After going CA DMV's registration calculator site, it says the previous owner did not pay registration since Feb 2013. Now, since I paid the dealership about $300 for registration (2016)...who is responsible in paying the 2013-2015? Will the past registration fee be erased since I just bought the vehicle? The current car owes over $1000 in registration (what a bummer), and I don't know what to do!

Info: Purchased from a small family-owned dealership (non-Lexus) and the dealer did stick the temporary registration on my windshield.

 

I'm not a lawyer, but as I understand the law, you are not responsible for any unpaid fees/taxes/charges the previous owner may owe the state, if the vehicle was not registered either partly or fully in your name during that period. In most cases, the dealership probably is not responsible for it, either....the car legally did not belong to them, unless they financed it. If the previous deadbeat owner evaded what he or she owes the state, then it is probably up to the state to go after that person and try to collect what is owed.....which, in some cases, they can do by having funds from that person's bank account impounded. But, for any further details, I'd ask a lawyer.

One thing rather odd, though, is how that previous owner managed to drive it for 2-3 years without a valid registration and plates ......unless either the plates were stolen, or the cops just never caught it.....or didn't notice that the plates weren't up to date.

 

Thank god for the reply!
The car was a manufacture vehicle before being sold at an auction. From the vehicle history report, the car hasn't been driven much since 2013 (when registration wasn't paid), the owner drives around 500 miles or so per year after that.
However, I believe in California, the registration follows the car rather than its owner.

Anyone familiar with CA DMV able to chip in on this issue?
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You might try asking the DMV. Go to the source.

 

I don't understand the question. Presumably you haven't registered the vehicle yet, so how can you be responsible for any past registration fees? The lack of recent registration may make your registration more difficult (because you'll need more forms / have to get statements from the reseller / etc.), but that has nothing to do with paying registration for a vehicle you haven't even owned.

 

The dealer is supposedly taking care for the registration as I paid him $300 for it. But that $300 only covers registration from Feb 2016-2017. So currently, I believe the dealer is in the process of registering the car?
I will be going to the DMV office if a bill for past-due registration shows up, and explain to the staffs that it shouldn't be my responsibility to pay for those penalty fees.

 

I wouldn't worry about it. You can't be held responsible for registration and ownership fees before you even owned the car.