I think they lied to me.

I spent the whole day (my Friday off, my day of rest) chasing down paperwork.

That catmobile that I'm not in love with? Well, within 21 days of purchasing that car, I should have received the paperwork that would have allowed me to register my car. Today was day 28 and I still did not have that paperwork. I called the dealer to follow up. They told me it was 'in the mail'. I asked them when it was mailed and they couldn't tell me. Strange, since it was supposedly sent certified mail.

So, I stopped by the local BMV to see if I could get an extension on the paper plate/cardboard tag on my car. They said that had I purchased it from an individual or out of state, then yes. But since I purchased it from a dealership, the dealership was responsible for that. They suggested that I go to the dealership in person. So, I did. It's like a 30 mile trip. I was annoyed that I had to make the trip, but I honestly expected them to give me another paper plate and I would have gone on with my day.

But even in person, they told me that the paperwork was in the mail and there was little more they could for me. I should mention that my paper plate was to expire on Tuesday. AND I have to leave town on Sunday. By Tuesday, my car was supposed to be sitting in an airport parking lot. TODD had no sympathy. So, I left.

I was pretty worked up all the way home...another 30 miles on the road. I should also mention that my boss needs me to travel for work next week, leaving Sunday afternoon...yet I didn't actually have a flight yet. I personally make my hotel reservations, but our corporate office makes our airline and rental car arrangements and sends us an itinerary. I had not received an itinerary yet. With all kinds of flights getting cancelled, I was a little nervous about being able to get a flight at all. But with such short notice for the trip, I wasn't sure that Corporate had enough time to even put together my itinerary. So, worst-case scenario, I'd have to drive to our destination...Maryland. I'm not completely opposed to driving 750 miles in one day. EXCEPT THAT THE PLATES ON MY CAR WERE DUE TO EXPIRE IN FIVE DAYS!!!

So, I'm driving, wondering if I'd get a flight to Maryland. And if I did, would I come home to a ticket on my windshield? Hopefully they don't impound a car for not being legally tagged. Now that would be REALLY harsh. OR would I have to drive through several states, just hoping that no one would notice that my plates had expired? I kept telling myself that it was entirely possible that I could receive the paperwork from the dealership by tomorrow, allowing me to get updated stickers for my car. But needless to say, I wasn't holding my breath. Anyway, all of this was running through my brain over and over again during my drive home, upsetting me more and more with every mile.

As soon as I hit town, I decided to stop by the church. I needed to calm down. I was so angry and frustrated. I spent probably 30 minutes there. I picked up a bible on my way in and even thumbed through it a bit. But mostly, I just sat there with my legs crossed, my hands in my lap, and my eyes closed. Breathing deeply, in through my nose and out through my mouth, asking God to give me peace. I felt better when I left, but I still had no idea what I was going to do.

So, I stopped and talked to my dad. He's a pretty good logical barometer. He suggested that I call the state DMV office. Surely this situation wasn't a first for them and surely they had a solution that would allow me to legally drive my car after Tuesday if I didn't get this paperwork from the dealership. They suggested the following:

1. First I need to type up a 10-Day Demand Letter to the dealership, demanding the paperwork, and send it certified mail. Chances are good, this would have rectified the situation.


2. Second, I needed to submit a complaint form to report a dealership to the DMV.
   
3. Lastly, they suggested that I file a complaint with the Attorney Generals office.

If the dealership didn't respond to the demand letter, the DMV would have issued a 60-day permit to allow me to drive the car...NOT by Tuesday...in fact, it would be a couple of weeks away...but hopefully it didn't come to that.

So now, I had something to do to perhaps effect change...eventually. But it still didn't solve my immediate problem. PLUS I still didn't have a flight for my trip next week. AND I got an email from my boss stating that he changed hotels and needed me to do the same. WHAT?! Like I needed one more thing to do!

I stopped by to give my dad a quick summary of what I learned from the DMV. He told me that what I really needed to do was to talk to someone at the dealership and tell them what my plan was. He was pretty sure that with this new information, they'd be more motivated to be helpful. Even though I was way past frustrated, I hated going that route. I mean, I was pretty much threatening them to jump or I would file paperwork against them. But I did it anyway. Pretty much, if my dad suggests that I do something, I do it.

And Dad was right. He often is. The dealership assured me they would get the paperwork to me as soon as possible. Twenty minutes later, the paperwork was faxed to our local BMV. But get this little twist. I was expecting title paperwork and the odometer statement, etc. Instead, they faxed a completed registration done at the BMV from the county where the dealership resides. AND it was DATED YESTERDAY. How strange is that?! If they had actually sent me the paperwork they were supposed to send me (at least a week ago) so that I could go to my local BMV to register my car, why would they have needed to register my car in their county yesterday? Hmmm.

Yeah, I think they lied to me.

But my 'In God We Trust' license plate has a 2009 expiration date!

AND I got the itinerary for my trip. AND I cancelled my first hotel reservation and made reservations at the new hotel. It took me all day, but I think I have all necessary paperwork in order. Thank God!