System for proactively and periodically identifying noncompliance with motor vehicle registration laws

• US 5,623,403 A
• Filed: 05/11/1995
• Issued: 04/22/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: VINtek, Inc. (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: VINtek, Inc. (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Highbloom, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Weinhardt, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shingala, Gita
• Application Number:
  US08/438,815
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 364/400, 364/401, 364/409
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A computer-implemented system for proactively and continuously monitoring the compliance of property transaction agents with government registration laws and regulations includes methods and apparatus for receiving on a periodic basis at a central monitoring computer, information regarding property purchases from computers at financing sources, and information regarding property registrations from computers at a governmental entity. The central monitoring computer compares the two sets of information at periodic intervals, detects instances where there are missing or late registrations, or errors in registration information. The governmental entity sets parameters in the central monitoring computer for determining which detected information should be flagged for further attention. The central monitoring computer generates reports of the flagged records to allow the governmental entity to take appropriate action against the agents who were involved in the registration process for failing to comply with the government laws and regulations. The central monitoring computer also automatically generates communications to the noncompliant agents based on the parameters.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for proactively and continuously monitoring the compliance of property transaction agents with government laws or regulations, the property transaction agents being involved in the registration or titling of properties purchased by consumers, the government laws or regulations requiring payment of sales tax or registration fees, on the property, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving on a periodic basis in a central computer,

(i) plural records of consumer property purchase data from one or more property loan financiers, the purchase data including an identification number which is unique to each property and the name of the property transaction agent associated with the property purchase, and

(ii) plural records of property registration data from one or more governmental entities, the registration data also including an identification number which is unique to the property;

(b) comparing at periodic intervals in the central computer, the plural records of the property purchase data to the plural records of the property registration data to identify the presence of any property purchase records having property identification numbers which do not correspond to property identification numbers received from the governmental entity;

(c) generating a report in the central computer of the identified records to permit action to be taken against property transaction agents who were involved in the registration or titling of properties associated with the identified records for failure to pay the sales tax or registration fees, the report including the named property transaction agent; and

(d) defining in the central computer a set of parameters for flagging identified records which require immediate attention,

wherein the step of generating the report includes automatically generating communications to the identified property transaction agents associated with the flagged records to remind the agents to pay the sales tax or registration fees.

2. A computer-implemented method for proactively and continuously monitoring the compliance of property transaction agents with government laws or regulations, the property transaction agents being involved in the registration or titling of properties purchased by consumers, the property transaction agents being selected from the group comprising title agents, tag agents, motor vehicle dealerships, marine equipment dealerships, and notary publics, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving on a periodic basis in a central computer,

(i) plural records of consumer property purchase data from one or more property loan financiers, the purchase data including an identification number which is unique to each property, and the name of the property transaction agent associated with the property purchase, and

(ii) plural records of property registration data from one or more governmental entities, the registration data also including an identification number which is unique to the property;

(b) comparing at periodic intervals in the central computer, the plural records of the property purchase data to the plural records of the property registration data to identify the presence of any property purchase records having property identification numbers which do not correspond to property identification numbers received from the governmental entity; and

(c) generating a report in the central computer of the identified records to permit action to be taken against property transaction agents who were involved in the registration or titling of properties associated with the identified records for failure to comply with the government laws or regulations, the report including the named property transaction agents.

3. A computer-implemented method for proactively and continuously monitoring the compliance of property transaction agents with government laws or regulations, the property transaction agents being involved in the registration or titling of properties purchased by consumers, the property being selected from the group comprising motor vehicles, boats, trailers, mobile homes, campers, aircraft and watercraft, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving on a periodic basis in a central computer,

(i) plural records of consumer property purchase data from one or more property loan financiers, the purchase data including an identification number which is unique to each property, the property identification number being selected from the group comprising a vehicle identification number (VIN) and a boat hull number, and

(ii) plural records of property registration data from one or more state motor vehicle departments, the registration data also including an identification number which is unique to the property;

(b) comparing at periodic intervals in the central computer, the plural records of the property purchase data to the plural records of the property registration data to identify the presence of any property purchase records having property identification numbers which do not correspond to property identification numbers received from the state motor vehicle departments; and

(c) generating a report in the central computer of the identified records to permit action to be taken against property transaction agents who were involved in the registration or titling of properties associated with the identified records for failure to comply with the government laws or regulations.

4. A computer-implemented method for proactively and continuously monitoring the timeliness of compliance of property transaction agents with government laws or regulations, the property transaction agents being involved in the registration or titling of properties purchased by consumers, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving on a periodic basis in a central computer

(i) plural records of consumer property purchase data from one or more property loan financiers, the purchase data including an identification number which is unique to each property and a sale date, and

(ii) plural records of property registration data from one or more governmental entities, the registration data also including an identification number which is unique to the property, the registration data further including a date of receipt by the governmental entity;

(b) comparing at periodic intervals in the central computer, the plural records of the property purchase data to the plural records of the property registration data to detect the presence of any property purchase data records having property identification numbers which match the records received from the governmental entity, and comparing the sale date of the matched records to the date of receipt; and

(c) generating an overdue report in the central computer of the matched records wherein the date of receipt is a predetermined time period past the sale date to permit action to be taken against the property transaction agents who were involved in the registration or titling of the properties in the overdue report for untimely compliance with the governmental laws or regulations.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the purchase data further includes the name of the property transaction agent associated with the property purchase, the report in step (c) including the named property transaction agent.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the government laws or regulations require payment of taxes or fees on the property, the method further comprising the step of

(d) defining in the central computer a set of parameters for flagging identified records which require immediate attention,

wherein the step of generating the report includes automatically generating communications to the identified property transaction agents associated with the flagged records to remind the agents to timely pay the taxes or fees.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the taxes or fees comprise sales tax or registration fees, respectively.

