I’ve had my GEM for about 3 months now. I bought it used. The owner lied and told me she had the title and then ghosted me a few weeks later. No huge surprise right? I ended up tracking down the original owner of the GEM who happens to live in Texas. Miraculously he had the original title and sent it to me. The only problem I expected was that he never signed the front of it, so I figured this would be a huge issue at the BMV. Turns out, that was the least of my issues.
I researched everything like crazy to get this thing road legal. My neighborhood required it to be inspected locally, so Bexley police officer came by and gave it the once-over. I didn’t realize I was required to have a windshield wiper on it, so that took a few days to get purchased and installed, but once I was done with the Bexley inspection I was ready to move along to the BMV. As it turns out, I don’t think I even needed the neighborhood inspection since nobody wanted to see that paperwork at all. In the least, my local police now know about me and I will probably come up in morning meetings for a few days. It was an excellent experience. He said it was the first he has ever seen in the neighborhood. (he also said I owned the only offroad mini-van in the neighborhood too, but that’s a different story) Bexley police are great.
Next up, I tooled off to the BMV and gave them all the paperwork. They told me they would take care of it but I’d need to have the vehicle inspected there.
needle scratch
“wait, what?”
Yep, I have to trailer the GEM to my BMV for an inspection.
After running around town to switch cars, grab my truck, rent a trailer and then haul it over there, i went to the inspection area and the guy working at the desk told me there was no way no how they could do an inspection on that there golf cart thingie.
me - “it’s not a golf cart its a LSV or a NEV”
him - “well no matter what you call it, I can’t inspect it.”
He finally called somebody after he learned I wasn’t leaving anytime soon and an Ohio State Trooper came downstairs. He pulled out the paper, did the inspection and sent me on my way in 10 mts. He said this was only the second one of these things to come through this branch in as long as he could remember.
So that was neat.
Back up to the front desk I go to get the title. That took a good long time because nobody there had ever heard of a GEM or an LSV. After lengthy bouts of clicking and using “underspeed vehicle” and occasionally “golf cart” they finally got me registered. Fresh title in hand, I was able to go next door, get a plate and run out of there fully legal.
Whew. That was a process.
Now I can finally go to the grocery store in this thing. Hopefully I can use it befroe winter rolls in.