I Cant Get Compliance!

[femno]

ok, heres a bit of a story to explain the situation...

I bought a 1990 GTR from a gentleman in june last year, which was brought into the country as a WHOLE CAR by an import yard in November 2001. This guy had bought it from the yard and it needed work. Basically it sat in his garage for a few years not running.

Now before i bought this car from the guy (it wasnt complied) i went to the trouble of obtaining and checking the import approval through DOTARS, making sure that the car COULD be complied, and they told me it was no problem just as long as i had the import approval - which they verified.

Now the car needed some work; i did the engine, did the paint, the car is now mint, the product of a 10 month project, and now that it is actually ready to comply, the law has changed and now i need the 'deregistration papers from japan' and a receipt from when it was purchased from the guy in japan, along with the import approval, so ive been told.

I cannot find the yard anywhere (net, whitepages etc.), i know the name of it - it ceases to exist. The guy i bought it from had nothing but the approval.

What the F*@# do i do?

ANY help appreciated,

Mat.

[NXTIME]

I don't see the problem here. If the vehicle has previously been issued with an import approval under the old 15 year rule regulations, then this import approval is still valid. If you have already checked with DOTARS as you have said then all you would need is a copy (or re-issue) of the import approval from DOTARS. I am not sure if they will re-issue an import approval to anyone but the original applicant, but a call to DOTARS can confirm that. However, be careful that the car was not approved to be imported for RACE USE ONLY. Again, DOTARS will be able to confirm.

Then all you would need is a RWC and compliance (to meet the 15 year rule regulations, not SEVS) in order to register the car in your state. You don't need the japanese de-registration papers, only a reciept of purchase from the guy you bought it from.

[wrxhoon]

The car has been here sinse 2001, so its not under the 15 yo rule and you will find you cant comply it now.

[blacky]

Without knowing every detail here, I would venture to say that you should be okay. Contrary to every backyard importer on here, DOTARS aren't too bad. Explain to them (nicely) whats up and make clear that you have a valid import approval and they should be able to help you, after a bit of nagging and red tape.

Sounds up-in-the-air but don't get too disheartened - everyone who's imported a car has their own horror story. And in the end, whats the worst that can happen? You maybe sell it on as a track only car (And i know all about destroying or re-exporting, so smartarses can neglect to reply) and get some money back.

Good luck.

Blacky

[raz0r$harP.UK]

So it was imported under the CPA scheme?

DOTARS can be lenient but they still have to work within the bounds of legislation and regulations. Try by all means however. That's why we have processes of appeal. But it sounds like when you called DOTARS they may have misinterpreted your question somehow.

Any car that was brought in under CPA was required to be fitted with an import plate by 7 May 2003, when SEVS came into effect.

[femno]

So it was imported under the CPA scheme?

DOTARS can be lenient but they still have to work within the bounds of legislation and regulations. Try by all means however. That's why we have processes of appeal. But it sounds like when you called DOTARS they may have misinterpreted your question somehow.

Any car that was brought in under CPA was required to be fitted with an import plate by 7 May 2003, when SEVS came into effect.

CPA scheme? ive never heard of it...what is it? when i called DOTARS they would have had the import approval in front of them telling me the car could be complied and registered, they confirmed to me that the approval was also valid.

I will give DOTARS a call today.

Thanks everyone

[Beer Baron]

who has subsequently told you it cant be complied? was it the workshop who was going to be complying the car?

[Beer Baron]

ok, you may have a bit of a problem here. there is a big paragraph there that says it may be an offence to sell the car before it's complianced.

i would ring dotars, explain the situation then ask if you may be able to comply it under the 15yo rule. it's a long shot though. i have a feeling you may have trouble complying this car.

edit: why has it taken 5 years to be ready for compliance? you should have complied the car first, then gone to work on it.

[femno]

who has subsequently told you it cant be complied? was it the workshop who was going to be complying the car?

Ive been to two workshops; the first told me that it wasnt under the 15yr rule, and that i needed a receipt from when it was purchased from whoever in Japan. The second told me that it could be done under 15yr, but i need 'deregistration papers' and an original import approval.