8. A method according to claim 5 further comprising the step of

(d) defining in the central computer a set of parameters for flagging identified records which require immediate attention,

wherein the step of generating the report includes automatically generating compliance reminder communications to the identified property transaction agents associated with the flagged records.

9. A method according to claim 5 further comprising the step of

(d) defining in the central computer a set of parameters for flagging identified records which require immediate attention,

wherein the step of generating the report includes automatically generating communications regarding fines or penalties due from the identified property transaction agents associated with the flagged records.

10. A method according to claim 5 wherein the property transaction agents are selected from the group comprising title agents, tag agents, motor vehicle dealerships, marine equipment dealerships, and notary publics.

11. A method according to claim 4 wherein the property is selected from the group comprising motor vehicles, boats, trailers, mobile homes, campers, aircraft and watercraft.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the governmental entity is state motor vehicle department.

13. A method according to claim 11 wherein the property identification number is selected from the group comprising a vehicle identification number (VIN) and a boat hull number.

14. A method according to claim 4 wherein the purchase data further includes the name of the financial institution associated with the property purchase and the account number associated with the property purchase, the report in step (c) including the named financial institution and account number.

15. A computer-implemented apparatus for proactively and continuously monitoring the timeliness of compliance of property transaction agents with government laws or regulations, the property transaction agents being involved in the registration or titling of properties purchased by consumers, the apparatus comprising a central processor, a plurality of remote loan financier computers containing records of consumer property purchase data including a sale date, at least one government computer containing records of property registration data including a date of receipt by the government of registration or titling paperwork, a first communication link between the processor and the plurality of loan financier computers, and a second communication link between the processor and the government computer, the central computer including

(a) a storage device for storing records of consumer property purchase data sent on a periodic basis from the plurality of remote loan financier computers through the first communication link, and records of property registration data sent on a periodic basis from the government computer;

(b) a database comparator connected to the storage device for comparing at periodic intervals the records of the property purchase data to the records of the property registration data to identify the presence of any property purchase records which match the records received from the governmental entity, and which have a sale date which is at least a predetermined time period before the date of receipt by the government; and

(c) a report generator connected to the database comparator for generating a report of the identified records to permit action to be taken against property transaction agents who were involved in the registration or titling of properties associated with the identified records for failure to timely comply with the government laws or regulations.

16. A computer-implemented apparatus according to claim 15 wherein each record of consumer property purchase data and each record of property registration data includes an identification number which is unique to the property, the database comparator employing the unique property identification number to identify non-matching records of property purchase data.

17. A computer-implemented apparatus according to claim 15 wherein at least some of the records of consumer property purchase data include the name of the property transaction agent associated with the property purchase, the report including the named property transaction agent associated with the non-matching records.

18. A computer-implemented method for proactively and continuously monitoring and communicating instances of noncompliance of property transaction agents with government laws or regulations, the property transaction agents being involved in the registration or titling of properties purchased by consumers, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving on a periodic basis in a central computer,

(i) plural records of consumer property purchase data from one or more property loan financiers, the purchase data including an identification number which is unique to each property, at least some of the records also including the name of the property transaction agent associated with the property purchase, and

(ii) plural records of property registration data from one or more governmental entities, the registration data also including an identification number which is unique to the property;

(b) comparing at periodic intervals in the central computer, the plural records of the property purchase data to the plural records of the property registration data to identify the presence of any property purchase records having property identification numbers which do not correspond to property identification numbers received from the governmental entity;

(c) defining in the central computer a set of parameters for flagging identified records which require immediate attention; and

(d) automatically generating noncompliance warning communications in the central computer to property transaction agents associated with flagged records and who can be identified from the records of consumer property purchase data for failure to comply with the government laws or regulations.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein step (d) is performed on a periodic basis.

20. A computer-implemented apparatus for proactively and continuously monitoring and communicating instances of noncompliance of property transaction agents with government laws or regulations, the property transaction agents being involved in the registration or titling of properties purchased by consumers, the apparatus comprising a central processor, a plurality of remote loan financier computers containing records of consumer property purchase data, at least one government computer containing records of property registration data, a first communication link between the processor and the plurality of loan financier computers, and a second communication link between the processor and the government computer, the central computer including

(a) a storage device for storing records of consumer property purchase data sent on a periodic basis from the plurality of remote loan financier computers through the first communication link, and records of property registration data sent on a periodic basis from the government computer;

(b) a database comparator connected to the storage device for comparing at periodic intervals the records of the property purchase data to the records of the property registration data to identify the presence of any property purchase records which do not correspond to any records received from the governmental entity;

(c) a parameter file for setting parameters for flagging identified records which require immediate attention; and

(d) a warning communications generator for automatically generating noncompliance warning communications to property transaction agents associated with flagged records and who can be identified from the records of consumer property purchase data for failure to comply with the government laws or regulations.