WRAL recently did a piece on Hurricane Sandy-sodden cars flooding the market. To watch the video, click on the image below.

In a recent interview with Fox News, Tracy Myers helps warn viewers about water-damaged Sandy cars making their way to North Carolina. To read the full article and watch the video, click on the image below.

Legislation that exempts newer passenger vehicles from emissions inspections may reach more cars than originally anticipated, potentially costing the state millions of dollars in revenue and threatening its compliance with federal regulations. The measure, rewritten and approved by senators in the early-morning hours of the last day of the legislative session, was signed into law by Gov. Beverly Perdue last week. It exempts vehicles three years old and newer from annual checks designed to fight air pollution. But it might also exempt other vehicles with fewer than 70,000 miles that were built after 1996 – more than tripling the number of affected vehicles. Johanna Reese, deputy commissioner of the state Division of Motor Vehicles, called the Legislature’s decision “unexpected.”

A lobby group that opposed the bill said the confusion is the result of forcing the measure through in the waning hours of the legislative session. “I think that the legislators that wrote this and passed this, along with the governor, they did it very quickly without any thought process,” said Robert Pulverenti, executive director of Independent Garage Owners of North Carolina, a group that opposed the bill. Pulverenti worries the anticipated reduction in the number of inspected cars could jeopardize federal approval for air quality. “It’s been interpreted by most that any vehicle with less than 70,000 miles on the odometer will be effected,” said Pulverenti. “There’s a good chance that now the state of North Carolina is not going to meet air quality standards.” More vehicles on the roads without emission checks affect the state’s attempts to meet Environmental Protection Agency air quality benchmarks. It also results in less revenue for state programs, which receive funds from inspection fees and had been expected to see a reduction of more than $2.3 million. Vehicle owners allowed to forego the emission inspections would save $16.40 annually.

The new law reads that a motor vehicle is subject to an emissions inspection if “it is a 1996 or later model and older than the three most recent model years or a 1996 or later model and has 70,000 miles or more on its odometer.” The Division of Air Quality was preparing for the last-minute legislative change to apply to 1.7 million vehicles, not the slightly more than 500,000 vehicles it previously estimated, said spokesman Tom Mather. The agency changed its position after questions Friday from The Associated Press. It now is preparing to exempt vehicles less than three years old that haven’t topped 70,000 miles, Mather said. “In our defense, the language in the bill is easy to misinterpret the way it is worded,” Mather wrote in an email. The law takes effect in 2014. Under the current regulations, emission inspections are mandatory for applicable vehicles in 48 of North Carolina’s 100 counties, Mather said. Cars manufactured from 1996 to the factory year before last are required to have mandatory emission checks, he said.

Sen. Stan Bingham, R-Davidson, has worked for years to exempt newer, cleaner vehicles from emissions testing. The language involving vehicles with fewer than 70,000 miles was added by a negotiating committee formed on July 2. The Senate approved the reworked version at 12:37 a.m. on July 3. The General Assembly adjourned hours later. Bingham said the intent of the mileage provision was to require that cars that are less than three years old but with more than 70,000 miles be required to have emission checks, not to increase the number avoiding the checkups. He wasn’t aware that the state agencies were conflicted. “It concerns me a great deal because it could make the bill fail,” Bingham said of the EPA uncertainty. “It’s a concern of mine because my initial intent was that this is a common sense bill to save taxpayers money.”(Allen Reed, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, 8/03/12).

Blythewood, SC – Beginning May 1, 2012, the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) will no longer accept Form 450, Satisfaction of Lien, to remove a lien from a title record. The form will no longer be available on the agency website, through the warehouse or in DMV offices as of April 2, 2012.

“We’ve seen an increased number of fraud attempts using Form 450 during the past few months,” said Vehicle Services Director Lotte Devlin. “The form isn’t a secure way to prove the satisfaction of a lien and we want to do all we can to maintain the integrity of the process.”

To remove a lien from the title record, lien holders may release the lien electronically on electronic titles, complete the lien release on the front of the title document or submit a letter on company letterhead. Lien holders that choose to submit a letter should include the following information:

1. Owner’s Name
2. Vehicle Identification Number
3. Title Number
4. Lien Release Date
5. Signature of Authorized Company Representative.

