No longer owning the cars but still get toll bill from it

Not practical for many reasons. What if the buyer is from out of state. What if the sale is on the weekend.
Fairly easy for me. Hardly ever sell a car and never one out of state. Local only. If they can't wait until Monday and go to the courthouse together, they best look somewhere else to buy a car.;)

I'll NOT have some stranger, driving a car with the VIN in my name! But that's just me. Too much to loose, and hassles over a dam used car.
 
That's not entirely correct. For example, in California, the plates always stay with the vehicle.
Well, the OP isnt from CA and if he was, then the answer is to properly transfer the title and plates, cancel the registration.
In CA you are required by law to report the transfer within 5 calendar days.
 
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You are not responsible for the behavior of others. The toll agency can make all the claims it wants, write them a certified letter explaining when and to whom you sold the car.
Im not so sure, it may depend on state DMV laws.
In many states you are breaking the law if disposing of a vehicle and dont turn in the plates. As far as the state, they may not have any record of the car being sold and why the OP might be responsible as it was his responsibility to report the car being disposed and he didnt to that.

I just quickly found this, didnt spend any more time on it.
Texas law =
"You will need to surrender your license plate and cancel your car registration if you have sold your vehicle or if you plan to take it off the road. This tells the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that you no longer own the car, which exempts you from having to pay taxes and other fees associated with the vehicle."

(this is the same for many states BTW)
 
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Well, the OP isnt from CA and if he was, then the answer is to properly transfer the title and plates.
bullwinkle said:
That's why plates never go with the car!

That was a blanket statement. I only pointed out that in some situations it's not correct.

The answer always is to properly transfer the title and plates regardless of the state in which the transaction takes place, something the OP didn't do.
 
Every place I have lived you are required to carry insurance and they tie that to your plate. If you let your insurance laps and dont turn the plate in you are liable for a very big fine and they wont let you renew your registration without proof of insurance. If you cancel your insurance the company reports that to the DMV. I am trying to figure out how the states that say the plate follows the vehicle enforce their insurance laws.
 
Every place I have lived you are required to carry insurance and they tie that to your plate. If you let your insurance laps and dont turn the plate in you are liable for a very big fine and they wont let you renew your registration without proof of insurance. If you cancel your insurance the company reports that to the DMV. I am trying to figure out how the states that say the plate follows the vehicle enforce their insurance laws.
The same way. If you dont have insurance CA will not renew your vehicle registration and you will be driving the vehicle illegally.
 
Every place I have lived you are required to carry insurance and they tie that to your plate. If you let your insurance laps and dont turn the plate in you are liable for a very big fine and they wont let you renew your registration without proof of insurance. If you cancel your insurance the company reports that to the DMV. I am trying to figure out how the states that say the plate follows the vehicle enforce their insurance laws.
Maybe this will help:

You must carry evidence of insurance in your vehicle at all times and it must be provided when:

Requested by law enforcement.
You are renewing the vehicle registration.
The vehicle is involved in a traffic collision.

Insurance companies in California are required by law (California Vehicle Code [CVC] §16058) to electronically report private-use vehicle insurance information to DMV.

If DMV does not receive proof of insurance for a vehicle, they will suspend the vehicle’s registration and the vehicle may not be operated or parked on public roadways until proof of insurance is submitted.
 
The same way. If you dont have insurance CA will not renew your vehicle registration and you will be driving the vehicle illegally.
Of course, that doesn't actually prevent someone from driving without insurance. But, if the car isn't properly registered, i.e. with current tags, it's easy for a law officer to spot, not that they always will.

Regardless of the rules and safeguards, someone will always try to finagle a way around them.
 
I guess what I mean is that the previous owner should have been getting letters from the DMV ever since he canceled the insurance and the plates were either never turned in or the new owner didnt transfer them. In the past you could get away with this but ever since they computerized the entire renewal process they have been sticklers for the 30 day rule. Unless the previous owner was continuing to pay the insurance:rolleyes: .
 
Didn't you send in the paper to release your liability? You should have done it within 7 days of your "sales".
I never sell a vehicle without doing the report of sale to the DMV. Your title clearly says you will be held liable if you do not do so. Don't wait 30 days, do it the next day, or sooner.
 
The seller surely did not give the buyer permission to continue using the tags in lieu of registering the car in their own name.

And, since the driver is apparently using those tags to not only avoid registering the car in their own name but to also avoid tolls, yea, it's theft.

I can only speak with certainty of NY law as that was my life for 21 years. The permission was certainly granted when the seller allowed the registration (plates) to remain attached to the vehicle at the time of transfer/sale. EVEN going further, if the bill of sale indicated registration is to be returned within 24 hours, and the buyer does not abide by the condition of sale, it is STILL NOT larceny.

There is certainly implied permission here that the law cannot reasonably overcome. This wouldn't even meet the threshold for an "Unauthorized Use" statute.

This a a clear instance of a CIVIL MATTER!!!
 
You are not responsible for the behavior of others. The toll agency can make all the claims it wants, write them a certified letter explaining when and to whom you sold the car.

Cujet, I love your posts and how your noodle functions. But this is not correct. State government has administrative rules in place by statute that cover this. They always go back to the registered owner not the driver. If the registration still comes back to the seller that seller is on the hook for the full amount. Remember, driving is a "privilege" in most states not a right. This allows some really heinous administrative rules.

I-95 in VA. Speed cameras in a work zone is a prime example. Driver 11 MPH over the posted work zone limit and the registered owner received the fine. Ditch the fine and your registration is suspended. Yet a third party could have been the driver.
 
