Don't let your car registration lapse

[chazmo]

I am so f'in pissed off right now that I have to vent.

Cop pulls me over and insists that my car has to be towed and he gives me a citation. At least he was kind enough to give me a lift to work (in a cruiser, so I asked him to drop me off down the street)...

I have personal plates in MA that need to be registered annually. The MA Registry stopped sending out any form of notice for lapsed registrations a while back, and lo and behold I was expired.

And, to add insult to injury, I had just realized it, tried to re-register online, and been rejected and told I have to go to the Registry (because of the lapse)!

Unbelivable. The gods are not smiling on me today (perhaps they're laughing).

Sorry for the vent, but I had to.

 

[taabru45]

I had a similar thing happen, waited for a court date because the cop actually added the final two letters on to my signature...to me that was right up there with forgery...but when the time came the cop wasn't in court and so it was dropped, which saved me a few hundred bucks, although I still did have to pay for the tow...no break, would it hurt them to have you park it while you fix the problem...I understand your frustration.....Steffan

 

[chazmo]

Thanks for sharing, Steffan.

The truth is, I don't really blame the cop (though he could've just said f--k it and let me go), but the problem is with the MA Registry and the law.

Seriously, a lapsed registration is reason for taking my car away????!!!!! B.S.

 

[AcornHouse]

Had a similar thing happen with my driver's license. Moved, never got a renewal notice, didn't notice that it had expired. When it was finally pointed out when I was using the license for ID, I had to go through the whole process of getting a learner's permit and taking the drivers test.

 

[chazmo]

Had a similar thing happen with my driver's license. Moved, never got a renewal notice, didn't notice that it had expired. When it was finally pointed out when I was using the license for ID, I had to go through the whole process of getting a learner's permit and taking the drivers test.

Did they take your car away from you when you got detained?

 

[AcornHouse]

Did they take your car away from you when you got detained?

No. And I think the Trooper in charge of testing knew what was going on, since he watched me drive off, by myself, without a licensed adult without saying anything. (Rural Ohio)

 

[davismanLV]

That seems a bit severe. Here in Nevada, after I bought my truck I didn't really know when the registration was due, being a new vehicle and all. So of course, I let it lapse. I got pulled over and the officer cited me for driving with an expired registration. I had to register the truck at the DMV (LORD help me!) and then take the proof downtown to the courthouse and pay my fine. Which is all understandable. They, however, didn't make me stop driving or take my vehicle away. That whole park the car and leave it seems kinda severe to me. Golly.....

Now that the truck is paid for, I got a Title Certificate from Bank of America in the mail so this next time I have to spend time at the DMV and get B of A removed from the registration and all that. No easy online stuff.... no kiosk registration. Sheesh.....

Sorry you had to go through that Charlie.

 

[chazmo]

Still steaming... Really f'd up my day.

 

[walrus]

Too bad you weren't an "undocumented" citizen - in MA,you would have been treated better than you were...

I feel for you, every experience I've ever had with the MA RMV has been just plain sad. Any private business treating people this way would have been gone a long time ago.

By the way, I just got a registration renewal in the mail, I thought they backed off from not reminding people, or am I mixing it up with your driver's license? What a racket, they don't remind you, then take your car when you forget!! Gotta fill those coffers!!

walrus

 

[bluesypicky]

Seriously, a lapsed registration is reason for taking my car away????!!!!! B.S.

No Charlie.
The lapsed registration was merely the reason for the cop to pull you over.
It became a national security issue to him after he saw your face, clearly.

:lol:

 

[chazmo]

Seriously, a lapsed registration is reason for taking my car away????!!!!! B.S.

No Charlie.
The lapsed registration was merely the reason for the cop to pull you over.
It became a national security issue to him after he saw your face, clearly.

:lol:

Thanks for adding a little levity to an otherwise intolerable situation, Bluesy... I'm not kidding; this has f'd up my entire day and I feel like punching someone out.

Walrus, I don't understand what happened. Maybe they did mail it to me and it got lost. I've been doing this for umpteen years already and this was the only time I've not been notified. I'm certain of that because I act on those things right away. I'm still astonished I didn't notice it (I'm pretty observant about these things), but I can assure you that's what it was.

still burning....

