Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-28
Proposal Fought as Placing
Unnecessary Burden on
Manufacturers.
REGULATION MODELLED
ON REALTY PROCEDURE
Agents Threaten to Sell Cars Out
side District if Rule Is
Adopted.

Aroused by plan Of procedure for
titling automobiles sold in the District,
drawn up by william A. Van Duzer, who
Wednesday becomes director Of the new
Department of Motor Vehicles and
Traffic, large group of Washington
motor car dealers are planning to pro-
test to the District Commissioners
against its adoption. it was learned last
night.
The dealers, headed by r. B. English,
District manager of the Ford Motor Co.,
have arranged a conference with Com
missioner Herbert B. Crosby tomorrow
morning at $50 o'clock Objection to
the plan will be registered at that time.
English said. and If the Commissioners
insist on putting it into effect. neither
the Ford nor the Chevrolet dealers will
comply with 1t. but will sell their cars
outside the District.
The plan, according to English, would
make the manufacturer instead Of the
dealer the originating source of the title
"a procedure radically different from
that in effect in the States that have
automobile title laws.
Precedent Is Set.
Mr. Van Duzer has been working on
the proposed title regulations for sew
eral weeks and has withheld the de-
tails pending the submission of his
plan to the Commissioners. He adj
mitted last night, however, that the
procedure he proposes to recommend
is departure from the title regulations
In the various States, here dealers mi
tiate the title.
Under my plan" he said, "the title
would start at the source of the car
the manufacturing plant. 1t is based
on the procedure followed in real
estate transactions. When a piece of
property is sold. the title is searched
back to the original owner The same
should be done in the sale Of a car
Burden on Manufacturer.
Mr.. English insists that the plan
would be of no particular public benefit,
but would place on the manufacturer an
unnecessary burden, because he would
be required to set up a special organi-
cation to handle title negotiations for
cars sold in the District exclusively.
Washington motor car dealers, Mr..
English declared, are strongly in favor
of the new title law which goes into
effect January /, but believe it should
be administered as effectively and sim
ply as possible. Moreover he said it
was unfair" for Mr.. Van DuZer to
propose the PRONUNCIATION of a set of
fitting regulations without comforting
with the dealers.
The form of application for a title
which MIR. Van Duzer has prepared.
according to Mr.. English, covers two
typewriter pages and contains II
blang spaces to be filled in by the
manufacturer. After the manufac-
turer has provided the desired intor-
NATION, he said. the application would
be returned to the dealer, who in turn,
would certify that he is selling the car
named in the application, and forward
the document to the title Office.
Declared Burdensome.
Such a procedure requires time and
effort" Mr.. English declared, and
there is no public need for it. The
procedure followed in the various
States is simple and affords ample
protection to the purchaser of a motor
vehicle.
I'm most of the States the dealer
merely ce a that he is se cdr e
tain car to the person famed in the
application. and indicates whether it
is subject to any liens. The applica-
ton is sworn to in the presence of a
notary and forwarded to the State
title office. The procedure is simple
and effective, and can be carried out
without undue delay"
The dealers opposing the plan. Mr.
English said. handle IS per cent of
the cars sold annually in Washington.