Yes, we’re home now; and it’s time to wrap up this journal.  Still, there are a few things to add before we close the cover.  For one thing, we definitely don’t want to forget the great fun that was had in getting the Raven registered and licensed in Oregon.   The saga isn’t finished yet by a long shot, but here’s the progress that was made today.

We bought the Raven on February 5th, and were issued a 90 day temporary license to carry us over until we returned home and could license it in our home state.  It’s been almost two months now, so the clock is ticking.  Getting the car licensed is at the top of our task list here now that we’ve arrived.

I went to DMV this morning to see about getting the car registered.  I got nowhere with this though, because they won’t even open their door unless you have an appointment, which I have not got.  

So I went home and accessed their website to see what to do, and learned that you can make an in-person appointment for what I’m trying to do (register a vehicle transferring in from another state), but no appointments are currently available at the Portland office.  Or at any other DMV office within about 200 miles.  The earliest available appointment n the entire state is 300 miles back in Baker City, on April 15th; and the next soonest one is in May, also off in the nether lands of the state.

So I tried calling up DMV to find out what to do. I   The automated message system informed me that no one would be available to take my call any time soon, so goodbye.  

So I went back to the website to see if I could submit an inquiry.  Yes, I could - but they’re so backlogged because of Covid that I should not expect a response for at least 20 business days.  Three weeks before I can even get information on how to proceed!  Not great, since our temporary license expires in only a month.

So I tried the phone again, and somehow got through this time.  I was put in the queue for the next available operator, and told it would be 45 minutes or so until someone was free to speak with me.  Which proved accurate.  Finally I got through to an actual person though, and with good results.  The representative was very helpful and patient, was surprised by but eventually understood our situation, and gave instructions on how to proceed.  To do anything, we have to have the title to the car.  Period.

We don’t have the title.  The dealership in Tucson didn’t give us one when we bought it, and they still haven’t sent one.  I don’t remember what we were told at the time, but I thought they said that it would be sent to Oregon; but it hasn’t arrived in the mail, and the DMV agent said they haven’t received it.  We’re dead in the water until we get the title.

So I called the dealership down in Tucson.  The office manager Roxanne was very helpful, understood the situation, and agreed that they hadn’t  send me a title; and there are no plans to do so because Arizona stopped distributing titles just last April.  If you really need a title, such as to reregister in a different state, you have to specifically request one.  The dealership neglected to tell us that at the time, so we didn’t request one.

So they’re ordering a title for us, and it will be sent to our address here in Portland.  It won’t come any time soon though because Arizona is as backlogged as Oregon is because of Covid.  Maybe 2-3 weeks.  Once we finally get the title later this month we can start the process of getting the car registered and getting plates and tags.  

That will take a few weeks too, according to the Oregon DMV rep.  We have to take the car and title to a DEQ station for a VIN inspection and emissions test, and then take a pile of paperwork and a check to the DMV office in either Lake Oswego, Sherwood or Hillsboro, where I was advised they would accept the paperwork and begin the process of registering the car and issuing plates and tags.  That too will take several weeks; so with luck we’ll be registered and licensed by the end of May when we leave town, but not before our temporary license expires.  We’ll just hope we’re lucky and can explain our way out of a jam if we get pulled over in the mean time.

Heart

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