|
|
Posted by APB in Frigid NY on Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 20:57:33 :
Recently, there has been a discussion here about the trials and tribulations of exporting a vehicle to Canada. I thought I might add a few items of interest of which I have become aware, through my own experiences selling military vehicles to collectors in Canada.
The agency having jurisdiction is the U.S. Customs and Border Control, and their subdivision, the Export Vehicle Control.
The nearest one to me that I have had any dealings with is located at 46735 Interstate Route 81, in Alexandria Bay, NY, 13607.
They have the following rules, which are very simple to follow, but it has been brought to my attention that other border crossing points seem to have different rules, or at least interpret them differently. So, if you have a problem at one crossing point, try another.
The seller of the vehicle (a US citizen, presumably) must send via certified mail, with signed delivery confirmation, the following items:
The original and three copies of the vehicle's title. Three copies of a notarized bill of sale, showing the seller's name & address, the buyer's name, address, driver's license number and passport number.
These must be sent and received in advance of the date of the vehicle's arrival at the frontier for inspection.
The Border Control agents are very helpful at Alexandria Bay, and they will file the paper work under the VIN of the subject vehicle, for easy reference.
When the vehicle arrives at the border, and the paperwork has arrived in advance, then the export of the vehicle is rather an easy operation. In the event that the deal falls through, either because the buyer decides not buy, or for some other reason, the Border Control agents will, upon a telephone request, send all the paperwork back to the address listed on the vehicle's title, which may not be the same address from where the paper work was sent.
Be aware that there are many different telephone numbers, all within the same system, at the Border Control offices. Sometimes the number just rings and is not answered, because they have an open trunk. (that's phone company jargon for a condition where one of several lines in a group is defective.) That means that you must dial a number for some other office other than Vehicle Export, and get transferred to Vehicle Export. They have been made aware of the problem by an old telephone man who knows what he's talking about, but they seem unable or unwilling to get the problem fixed.
The rules are more or less stringent (or more or less applied) at other points of crossing. Your mileage may vary.
I hope this helps.
Follow Ups: