Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 15:35:28 EST
Reply-To: Oxroad@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jeff Oxroad <Oxroad@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Late registration California
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
In a message dated 2/27/2005 9:08:14 AM Pacific Standard Time,
wognacious@SBCGLOBAL.NET writes:
> What would you do?
>
I call CA DMV on Monday. They should be able to send you out one of those RED
temporary stickers for the back window with the month number you have to
comply within. You've seen them, the red sticker/piece of paper with the month
number on it. From my experience you can bargain with the guy or gal on the
phone.
i.e. "How long to you need the sticker for. Will March 30 be OK?"
"How about April 30?"
"OK."
But the DMV person did try to get me to go to the DMV office to get the
sticker immediatly. So I guess that might be an option as well. I didn't need it
immediatly as I wasn't using the bus at that time for daily transportation. So I
waited for it in the mail, which I think was about 2 days.
This should buy you some time and save you tickets til they get their act
together. ALthough the CA DMV told me they have a grace period before you start
getting tickets for have a past due inspection sticker on your license plate
they couldn't tell me what the time of the grace period was. And a meter maid
can give you a ticket for expired tags while you're parked on a city street.
This, for those of you who aren't from CA, from the state that lets you drive
without licenes plates for up to 6 mos. or even more on a new car or one
brought in from out of state. That's no plates at all--not a temporary
tag--nothing. No red sticker necessary. No way of identifying the vehicle at all except
by make and color.
Can't tell you how many times I saw crimes commited, hit and runs, etc on the
Sunset Strip in Hollywood using brand new Cadillac Escalades with no license
plates. The police would kind of shrug once the fact that the perp. had no
plates on the vehicle came up, because that would mostly hault the criminal
investigation. "Case closed, let's get coffee."
Back to them matter at hand. You have to pay your registration on time or pay
penalties. But it sounds like you're paid up. Then you can get the red
sticker to give you some time to smog check the vehicle. After I phoned them the DMV
sent me the temp sticker within 2 days. (I was a bit short on cash and had to
buy some time to get the $50 together for the smog check on my bus which is
my second car--so I could hold off a few days.)
Incidentally CA also has no safety inspection. Just the smog check. So don't
worry if your brakes are bad, your tires are bald, your lights don't work.
Because nobody else is concerned with these kind of issues. Heck, out here we
didn't even know rain could move dirt. And don't get me started on the San
Andreas fault.
Hmm. Looks like I'm a little homesick.
PS. If you're new to CAlly and don't know, you can call DMV for an
appointment if you have to go into the DMV for any reason. This actually has worked for
me and saves waiting in line for hours. Just go in at you time. They call your
name. And Voilia, they can give you misinformation without all the waiting.
Best,
Jeff
83.5 Westy
LA,CA
