CA Back plate Fee question Options

[Ferg]

I guess I'm lucky. I bought my car in Orange county this spring and drove it back to CO. Little did I know the plates were expired, and in Non OP status. Anyhow it wasent until nevada when I got pulled over for triple digits did I find this out. Got out of the ticket, but state of CA just sent me a bill to my new house for 37 bucks for those expired plates. I have CO plates on the car now, and the bill does not list my situation as a reason for non payment. And of course no one answers the phone. Do I need to pay, seems silly since I already have the car liget here... Ferg.

[Zeke]

I completely don't understand. How did CA get your name and address? PO turn it in? The non-op is his responsibility to sign off. If the car needed smog inspection, it is the POs responciblilty to do that too. Tell CA by mail with a copy of the bill for the $37 that you trailered the car out of the state and that it never touched the road. Nevada didn't give you a ticket? Then there's no proof that the car drove in NV either.

Write our beloved state and tell them if they have a beef, to take it up with the PO. You never drove the car. That's all they'er saying is that you drove a car with expired registration on the public road and therefore owe the back registration. It's not anything like an unpaid ticket.

They will listen to reason, trust me. I bought and sold a 356 inside of six months. Although the tags were current, I never registered the car in my name, I I insured it. The PO sent my name in. About a month after I sold the car and the new owner had registred it, I got a letter demanding the tax on the purchase. Plus a penalty, plus six months of interest. I started a big story with a DMV guy in Sacramento on the phone. He wasn't buying it. So, I said how 'bout I send you the original tax money ($1000) right now and you let the penalty and interest slide? Deal, right on the phone. Check sent out that day, no problems. Write them a letter.