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Buying - Borrowing a car with Canadian plates


Ohjoni

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I have the opportunity to purchase a 1998 Nissan which has Canadian plates. The current owners checked with an attorney who said they should wait a month or two to get Mexican plates as there is going to be an amnesty to do this for free on cars over 10 years old in the next few months, which would be good for many people here.

My question is this: the owners insurance company has no problem with allowing someone else to drive it with the owners permission, but they said if someone else was driving and the car was in an accident the Mexican police would impound the car and it was a real hassle to get it out. We need the car in a week or two and don't want to wait until it can be re-plated. Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing? Basically, I would be "borrowing" the car until it can be plated properly.

Thanks

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The present owner has an 'importada temporal' for his Canadian plated vehicle. As such, he is prevented by law from selling that vehicle in Mexico, and has posted a bond to that effect when he brought it into the country. He has the obligation to remove the vehicle from Mexico, under the present laws. There are penalties which can be quite costly, should he illegally sell the car in Mexico. In addition, he would remain liable in the event of damage or death caused by that car, since the VIN ties the car to him and nobody else. You are correct in the other consequences that an accident might entail, including the driver having to spend time in jail. Renting the car to you would be considered a 'lucrative act' and is also illegal.

You should consider buying a Mexican vehicle, which you can drive across the border freely in either direction.

Note: If that Nissan, like mine, was built in a non-NAFTA country, it can never be nationalized in Mexico anyway.

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I have the opportunity to purchase a 1998 Nissan which has Canadian plates. The current owners checked with an attorney who said they should wait a month or two to get Mexican plates as there is going to be an amnesty to do this for free on cars over 10 years old in the next few months, which would be good for many people here.

My question is this: the owners insurance company has no problem with allowing someone else to drive it with the owners permission, but they said if someone else was driving and the car was in an accident the Mexican police would impound the car and it was a real hassle to get it out. We need the car in a week or two and don't want to wait until it can be re-plated. Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing? Basically, I would be "borrowing" the car until it can be plated properly.

Thanks

Bear in mind that the proposed amnesty may never occur - what then?

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The present owner has an 'importada temporal' for his Canadian plated vehicle. As such, he is prevented by law from selling that vehicle in Mexico, and has posted a bond to that effect when he brought it into the country. He has the obligation to remove the vehicle from Mexico, under the present laws. There are penalties which can be quite costly, should he illegally sell the car in Mexico. In addition, he would remain liable in the event of damage or death caused by that car, since the VIN ties the car to him and nobody else. You are correct in the other consequences that an accident might entail, including the driver having to spend time in jail. Renting the car to you would be considered a 'lucrative act' and is also illegal.

You should consider buying a Mexican vehicle, which you can drive across the border freely in either direction.

Note: If that Nissan, like mine, was built in a non-NAFTA country, it can never be nationalized in Mexico anyway.

[/quote

Is Canada a NAFTA country? Does that mean this car can never be nationalized here, even if the owner is willing to pay the fees and go thru the hassle?

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Canada is a nafta country, but the car could have been made in Japan or elsewhere therefore would not qualify to be imported to Mexico permanently.

Thanks for all the feedback. Looks like we need to look for a different car. Too bad it's a nice one. :(

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