Full episode PBS NewsHour March 27, 2017
London accountant Keith Salter, meanwhile, escaped with his Daihatsu aging, but a legal battle against eight fined 40,000 euros cost him Ј20,000.
They are not only Greek lawyer Theodore Asprogerakas-Grivas estimated forfeitures are currently performing the current rate of about one a week, and 2,000 vehicles have been seized since 1993.
Although some of these lawsuits were car shopping, many were individuals visiting Greece on vacation or business trip.
The Greek government says that all are guilty of trying to avoid paying the registration tax for their vehicles.
But the European Parliament said that in the 25 cases he studied the drivers were innocent and Greece was guilty of failing to implement European law.
The European Commission takes the same view, and initiated proceedings against the country before the European Court of Justice in 2004.
The law in question is Directive 83 182 1983, which says that a person residing in an EU country can keep a car for a maximum of six months in another EU country before you have to pay taxes on cars in this country.
One of Christos Rinis cars was given to the Border Police, attached Russian license plates.
One problem seems to be that the Greek authorities think it is possible for someone to live abroad, and yet to be defined as a resident of Greece - and residents are required to pay registration Greek and road tax.
Take the case of Petros Papadopoulos, a Greek living in Germany, who fell foul of customs on a visit to Greece in 2000.
According to his petition to the European Parliament, he showed officials a residence permit in Germany, a ferry ticket showing that he had arrived in Greece to less than six months earlier, a document from the authorities of the city of Ingolstadt confirming that he had lived since 1994 and German driving license dated 1995.
But that was not enough officials said it was a Greek resident, confiscated the car, and a fine of 68,500 euros for not saving.
For good measure, he was also fined for not paying the Greek road tax between June 1995 and February. 2002
Parliament resolution says all who have filed petitions asking the support of the MEPs were able to give proof of their place of normal residence by appropriate means.
The Commission and Parliament also say the Greek fines are disproportionate to the magnitude of the offense and do not take into account the good faith of the offender.
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