Star-Spangled Rip-Off: Why Military Car Buyers Are Vulnerable to Bad Deals

Edmunds.com

Star-Spangled Rip-Off: Why Military Car Buyers Are Vulnerable to Bad Deals

Service members are sometimes the targets of expensive and even fraudulent car deals. The military and consumer watchdogs fight back with education.

Read the full story here

dc_autogeek

I'm sorry but there is an even bigger legal injustice happening to Soldiers who are mobilized, especially in the state of Virginia.

When you are deployed to another state under military orders you are not required to pay property tax for that state that you are a resident of. This applies ONLY if you are the only person on the title / finance agreement.

BUT when you lease a car you must have the name of the OEM finance agency on the title with your name.

This means that if you are in the military and have a home of record in a state that has no property tax and are stationed in Farifax County Virginia and are leasing a BMW, you are still required to pay property tax to Fairfax County. Why? Because you are not the "sole owner" of the car. BMW NA Financial is also listed as an owner and the military provision is void. I learned this firsthand when I leased a 335i while on active duty.

What is described in the article could happen to any gullable person. What I described happens all the time to members of the military. It has been a few years since I checked the application of this provision, but I'm pretty sure it still works like this. I'm sure this happens all over the U.S. where Soldiers are deployed.

dc_autogeek

Well that came out a bit too fast. What I meant to say is "You are not required to pay personal property tax on vehicles for the county/state you were deployed to on a vehicle so long as the service member is the only name reflected on the title".

Thats a better description.