 

[bluesypicky]

Thanks for adding a little levity to an otherwise intolerable situation, Bluesy... I'm not kidding; this has f'd up my entire day and I feel like punching someone out. still burning....

That's unfortunately the only small assistance I can provide with this matter, but sorry to hear about your hassle buddy...
And if I may attempt to further soothe your pain, look at it this way:
No Guild was hurt in the process. :wink:

 

[killdeer43]

No Guild was hurt in the process. :wink:

There it is....the old bottom line! :wink:

Well done Pascal,
Joe

 

[Ravon]

They do it because they can. I'm P/O'ed for ya Chazmo, absolutely absurd. Now calm down, fire up a cig and toss your frisbee down at the beach :wink:

 

[chazmo]

They do it because they can. I'm P/O'ed for ya Chazmo, absolutely absurd. Now calm down, fire up a cig and toss your frisbee down at the beach :wink:

I've got a stogie waiting for me at home. I can't wait. Problem is, I can't get home.

 

[Geo]

I've got a stogie waiting for me at home. I can't wait. Problem is, I can't get home.

George

 

[Christopher Cozad]

... Problem is, I can't get home.

Give that trooper a call and have him pick you up... a block down the street, of course. :wink:

Christopher

 

[adorshki]

Had a similar thing happen with my driver's license. Moved, never got a renewal notice, didn't notice that it had expired. When it was finally pointed out when I was using the license for ID, I had to go through the whole process of getting a learner's permit and taking the drivers test.

Did they take your car away from you when you got detained?

At least they could given you the option of sitting in stocks for a day.
Thought Massachusetts was kinder and gentler these days.
In California it's draconian: they confiscate your iPod.

 

[kevin the bass man]

Had a similar thing happen with my driver's license. Moved, never got a renewal notice, didn't notice that it had expired. When it was finally pointed out when I was using the license for ID, I had to go through the whole process of getting a learner's permit and taking the drivers test.

Did they take your car away from you when you got detained?

At least they could given you the option of sitting in stocks for a day.
Thought Massachusetts was kinder and gentler these days.
In California it's draconian: they confiscate your iPod.

bwahaha :lol: :lol:
Al, you crack me up every day (yes I do read LTG every day, even if I don't post)

I just got the plates on my caddy renewed (2 years cost me $76.13+ $12 for inspection). I may have gotten a reminder- I don't recall. But I walked past it everyday so I knew exactly when the tags were up. I nicknamed it "the 18.5 foot long tan and brown lawn ornament" (ok, so its not a short nickname) since it sat in my backyard for 15 months (blown HG from a wreck in December of 2010- I'm not fixing it because well...you guys will find out :wink: ).
I had to get it plated, else the city can and eventually will (maybe? :? ) impound your vehicle even if its on private property if your plates expire because it is considered "open storage" (WTF? :? )

 

[davismanLV]

Y'all want to talk about bureaucrats and STUPID laws and ridiculous situations that enrage? Lemme tell ya this one. My last apartment in Los Angeles was near Beverly Blvd. and Vermont Ave. They had legal street parking, except on street sweeping days. So two days a week (one day each different side) my roomie had to move his truck. What a pain in the a$$ to have to move the truck and try to find parking on a non-street cleaning day. But it was the law, and we did it. Between the two of us, we got the job done. Imagine my surprise when one day after making sure to move the truck for street sweeping, I found it with a citation on the windshield. When I looked at the citation and read what it was about..... it was parked legally, but had not been driven enough miles since moving from the other side of the street and was considered "abandoned"!!! They actually record the mileage and if you don't drive it "enough" they ticket you because it's wasting space on the street. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?

It's the truth. That was when I made my final decision to leave Los Angeles. In a city where they want to discourage driving because of smog and pollution and overcrowding, I hadn't driven the vehicle "far enough" in their estimation to warrant a parking space.

I moved to Las Vegas shortly thereafter. Things are much better here. You couldn't PAY me to move back there....... sheesh!!!