Curbstoning

CONSUMERS BE CAUTIOUS WHEN PURCHASING A MOTOR VEHICLE
546-2181

The Office of the El Paso County Tax Assessor-Collector, through its Enforcement Division, urges consumers to be cautious when purchasing a motor vehicle. In order to register a motor vehicle in El Paso County, Texas, the following conditions must be satisfied: The vehicle must be titled in the name of the seller and properly assigned to the buyer.

To bring vehicle registration violators, who live in El Paso County and have vehicles with license plates from out of state or country, to register their vehicles in Texas, either voluntarily or through enforcement action.

A bill of sale, invoice, or purchase order is required. Copy of buyer's current drivers license is required. The purchaser must go to any of the El Paso County Tax Office or contracted offices and file the title application.

Proof of current automobile insurance is required. If the registration is not current, there may be a registration fee.

Purchaser and seller must each sign and clarify the sales price on the title application form. (Forms 130-U are available at El Paso County Tax Office or may also be obtained from website www.dot.state.tx.us.

When purchasing a vehicle from a licensed Texas dealer, the dealer is required to complete all the paperwork necessary to title and register the vehicle in your name. The dealer is also required to file the documents with the El Paso County Tax Assessor-Collector's Office within 20 business days from the date of the purchase of the vehicle. Be especially cautious when purchasing a vehicle from an individual who does not have a title in their name. A consumer who buys a vehicle from a person that is not a licensed Texas dealer runs a high risk that:

1. The vehicle may be stolen
2. You may not get a clear title, unless administrative remedy or a court order is sought and ruled in you favor.
3. The vehicle may have a rolled-back odometer
4. The vehicle may be a salvaged, reconditioned, or flood damaged
5. The vehicle may have a lien that has not be en properly released
6. The vehicle may have been sold for EXPORT ONLY
7. A vehicle purchased in Mexico (or outside of Texas) may not have the proper document required in Texas