2 Questions for a newbie in New York (TN)

[nelsona]

You have hit on te exact problem why NOT formally importing the car is NOT a good solution.

First, I'm quite sure you did not take this TN job for only one year. Why would you disrupt your life so much just for that. Your hope is to make this a careeer. So, in a years time you will be needing to import the car anyways, why wait.

Second, TN is not like snowbird or even student, since the local state views you as a resident, which thus requires that you register and plate your car (and get DL) as a resident. In many states, plating requires that you demonstrate formal importation.

Third, and this is where you face the greatest risk, is that NO Cdn insurance firm will accept your existing policy as covering you when you LIVE in US. You are no longer visiting US, you live there and your insurance should reflect this.

Fourth, if you manage to get past all these barriers without importing, then you still have the problem of not being able to resale your car. You don't want to resale your car, you say? Fine. But what if you total it in an accident? Your US insuarnce would love to pay you off, however, you are not allowed to transfer the ownership to them, since you didn't import the car. Now what?

Get the letter from the Cdn maker, import the car formally, and you are done. It costs nothing.

[Reba]

You will need to contact that bank where your loan is to make arrangements to continue payments. They may require that you pay off the loan before you leave.

[waterwaterwaterloolooloo]

it can be a very tricky situation as nelsona pointed out. You have to be very careful and you MUST get US insurance. My canadian insurance covers me now that I am to them a visitor in the United States. As soon as I become a PR, I'm either going to give to car to my mum and dad or start transferring title, plates, etc. If you get into an accident in the US with your Canadian insurance.you're effed!

[nelsona]

lulu's got a dilemma, of course, since she is NOT a visitor by any stretch.

Insuarnce co's are always happy to accept premium payments from those who are ineligible for covergae. Then, they deny coverage at the time of an accident.

[waterwaterwaterloolooloo]

haha I am too a visitor ! Okay, so I am pretending to be a visitor. What the insurance company doesn't know can't hurt them (for now.)

I am in a pretty lousy situation. But I will ammend it soon. I think I'm going to give the car to my family and just buy a new car here in a couple months.

[nelsona]

Pretend all you want. Your insurance company can also pretend to cover you.

[waterwaterwaterloolooloo]

Don't you worry about me, nelsona. I will be fine. I have never gotten as much as a parking ticket. Anything can happen to you, it's true. But I don't drive that much. My husband drives mostly when we go anywhere. I only drive to the gym, the grocery store, etc. All 5 minute drives and stuff.

But like I say, I w ill only be driving it another month or two. Plus if I ever got into an accident, I would just not go through insurance and pay for the damages if that was okay with the other party.

[nelsona]

I worry more about those that might take your experince and act accordingly.

That's a really interesting view of insuarnce though.

I buy insurance with the idea that I'm expecting to be covered, and will use it should the situation that I'm insuring against occur.

Completely the opposite of your vision.

I think my broker would prefer you as a client.