Use CSC Motor Vehicle Services and Skip the Lines

Organizations with large vehicle fleets can save significant time and money by farming out their title portfolio management.

Standing in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles is no fun for anyone, but try walking up to a DMV window to renew 800 vehicle registrations-or, better yet, try doing it in 50 states.

Managing a vehicle asset portfolio is one of the more onerous tasks for a corporation or financial institution. Titles must be acquired and renewed; vehicles are often transferred from one entity to another or one state to another; lien holders must be added to secure financial interests; and in some states, title transactions have to be processed at the county level. These tasks are time consuming, time sensitive, and, frankly, tedious. In addition, mistakes and missed deadlines could leave valuable assets exposed.

States have begun automating some motor vehicle transactions, but things are moving slowly. For example, although registration renewals can now be processed electronically in 11 states, title application and perfection processes are still done manually. These transactions are complicated, vary by state, and often require a good deal of supporting documentation.

It is hardly surprising, that corporations, law firms, financial institutions, leasing companies, and dealerships with large vehicle fleets are increasingly turning to experts like Corporation Service Company to handle their title portfolio management. The move lets them unload a labor-intensive task and free up employees and resources for more creative projects.

CSC Motor Vehicle Services is a leading provider of motor vehicle titling, registration, and document-retrieval services to corporations, law firms, and financial institutions throughout the country. "The company's seasoned agents and cutting-edge technology combine to provide fast, accurate, and secure service," says Tom Charno, CSC's product manager of Motor Vehicle Services.

On the human resource side, CSC Motor Vehicle Services draws from a nationwide network of correspondents that has established ties with state and local DMVs across the country. "Our experienced teams have been able to remove many of the typical barriers and get results right away from the DMVs," says Charno. "We can make things happen."

CSC works with clients to develop customized solutions that incorporate their fleets' characteristics. "Every company's a little different, and each is best served with a solution tailored to meet its needs," says Charno.

On the technology side, the company's Web-based tools allow customers to manage their own transactions and portfolios, which lets them to stay on top of their fleets without having to become mired in the minutiae. With one such tool, Motor Vehicle Inquiry, clients can monitor the status and history of all motor vehicle transactions. Another tool, Collateral Agent Inquiry, gives clients access to title portfolio data, including images of stored titles.

CSC's tools are fast, easy-to-use, and secure. "Until now, companies have had to employ 5, 10, or even 20 people to manage their title portfolios," says Charno. "Our system brings that number down and reduces the storage space needed." CSC's state-of-the-art secure storage facility houses all of the physical documentation.

CSC offers a number of products and services within the Motor Vehicle Services Division, one of which is Collateral Agent Services. With this service, a client can access its title portfolio 24 hours a day. The service processes all title release requests on demand and can send released titles directly to clients, dealerships, or auction houses.

"It takes time to locate titles, and lost titles can be a nightmare," says Charno. "Our system lets clients track their title activity and provides them immediate access to titles when needed without having to keep them around."

CSC has also simplified the titling and registration processes for clients. The company offers nationwide titling and registration for any type of vehicle, from passenger cars and trucks to modular buildings and recreational equipment. The company provides expert service associated with the titling and registration needs that may arise during the life of a vehicle asset. "We keep up with the jurisdictional knowledge nationwide, which would take companies an enormous amount of time and people to do themselves," Charno explains.

CSC can perform a number of different types of motor vehicle searches for clients. A title search allows clients to learn the vehicle owner's name and lien holder and the vehicle's make and VIN. A vehicle ownership history search can give clients a vehicle's full chain of ownership in the state searched. (Some searching information is limited by privacy laws.)

"It's exactly this kind of task-laborious, repetitive, and yet critical to an organization's well-being-that companies need to hand off to stay focused on their core business," says Charno. "We can save companies time, resources, and headaches." Not to mention a long day at the DMV.

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