Word to the wise -- do not drive around in a freaking hippy mobile in the redneck capital of the universe.
A number of reasons: the taxes were too much, a bit of laziness, the tags were still valid, etc.,. But I'm still confused about why this is relevant to what I'm saying here. I've never been charged with anything concerning out-of-state plates. What I'm asking: what exactly are you trying to get at here? You obviously have a point to make because you keep posting. So, what point are you trying to make? Or, are you just avoiding the points I'm trying to make? To sum up: I have already said, I was not carrying valid insurance for the state of Texas at the time. I'm not making an issue about that - what I'm making an issue about the ridiculous circus of fees/forms/revocations/failure to provide information that happened after that. (p.s. do you work for DPS? honest question). They said since the policy was not for this area that I was essentially uninsured since I lived here now. I was paying through the mail/website for the Michigan insurance agency. But, again, you're asking questions for a purpose. Good question. When I was pulled over on one of the many random pull overs I experienced during my first couple months here the cop said nothing about my insurance (this is before I renewed and forgot to put the new slip in the car).And by the way, I was pulled over for having a 'dirty license plate' - not an invalid one. And it wasn't that dirty. When I was pulled over for the 'random check area' (it was midnight or so, there were almost no cars on the road, and the cop searched my van in the parking lot of a convenience store while I stood around waiting - and, of course, he didn't find anything) the cop looked at my insurance card, gave it back to me - I didn't get ticketed for anything that night either. In both cases, it was the same insurance company, and the same card that I later brought to the court that they wouldn't take. Maybe you can understand why I didn't realize my insurance was invalid. The time I was pulled over when I forgot to put the new insurance card in the car it was because, apparently, the light over my license plate was flickering. I've never seen it flicker, but I'm not outside of my car often when I'm driving it. So, I've pointed out how ridiculous, unfair, and completely over-the-top the DPS system is, and how they make it difficult for you to escape from it once you're in it - and it seems you agree with that.
You say they didn't tell you all this stuff, but you also say that you never updated your license with the proper address. Is it possible they might have sent some of this information to the address on the license? I really have no idea - I'm just wondering if a lot of this information might ordinarily be mailed to you, which would explain some of the confusion.
They sent one piece of paper, the one demanding $260 for the Driver Responsibility Program, 2 months after I paid the court cost for failure to maintain insurance. They sent it to the address on my driver's license, which was in Houston - although they knew full well that I no longer lived there because all the court records (the ones they had to see in order to know that they could charge me $260) listed my now home address in College Station. Also, they wouldn't allow the letter to be forwarded - even though every other piece of mail delivered to my former home address has been forwarded, including bills, bank statements, etc.,. that were sent before I filed a change of address. The confusion could easily be avoided - but DPS and the Texas courts make no effort at all to do so.
But see, I don't believe it's ineptitude at all. I'm not saying that the DPS agents are purposely obscuring things - I'm saying the laws are designed obscurely in order to catch people for relatively minor offenses, then keep them paying as much as possible for as long as possible. This is the Texas state tax - and it's incredibly regressive. It's expensive to make a car legal, and people who can't afford that are the ones mostly likely to get their driving privileges revoked, and their bank accounts raided.
I sympathize with you but this isn't a tax. Its a fine that you're obliged to pay based upon committing a violation. I don't think its fair and hope you can get it resolved but I don't agree with calling it a tax which would mean that it gets applied even to people who follow the law. I think that's what Bobrek is getting at is that you were in violation of the law and that this could've been avoided. He might be a little harsh about it but I think that's what he's getting at.
I'm saying it fulfills the same function for the state of Texas that a state tax normally would. But, because it's not an official tax and it's based on 'violations' (which, for many, cannot be avoided), it farms almost all its revenue from poor people. The state needs money, but no politician is going to suggest a state tax, so they get their money by breaking the bank accounts of people by levying massive fines for paltry violations, and hiding fees beneath reams of paperwork, and making the process as irrational and obscure as they can. And, as I've already mentioned, I'm not arguing that it couldn't have been avoided (for me) - I'm indicting what happens during and after the court process. Just because it could be avoided doesn't mean it's justifiable or rational.
I have never worked for the DPS or any law enforecement agency. With respect to the insurance question...the vast majority of this would not have occurred if you were properly insured according to the state of Texas. If the Michigan insurance company sold you insurance knowing you were living in Texas and indicated it was valid in the state of Texas, you should have recourse against the insurance company and you should pursue it. If they knowingly sold you "bad" insurance, you should be able to (at a minimum) get back your cost. If you did not indicate that you lived in Texas, then that is on you. With respect to the van question...folks should license their cars in the state they reside. When I moved I had a set amount of time to get my cars legally tagged (perhaps 30 days) regardless of how much longer the out of state tags were valid. More of a pet peeve than relative to the story, plus at some point when they pull you over, they can hit you with that. I do see the state's position with respect to making it expensive and difficult if someone is not insured. I suspect that's what the law is intended to do. You are probably among the small minority who got hit with this due to a seemingly honest mistake on your part (assuming your insurance was valid in Texas). It is odd to me why the state doesn't simply print out their website and use that as their notification letter. It seemed very informative. Also on their website they clearly say they send stuff to the address on your driver's license.
What have I said that might be a little harsh? The only thing I have done was ask questions to find out more info. Incidents like this (and others dealing with any sort of government agency) can lead to lots of paperwork nightmares for the offenders. I acknowledged that Thadeus seemingly made an honest mistake with respect to his insurance situation. He was unfortunately caught up in a law designed to make it an expensive pain in the rear for people that do not have insurance (that is part of the law that I totally agree with). Also, if Thadeus could have afforded it (don't know if he could or couldn't, but based on some of his comments, I assume he couldn't), it seems a lawyer would have been helpful in a case like this. And if this same situation happened to me I would: A. Attempt recourse against the insurance company that knowingly sold me a policy that was not valid in the state where I live while also obtaining a valid policy from a different company. B. Contact my state representatives expressing my views concerning this law. C. Get my van legally licensed in the state of Texas. D. Get my driver's license changed to reflect my true address.
Your line of questioning seemed rather harsh when Thadeus already admitted he had made a mistake and took responsibility. He's not trying to deny that he didn't do something wrong but that the penalty is unclear and excessive.
I don't know what the TX requirements are for getting plates changed but I drove with CA plates in MN for several months before I go them switched and I had friends in grad school who never switched their plates. If you moved here, MN, recently they must've changed the law.
