwise not being driven may have its registration cancelled
just by turning in the license plates, and no fee for this is imposed. No
other action is required by the state. However, the county I live in just
recently implemented something similar to what you refer to (I don't know
about other counties). A vehicle not being used on the roads must be
listed on the county property tax form. It's just another revenue
collection scheme that allows non-mobile vehicles to be taxed now, whereas
in the recent past they were not. My BJ7 has never been registered in the
15 years I have owned it because it is not driveable. I suppose to be
legal, I should list it on my property tax form and pay taxes on it
forever, even though it may never be driveable again. I couldn't even get
$25 for its scrap value from a non-Healey enthusiast. Cars are a very
lucrative source of revenue for governments, which makes it very difficult
to change some silly laws.
Steve Byers
Havelock, NC USA
'66 BJ8 HBJ8L/36666 "TARHEELY"
'63 BJ7 HBJ7L/20111 "HEALEYUM"
"It is better to remain silent, and be thought a fool
than to speak, and remove all doubt" -- Mark Twain
----------
>
> Does NC have the set-up that California does, which allows (requires)
you to
> register a car as "off the road" when it is not going to be driven for
some
> period of time? Here, if we put a car in storage or restoration, we HAVE
to
> either keep it registered with current fees, or transfer it to off the
road
> status. Which costs $5.00 to do but requires us to turn in the plates
(so
> there goes your vanity plate listing). However, if we don't renew the
> registration, when we come to re-register, we have to pay not only all
fees
> for the entire time, but a penalty as well. Really tough on the new
owners of
> cars that were purchased unregistered.
> Cheers
> Gary Anderson
> Editor, British Car magazine
> Chairman, AH Concours registry
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