I can only speak with certainty of NY law as that was my life for 21 years. The permission was certainly granted when the seller allowed the registration (plates) to remain attached to the vehicle at the time of transfer/sale. EVEN going further, if the bill of sale indicated registration is to be returned within 24 hours, and the buyer does not abide by the condition of sale, it is STILL NOT larceny.

There is certainly implied permission here that the law cannot reasonably overcome. This wouldn't even meet the threshold for an "Unauthorized Use" statute.

This a a clear instance of a CIVIL MATTER!!!

Try not returning a rental car you were given permission to use and see how that goes for you.

And in Virginia, there's a statute which covers this situation:

"No person shall: Possess or lend or knowingly permit the use of any registration card,license plate, or decal by anyone not entitled to it."

I'd expect that most states make it illegal to drive around in a car that you purchased with a plate that is still registered to the person you bought it from. Even if it's not considered a larceny, it is still illegal, and the DMV should be notified of the situation so that they can cancel the registration on the plate.

It's almost certainly not legal in a state where the plate goes with the owner (not the vehicle), even if you wanted to, to allow the buyer to continue using your plate after the vehicle is sold. You can't give the buyer permission to use something in a way that it is not legal to do.
 
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Try not returning a rental car you were given permission to use and see how that goes for you.

And in Virginia, there's a statute which covers this situation:

"No person shall: Possess or lend or knowingly permit the use of any registration card,license plate, or decal by anyone not entitled to it."

I'd expect that most states make it illegal to drive around in a car that you purchased with a plate that is still registered to the person you bought it from. Even if it's not considered a larceny, it is still illegal, and the DMV should be notified of the situation so that they can cancel the registration on the plate.

It's almost certainly not legal in a state where the plate goes with the owner (not the vehicle), even if you wanted to, to allow the buyer to continue using your plate after the vehicle is sold. You can't give the buyer permission to use something in a way that it is not legal to do.

You are missing the facts of this matter. Even with your attempt to be "correct", it does not fit the VA law you quoted. Even more relevant in a "Commonwealth" state like VA and MA. Prove me wrong. Demonstrate how the buyer is not "entitled" to the registration. The buyer has done nothing but use the registration the seller allowed him/her to use...correct? Has there been a service to the buyer revoking the use? How would the buyer know this use has been rescinded? It was ok for the first day? Second day? If the seller can't find the buyer how would the buyer even know?
 
You are missing the facts of this matter. Even with your attempt to be "correct", it does not fit the VA law you quoted. Even more relevant in a "Commonwealth" state like VA and MA. Prove me wrong. Demonstrate how the buyer is not "entitled" to the registration. The buyer has done nothing but use the registration the seller allowed him/her to use...correct? Has there been a service to the buyer revoking the use? How would the buyer know this use has been rescinded? It was ok for the first day? Second day? If the seller can't find the buyer how would the buyer even know?

There is nothing about a "commonwealth" state that changes anything with respect to the law. About all you can say about a "commonwealth" state is that it's a "commonwealth" state.

You are missing the fact that you CANNOT allow a buyer to use your registration. The registration is effectively cancelled as soon as the vehicle has been sold. You can't hold a registration on what you no longer own, therefore it is invalid.

And, as I've stated previously, any reasonable person knows that they are buying the car, not the registration. It is unreasonable to expect that you can buy a car and continue to use it with the previous owner's registration.

Not even getting into the insurance aspect of it, which is another problem. Most states require a car that's registered to also have a valid insurance policy.

Is the seller supposed to keep the insurance in force? Is the irresponsible buyer who hasn't bothered to title or register the car in their name going to get insurance on it?

And, let's say the buyer gets pulled over, while the vehicle is still displaying the plates registered to the previous owner. Do you really think claiming ignorance is going to get the buyer out of the heap of trouble he's going to be in?
 
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There is nothing about a "commonwealth" state that changes anything with respect to the law. About all you can say about a "commonwealth" state is that it's a "commonwealth" state.

You are missing the fact that you CANNOT allow a buyer to use your registration. The registration is effectively cancelled as soon as the vehicle has been sold. You can't hold a registration on what you no longer own, therefore it is invalid.

And, as I've stated previously, any reasonable person knows that they are buying the car, not the registration. It is unreasonable to expect that you can buy a car and continue to use it with the previous owner's registration.

Not even getting into the insurance aspect of it, which is another problem. Most states require a car that's registered to also have a valid insurance policy.

Is the seller supposed to keep the insurance in force? Is the irresponsible buyer who hasn't bothered to title or register the car in their name going to get insurance on it?

And, let's say the buyer gets pulled over, while the vehicle is still displaying the plates registered to the previous owner. Do you really think claiming ignorance is going to get the buyer out of the heap of trouble he's going to be in?

Pick a state of your choosing and please tell me what penal law would apply in the highlighted instance.
 
Pick a state of your choosing and please tell me what penal law would apply in the highlighted instance.

Just one that would apply, since the OP stated he sold the vehicle 6 months ago...

2016 Code of Virginia
Title 46.2 - Motor Vehicles
Chapter 6 - Titling and Registration of Motor Vehicles
§ 46.2-600. Owner to secure registration and certificate of title or certificate of ownership​

"Unless he has previously applied for registration and a certificate of title or he is exempted under §§ 46.2-619, 46.2-626.1, 46.2-631, and 46.2-1206, every person residing in the Commonwealth who owns a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer, or his duly authorized attorney-in-fact, shall, within 30 days of the purchase or transfer, apply to the Department for a certificate of ownership."
 
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