Every state has quirks and hoops you have to jump through. In Maine, you have to register your car at the DMV, pay taxes on that vehicle at city hall, and get your car inspected before you are good to drive for a year. Then you have to repeat the process. Every. Year.
Minnesota is absurdly expensive. I had to threaten so sue the state of Utah (with a real lawyer and everything) before they would issue me a driver's license. If ever there was an argument for a nationalized vehicle tax system, people who move around a lot would be entirely in favor of it because you never know what you're going to get at the DMV.
Or, in Massachusetts' case, the RMV. We don't have a DMV, we have a Registry of Motor Vehicles. Fine. Whatever. Couldn't be that different, right?
I had to take the subway downtown because there's no way I'm trying to park in downtown Boston, near the RMV. The subway was packed so I got out early and walked a half mile to the RMV. There was nobody there! Score! I was about to sit down when I noticed the signs that loudly announced the RMV "accepts CASH OR CHECKS ONLY for registration." Worried they would call my number, I literally ran out the front door and to the CVS across the street. I got $200 and arrived back at the RMV two minutes before they called my number.
I got up to the teller with my registration, insurance and title. That wasn't enough. Only in Massachusetts.
"You need an RMV-1 form from your insurance agency," I was told.
My what from my who now? I have an insurance card ... RIGHT HERE. Absurd.
"You can go to the UPS store up the street and use their computers."
Convenient. Well, it would be if I found the UPS store quickly, which of course I did not. Eventually, while on hold with Progressive, I found the UPS store after asking for directions three times. Maybe I need a smart phone.
Standing in the front corner of the store, I answered a few questions as discreetly as possible. I asked the very helpful customer service rep, "Does any other state require this form?" Nope. Just Massachusetts. We're a little different here.
Progressive then emailed me the RMV-1 form. SCO ... wait, the co-owner of the vehicle has to sign this thing? Do they have to? Yep, says right there they have to. But ... Crap. That was my reaction. So, I have some paperwork for The Wife to sign. Only took 1.5 hours to figure that out.
When we first got married, TW was annoyed because her name wasn't on many legal documents for cars and houses, or even power and cable bills. We've been on a seven-year campaign to correct that.
Thing is, your spouse is legally entitled to ownership of a vehicle or house regardless of whose name is on a title. With a second person on the account, you don't have more flexibility, you actually have less, as with the two-signatures requirement.
Come to think of it, the best customer service I've ever had at an RMV — sorry, DMV — came in Utah, after I threatened to sue them to issue a driver's license. I got to skip the line and was out of there in 10 minutes, after they apologized profusely. There's something positive to be said for our lawyers.
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