# Unkown car registered at my address - should I be concerned? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 4, 2011, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unkown-car-registered-at-my-address-should-i-be-concerned/580683 "2011-05-04T12:50:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BigDadWolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@BigDadWolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigDadWolf)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unkown-car-registered-at-my-address-should-i-be-concerned/580683/21 "2011-05-04T22:53:32Z")
Thanks for the opinions, ideas, and witticisms. A little more info to answer some of the questions posted: [ul] [li]The auto in question is a 2004 BMW which most would consider a nicer (and more expensive) vehicle than my wife’s or mine.[/li][li]I have never received a registration, tax statement, or insurance bill on the vehicle.[/li][li]We’ve been in our home for more than 10 years and the previous occupants had it for 20 years ; they are not the type of people who would mis-register a car (so I don’t think it due to a previous occupant).[/li][/ul] My take after reading the responses is I will contact the DMV to get the issue cleared up or at least be on record for having noted this is not my vehicle. I have mostly lurked and only occasionally posted here; this was my first question and I must say I am impressed with the response. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unkown-car-registered-at-my-address-should-i-be-concerned/580683/22 "2011-05-04T23:02:56Z")
Will you update this when you find out? I’m curious. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unkown-car-registered-at-my-address-should-i-be-concerned/580683/23 "2011-05-04T23:04:15Z")
> [@Lare](#): > > I can’t speak for all jurisdictions (and IANAL) but in Arizona there is a process to tell the court the picture isn’t you and you can’t identify the driver, but that’s still a hassle you would have to take care of. Why? It wouldn’t be in his name. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unkown-car-registered-at-my-address-should-i-be-concerned/580683/24 "2011-05-05T01:24:18Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > So your county records your physical address and then mails your billing to a separate post office box address? I’m pretty sure my county government would tell me that’s too damn confusing for them to keep track of. For a few years, I used to get my mail at a PO Box in a different state from where my vehicles were registered. Mississippi had no problem mailing my license plate to my Louisiana PO Box. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unkown-car-registered-at-my-address-should-i-be-concerned/580683/25 "2011-05-05T02:11:52Z")
Likewise. Ihad out of state registration for years. Half teh US military does that to save money. DMVs mostly want the registration money; they’re not in the business of enforcing that everyone have exactly one address and hat every address only have people with one name. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unkown-car-registered-at-my-address-should-i-be-concerned/580683/26 "2011-05-05T02:14:18Z")
[quote=“BigBadWolf, post:21, topic:580683”] Thanks for the opinions, ideas, and witticisms. A little more info to answer some of the questions posted: [ul] [li]The auto in question is a 2004 BMW which most would consider a nicer (and more expensive) vehicle than my wife’s or mine.[/li][li]We’ve been in our home for more than 10 years and the previous occupants had it for 20 years ; they are not the type of people who would mis-register a car (so I don’t think it due to a previous occupant).[/li][/ul] If you’ve been in your house for 10 years, then there is obviously no way a 2004 car could be “left-over” registered at your address by any previous owner regardless of your opinion of them – though it’s always nice to know nice people. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unkown-car-registered-at-my-address-should-i-be-concerned/580683/27 "2011-05-05T12:37:21Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > Why? It wouldn’t be in his name. That’s the $64,000 question. OTOH, this may all be about a simple typo - fat fingers or numbers reversed on the keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unkown-car-registered-at-my-address-should-i-be-concerned/580683/28 "2011-05-05T12:42:57Z")
If you haven’t gotten things like registration renewals, then I doubt it’s registered with the DMV. Many of these online services are more screwed up than Gilligan’s scholarships. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unkown-car-registered-at-my-address-should-i-be-concerned/580683.md?page=1)