Should you have questions regarding the information contained in this bulletin, please contact the SCDMV Contact Center at 803-896-5000 or help@scdmvonline.com.

Information received via SCDMV bulletin on March 23, 2012

CIADA is pleased to announce that Ronnie and Amy, Lizard Lick Towing and Repo,  will be our guests at the opening reception on Thursday evening August 2nd.  This year’s Annual Meeting and Expo will be bigger and better than last year, so make your reservations today.  Come join the fun and have your picture taken with Ronnie and Amy during the weekend prove to your employees  and customers that being in the car business can be great fun!

Remember it’s five o’clock somewhere and if you aren’t joining us at the Beach for the Annual Expo, you are missing out on some of the best fun of the summer.

Keeping you informed,

John Brown

CIADA is proud to partner with BHPH expert Mark Dubois to bring you a Dealer Edcuation Workshop for the CIADA. Mark will be discussing:

How To Solve the Biggest Challenges Facing Your Buy Here Pay Here Business!

Registration: CIADA 800-992-4232

This workshop will provide participants with a proven 5 step process for solving the biggest challenges facing your  BHPH business!

Most BHPH dealers can relate to some of, or all of the challenges of operating a BHPH business listed here:

• Finding and buying affordable vehicle inventory
• Sourcing capital to fund a BHPH business
• Improving delinquency and collections
• Reducing repossessions and charge offs
• Hiring competent staff for your BHPH business

Plan to attend this interactive; no nonsense; problem solving workshop and bring a description of the biggest challenge facing your BHPH business!

Come to this workshop prepared to work!

Plan to leave with a specific game plan to solve the biggest challenges facing your BHPH business!

A Very Special Thank You To Our Sponsors:

About the Presenter:

Mark Dubois has more than 30 years of experience in the automobile business ranging from sales, dealership management, recruiting and training, e-business, marketing and multi-store Buy Here – Pay Here management.

Mark successfully started three BHPH dealerships from inception and managed the operation of these stores including hiring and training staff, buying inventory, reconditioning, deal structure, underwriting, collections, managing delinquency and charge offs, and growing the loan portfolio customer base.

Prior to joining Performance Incorporated Mark was President of Dealer Performance and Consulting, LLC which specialized in providing 20 Groups, consulting and training to Buy Here Pay Here dealers across the United States.

In his new capacity with Performance Incorporated Mark is the Director and Moderator for BHPH Performance 20 Groups.

He’s President of the CIADA. He’s gone on TV dressed up as a giant pickle. Nowadays, you’ll see him most often sporting a giant red, white and blue Uncle Sam hat. Tracy Myers may play outrageous to sell cars – but this best-selling author, nationally-recognized entrepreneur, and devoted family man is dead serious when it comes to building a business he, his family and his city can be proud of.

“Car Men” details the touching and occasionally hilarious story of how the Myers men created a car business that’s known all across America for its successful out-of-the-box thinking – not to mention its off-kilter TV commercials, featuring such quirky characters as Uncle Frank and Chainsaw Charlie.

And just announced! The Winston Salem ABC affiliate, ABC45, and the Winston Salem My TV affiliate, My48, have both agreed to show the television edition of the film “Car Men”.

The schedule is as follows:
WXLV- Wed January 25 at 6am.
WXLV-Thurs January 26 at 6am.
WMYV-Friday January 27 at 6:30am.
WMYV-Saturday January 28th at 12:00pm.
WMYV-Sunday January 29 at 10:30am.
WMYV-Monday January 30 at 6:30am.
WMYV-Tuesday January 31 at 6:30am.

“Everybody Rides” – Tracy Myers’ motto

Preview the movie by clicking here http://www.TheCarMenMovie.com

Enjoy,

John Brown

CIADA is excited to announce the new Dealer Directory portal on our website!

In an effort to better connect our dealer members and improve communication and trade between your dealerships and customers, we have implemented the NEW Dealer Directory.

Provisions of Inspections for transfer of plates when transferring ownership of vehicles.

Please click here for the official notice.

The automobile is a very important means of transportation for every American. Statistics show that only about 40 percent of Americans can afford to buy a new car to serve their transportation needs. Many people find used cars to be an excellent value, providing quality transportation at a price that can be easily afforded. With sales of more than 41 million used cars a year totaling some $361 billion, there’s no question that a used car has value. (Read More)