Re: [FWDLK] USA-Canada Adventure

[Jan Van Hoy <vanhilla@PACIFIER.COM>]

I'm sorry you seem to have taken offense from my story.  Nobody was driving
while intoxicated, or drinking at all.  This was an old charge.  Canada
holds a DWI against the US person for the rest of his life, no entry into
Canada.

The point remains that taking a car across the US-Canadian border is not a
simple process.

The Canadians were very friendly, unlike the US customs agents.  Friendly or
not, there's a lot of expense and red tape.

--Roger van Hoy, '55DeSoto, '42DeSoto, '66Plymouth, '73Duster,
   Washougal, WA, USA


-----Original Message-----
From: don dulmage <big-d@sympatico.ca>
To: Jan Van Hoy <vanhilla@PACIFIER.COM>
Date: Tuesday, December 14, 1999 5:54 AM
Subject: Re: [FWDLK] USA-Canada Adventure


>I beg your pardon.The moral is don't DWI.
>Don
>
>> Jan Van Hoy wrote:
>>
>> This isn't ForwardLook related strictly speaking, but my true story
>> might keep some of you from having a mishap.  Believe it or not, this
>> is the short version:
>>
>> I sold a parts car to a guy in British Columbia including delivery.
>> He supposedly checked out customs and told me "no problem," I would
>> need to pay a 7% import tax at the border.
>>
>> Had an uneventful trip until we reached the border crossing at Sumas,
>> Washington.  First, they directed me to park in a nice long covered
>> parking for "inspection."  No problem.  Then my friend and I were to
>> report to the building.
>>
>> Once in the building we were directed to immigration, where our
>> driver's licenses were taken.  We were asked if we had ever been
>> convicted of a crime and both said no.  After about 15 minutes he came
>> back, and started questioning my friend about a DWI.  Yes, he'd had a
>> conviction, but that wasn't a criminal offense.  Well it is in Canada,
>> so my friend was "deported," leaving me alone to drive his truck,
>> trailer and car to the delivery.  He was told that he will be an
>> "undesirable alien" and not eligible for entry for the rest of his
>> life unless he gets a waiver from a Canadian magistrate.
>>
>> Next was customs.  They asked me if the car had air conditioning.
>> Expecting a car inspection, and fearful of lying considering my
>> friend's experience, I admitted it did.  "Well, that'll be $100 excise
>> tax on the AC, even if it doesn't work, plus the 7% import tax."  They
>> never did look at the car, check the VIN or anything.  It could have
>> been worth $500 or $50,000, they just took my word for the price.
>>
>> Now comes the fun part.  After I delivered the car and came back to
>> the border, the US Customs men were livid.  Seems that they had a
>> "gentlemen's agreement" with the Canadians to call US when a car is
>> being taken over.  US then impounds the car for 72 hours and, if it
>> clears their stolen car check, there's an EXPORT tax!  I lucked out on
>> that one!  Once I got back it was too late for them to do anything to
>> me.
>>
>> The moral of the story is, don't deliver a car to Canada, or if you
>> do, expect some real hassles.
>>
>> --Roger van Hoy, '55DeSoto, '42DeSoto, '66Plymouth, '73Duster,
>> Washougal, WA, USA
>>
>