I can get neither of these.

[Beer Baron]

well you could probably get a receipt... it only needs to be a word document printed out. if you catch my drift.

[femno]

well you could probably get a receipt... it only needs to be a word document printed out. if you catch my drift.

Id hope to think that would be one of the last options.... but wouldnt it have to be signed by someone from Japan? eg Jap writing? Does anyone have an original receipt from Japan that i could see?

[femno]

ok, you may have a bit of a problem here. there is a big paragraph there that says it may be an offence to sell the car before it's complianced.

i would ring dotars, explain the situation then ask if you may be able to comply it under the 15yo rule. it's a long shot though. i have a feeling you may have trouble complying this car.

edit: why has it taken 5 years to be ready for compliance? you should have complied the car first, then gone to work on it.

The car wasnt running; eg. engine was ceased. Body needed a bit of work so thought might as well do that at the same time.

[Beer Baron]

Id hope to think that would be one of the last options.... but wouldnt it have to be signed by someone from Japan? eg Jap writing? Does anyone have an original receipt from Japan that i could see?

doesnt need to be signed, and doesnt usually have any japanese text either. most often it's from an ex-pat aussie living in japan anyway as people in aus are buying the cars from an exporter. invoice is nearly always in english and doesnt need any abn details etc as you are effectively purchasing the car in japan.

[femno]

doesnt need to be signed, and doesnt usually have any japanese text either. most often it's from an ex-pat aussie living in japan anyway as people in aus are buying the cars from an exporter. invoice is nearly always in english and doesnt need any abn details etc as you are effectively purchasing the car in japan.

Once again, would anyone be able to show me one of these? pretty please!

[Beer Baron]

mate it can look like anything. suppliers just make them up on ms word.

Joe Bloggs Car Export

7/5/00

Invoice: 00001

Customer:

John Smith

1 nice street

good place VIC Australia

Supply 1 X 1990 BNR32 GTR chassis no BNR320004586

Total___________________________ 1,200,000 jpy

paid by TT on 7/5/00

[wrxhoon]

Love your work BB...

[predator]

what he said regarding the "receipt"..

As for the de-reg papers, you may have to find somebody who can speak Japanese and is able to get a past record in the Japanese transport department or whatever it is over there. I got a poor photocopy with my car which seemed to be acceptable.. this could become a "photochoppy" for instance.

It's going to be a stuff around, but I think if you put in another persistance you will get it complied I would think.

[sh@un]

LOL at dodgy receipt

What ever gets that puppy on the road, though.

Best of luck.

[blacky]

This doesnt sound so bad after all because two workshops have given you the OK on condition of producing some very attainable documents. Thanks to Beer Baron you've already got a decent invoice (and yes thats how they really do look) and a de-reg paper is either gettable or photo-choppable (?). If you need the import approval, DOTARS should be able to give out a copy.

I'm looking at the invoice for my last Skyline. Its an Excel spreadsheet, thats how simple they are. I could change the price to whatever I wanted (handy for customs hey ). To make it a little more beleivable, lay it out nicely and put some cool phrase like

"Principal: XXXXXcompany This is to confirm our Principal Sale to you as Buyer, and your Purchase from our Principal as Seller, of the undermentioned goods subject to the following terms and conditions."

thats what mine had on, sounds good, adds realism.

Blacky.

[femno]

Thanks everyone for the helpful info, all very much appreciated.

I called DOTARS today, they went through the Import approval with me, we each had a copy right in front of us. Apparently is has to be done under the SEVS scheme, and all i need is the original Import Approval nothing else. They gave me the numbers of four workshops who can do this work for me too.

Why is it that no one knows what they are talking about? Even workshops who deal with this all the time. Can i go as far to say that DOTARS have the final say in this matter? There is no one else that can contest this right? DOTARS' information is more reliable than these random workshops and engineers???

Im still very confused and nothing makes any sense, but just as long as DOTARS reckons it can be done im happy.

Thanks again everyone for your help.

Mat.

P.S. i think the whole system is F*@#ed. Regulations need to be made clear.