I'm located here in Illinois. And I have this darling little assistant here from France and she is 22 years old. She will be here for 5.5 months, and she has been here one month just about today. It's my job to teach her about painting, powder coating and corrosion control. Also to escort her around the country visiting our plants scattered across the country.

Here is the problem. Her car rental bill for the first month approached $900, and she has decided it would be cheaper for her to own a modest car. The question is, here in Illinois, or in your state, what is required to own a car? Sophie has an international drivers licence, which is common in Europe, but will she be required to get an Illinois licence? Naturally, she has a passport, so she has no problem establishing identity. But we have had some problems getting her registered with social security, to get a SSN number. All the papers are correct, but some are unreadable, we can't tell if some numbers are 0s or 8s.

Naturally, this means no SSN, no bank account! She has French car insurance, which I am sure will work over here, because my engineers travel overseas all the time, and I never hear them complaining about insurance hassels.

We don't want to spend a lot of money, but that is not really much of a factor. I'll make sure she gets a good ride. We will just sell the thing when she returns to France, and just how much can a car depreciate in four months? Not a lot in my opinion.

To make a long story short, am I gonna have to co-sign for her just to avoid a lot of hassel? I need answers/opinions quick guys. We're going to try to buy a car tomorrow. Thanks! (P.S. I don't want to, but am willing to co-sign.)

 

I dont know too much about all that, but i one thing i do know.....

DO NOT CO-SIGN. She's only there for 4 months, then she's leaving. If you cant sell the car, you're stuck with the bill.

 

I would just go to a dealer and ask them. Don't co-sign unless you want to keep the car. And definitly make sure she gets a good ride.

 

It seems to me that, even though $900 is a lot, it does get her a reliable car and most likely with insurance. There is nothing to sell when she leaves, no maintenance, and no hassles. If she buys, she ain't gonna get much for $4,000 and if she goes for more, then you may be asked to co-sign. Don't forget she'll pay taxes on a car purchase (at least she would in CA), money that is basically lost forever. I say keep the rental or look for a different rental company ... like Rent A Wreck or something. Good luck.

 

Ask the DOT/DMV. They'll tell you the 'rules'. I'm sure if she has the cash then it's no big deal.

I've known of many temporary foreigners that bought new or used cars because it was cheaper then rental.

 

[QUOTE=Slimey]Ask the DOT/DMV. They'll tell you the 'rules'. QUOTE]

 

You can get a temp tax ID. Us bankers do it all the time, as long as she is LEGIT.

Go to a local bank & help her out. Just tell them the situation & that she needs a temp ID for tax purposes, etc. As long as she has the required identification, she'll be fine.

 

Although I would not classify this as a money issue (yeah, like I have an extra 5 or 7 grand just sitting around), I trust this gal.) Yes, for you jaded guys out there, not only is she a gal, she is also french)

But I trust her. I picked her up at O'hare, and she was very tentative. She thought all Americans were ogres. It took her only a few day to find out that we would treat her with commonality and decency. Now she loves us.

I don't have an extra 5 to 7K to throw around, but on the other hand, it won't break me either. Come November, when she has to return to France, I would like to send her home with a positive light of America, not just a horrifying vision of GWB. What would you do?

 

Chris, thanks, you posted while I was composing. I'll try that.

 

 

Infamous: Cars, or sophie?

I'm in 7'th heaven, 52, and assigned to a 22 year old. And, she is a cutie! Both single.

 

pics of her, duh.

 

Assume somebody's lease. You should be able to find a short lease on something that somebody needs to get out of on swapalease.com or similar sites....you could probably even find one with a ton of miles left. It'd be cheaper than renting, but with the easy turn-in at the end of the period. She can probably even afford to pre-pay the lease to completion, or she can give you the money, and you can put it in your name and pay it in full.

 

A 22 year old French girl named Sophie?


Hmmmm.......