EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Used car dealers and veterans groups urged patience from the public while calling for additional staffing at the El Paso County Tax Assessor-Collector\u2019s Office during and after Monday\u2019s Commissioners Court meeting, saying state-mandated changes have created months-long delays for vehicle registrations.<\/p>\n
Representatives from the El Paso Independent Dealers Association said House Bill 718, which took effect in July, fundamentally changed how dealer transactions are processed, creating a backlog that affects buyers, sellers and county offices alike.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been dealing with this problem with the new bill of HB 718 for quite some time now,\u201d James Hobson, El Paso Independent Dealers Association board member said. \u201cThe challenges and the demands of the citizens of El Paso and the used car dealers of El Paso are great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dealers said the registration process, which once could be completed the same day, can now take months.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrior to (HB 718), we would take the transaction down to the county, and the transaction would be done that day,\u201d Hobson said. \u201cNow, we\u2019ve had transactions that we are waiting two and three months for the registration to come back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those delays affect dealership financing, since dealers must complete registration before banks release payment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe dealers want their white slip so they can get paid,\u201d Hobson said. \u201cIt\u2019s just been a ripple effect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hobson added that early problems with the state system led to repeated rejections of paperwork, compounding delays.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had several rejections going back and forth, back and forth, sometimes two and three times for one transaction,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n