Hmmmm...while I'm not exactly enamored of the CA Franchise Tax Board, DMV, or their state government in general, my experience isn't that bad, nor do I have much sympathy for the primitive.
Yes, it astounds me that I leave a state in 2006 and transfer a car title to NH in that year, but for some strange reason the DMV seems to think I'm still in CA. (Work with me here--DMV--vehicle title and registration--but they don't talk to each other). They're all online, which is how I eventually got my money back, but hey, what do I know?
Maybe it's because they actually OWED me the money, primitive?