You might think an auto writer/blogger would be able to find some way around the terrible experience of going to the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). Unfortunately this is not the case. I had to go to an MVA office today to get new Tags & a Title for my Honda Accord. Here is the story of my experience.
I went late in the day, probably around 3pm. Always a bad idea. It is a better idea to go earlier in the day. This is when people are just trying to make it afterwork or taking off early to go to the MVA. Instead of going to Mondawmin Mall, where the Baltimore City MVA office was, I went to the new Hilltop Shopping Center office on Reisterstown Rd. Apparently the Mondawmin office closed in May and they moved to the Hilltop location.
I waited in line for the information desk for about 20-30 minutes. What I found strange is when I got up to the desk I told the lady, “I need to register my car and get Tags.” I handed her the California title and inspection certificate, she took both and looked at the title like it was some weird document. Without saying anything she went over and starting talking with the supervisor for 5 minutes. I was thinking, “Really? They don't see out-of-state titles?” She came back to the desk and just said, “Fillout the information on the back as well.”
I took my ticket and sat down in the waiting area. I started filling out the Title form and making sure I had everything set. I realized I needed to go get the mileage from my car. I thought I might not have time to do this… then I realized I was at the MVA. There was plenty of time!
When I came back in from getting the mileage out of the car, I looked around at all the people in the MVA. It didn't matter age, race, gender, whatever because everyone has the same exact look at the MVA! “I just want to get out of here!” Why won't this line move?” “Why is it taking so long?”
Luckily I brought a book ‘Real Money' by Jim Cramer, but it is hard to read in there. There is the automated voice that goes off every 20 seconds “Now serving C45 at number 12.” After another 30+ minutes I finally got my number called. You feel like jumping and up down when that happens.
I handed the lady my title, form, and bill of sale. She was pretty helpful and nice. She commented about my car, “Wow! The mileage on this is really good!” I told her the story of how I drove it across the country and that it was my Grandma's car. “Oh so she just used it to drive to Church and the Grocery store?” I replied “Yeah, pretty much!” She told me her Grandma had a Mercedes that had very few miles on it too. When I got out my credit card to pay I gave her my business card and said I was an auto journalist. We talked about that for awhile and I told her about how I got a media pass to the Baltimore Grand Prix. She seemed enthusiast about it and asked me some questions.
So I spent about 2 hours getting to the MVA office, waiting, waiting some more, and actually doing what I needed to do, before getting back to my house. It cost $266.40 to register, get a title, and for 2 MD license plates. Since I was smart enough to get a bill of sale stating the car was bought for $0 and therefore a gift, I was not charged 6% sales tax. It would have more expensive if I did not have that. Of course I still spent too much time there!
