Ignorance IS painful...*sigh*

[DJFyrewolf36]

I made a major boo boo aparantly...

I have been living in Oregon for close to two years. I keep my car registered and insured in Nevada because its a lot cheaper. It never occured to me that my valid (until May) Nevada drivers licence wasn't valid up here 30 days after I got here . I got pulled over today for a brake light being out and my car is now in IMPOUND. Luckily my dad (thankyouthankyouthankyou dad *HUGS*) wired me the fees so I can get it out tonight.

Mind you I've been stopped by the police a couple of times before this incedent for a headlight being out and the actual tailight being out and the police only told me to fix my issue and have a nice day. I never knew about this law up until now. I was waiting to renew my licence up here until my current one expired...so much for that.

I guess I have to find a ride to work this weekend and deal with getting a drivers licence on Monday. *sigh*

Hopefully no one will molest the 'Pill in the few hours it takes for my friend to get here. Happy friggen thanksgiving.

Thanks for listening to me rant.

[caseysmom]

Pretty harsh good thing you had your Dad to help out.

[kitten645]

I do think that's a bit harsh. I would think a fix it ticket would be appropriate. Did they know you had been there more than 30 days from the previous tickets? I would consider appealing the ticket.
Claudia

[DJFyrewolf36]

I do think that's a bit harsh. I would think a fix it ticket would be appropriate. Did they know you had been there more than 30 days from the previous tickets? I would consider appealing the ticket.
Claudia

I never got cited the other two times. In fact up until THIS I have a 100% clean DMV record. I would have thought a warning would have been ok...The officer didn't even allow me to call my friend with a valid oregon dl to pick my car up

Well she is out of impound now at least.

[Karen]

Glad she's out of the impound. Have a safe rest of your Thanksgiving!

[pomtzu]

WOW! I never heard of that before. I can see them impounding the car if it had an expired registration, or no insurance, or if you didn't have a valid driver's license. Around here you'd get a warning and be told to get the proper license within 30 days.
I don't understand how they can do that. You'd think the car being registered out of state would be more of an issue than an out of state license.

[sasvermont]

I had the same problem when living in Virginia, with a PA license and D.C. license plates! I was taken directly to the police station. I did not have my car impounded but did have to pay the fine in cash, on the spot. I have forgotten the fine, but it was substantial as I recall.

Although I hated the fine and having to call a friend for the money to pay immediately, it WAS my fault and I didn't hold anyone else responsible for it.

Sorry this happened to you so close to a holiday.

Lesson learned I assume?

[Laura's Babies]

I got news for you, you will have to insure and register the car there too. I think it is illegal to have one states drivers liscense and car registered/insured in another state. You just might have to have that insurance BEFORE you can get your Oregon DL.. LOL! Want me to ask my brother, being a Oregan cop is one of the many hats he wears.

[Freedom]

Yes, Laura is correct.

When I moved down here to RI from Maine, I got the new driver license right away. Didn't change the insurance or registration for one year, as the insurance here was TRIPLE! (No clue what it is now) I knew it was wrong, just needed to build up funds. RI wouldn't accept out of state licenses, you had to take the written test all over again!

Moving is SO expensive, in so many ways.

[Cataholic]

I got news for you, you will have to insure and register the car there too. I think it is illegal to have one states drivers liscense and car registered/insured in another state. You just might have to have that insurance BEFORE you can get your Oregon DL.. LOL! Want me to ask my brother, being a Oregan cop is one of the many hats he wears.

As a former insurance adjuster, I agree with this! You run the risk of having NO insurance in the event of a loss.

[DJFyrewolf36]

Luckily I just paid my insurance and the cop told me I could register my car so long as it had legal insurance from any state. He also said the registration isnt an issue so long as its current (which it is it just got paid too)

According to the police (I asked AGAIN when I paid the impound fee to them) its my licence they have a problem with, not my registration. I can keep it wherever I want for all they care. I just have to have a local licence. They said I can keep my current reg/ins until it expired and it it was obviously valid enough for an oregon driver to come pick up my car as they allowed it out of impound without me having to change anything over.

ETA techinically I dont own a car in Oregon. I own one in Nevada with my parents that I drive up here. Nothing about my car will stop me from getting a licence, especially since I don't have to take a driving test. Had I been driving an Oregon vehicle, said vehicle would have still been impounded because my licence is technically "invalid" and I didn't have a valid driver with me at the time. You can have a licence without insurance of any kind so long as you don't own a car in the state and don't have an SR22. Since I have nither, Im fine.

I checked, its only illigal to not have the car registered up here if I have an Oregon title.

I just thought of another thing...the officer that had my car impounded said I didn't have to transfer my insurance to get Oregon plates. I just had to have proof that it was insured. The police at the station said it didn't matter if my car was registered and titled in timbuktoo I just had to have a Oregon DL to drive it up here. I know a lot of students with Oregon DLs and out of state cars so I guess it isn't an issue. At any rate, I have my car and Im only getting an Oregon DL to make sure that I can drive up here so I don't lose my job. (a valid DL is a requirement...mind you Ive been working for my company almost the entire time Ive lived here and I ASKED them about switching it over, they said there wasn't anything wrong with it until it actually expired, shows how much people know!) I've also worked WITH THE POLICE for quite some time and they KNOW I have (had) a nevada licence. Again something I asked about a while ago and they said it wasn't an issue too. My neighbor is a police employee as well and she told me the same thing, only an issue if its expired or another state has some sort of suspension on it.
Its a law they can enforce whenever they want to. If I wasn't honest with the officer about how long Ive been here I would have gotten off with a warning. So much for honesty being the best policy. The only lesson I got out of this is that being honest with authority just screws you over.
But I'm the bad guy in this according to the law. Im just lucky to have good family to help me out. If I didn't have such a good job up here I would move back home...stuff like this just proves to me further that I'm not welcome up here.
Although with the economy being the way it is people with little money aren't welcome much of anywhere these days. My dad pays my registration and insurance...its far easier for him to do with all of the paperwork being based in Nevada. Moving up here was a huge huge mistake and if I didn't have my son, or my job, it would have made the past two years completely useless.
Hell Ive probibly lost way more money than Ive gained by working. Maybe I should try finding a job in Nevada again.
Sorry to vent. Holidays suck

[Catlady711]

I was just reading a news article tonight and remembered this thread. I thought I'd re-post it here for you guys.

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/80102327.html

24 charged with Pa. insurance fraud
By Diane Mastrull

Inquirer Staff Writer

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett's continuing investigation into insurance fraud has resulted in another round of arrests - 24 people accused of falsely claiming to be state residents in order to obtain lower rates on their automobiles.

The practice, known as rate evasion, annually leads to $12 million to $15 million in claims on Pennsylvania policies that should not have been written, Corbett said yesterday in a statement announcing the arrests.

"That money is not coming out of the pockets of the insurance companies," Corbett spokesman Nils Frederiksen said. "It's coming out of the pockets of every other driver in Pennsylvania."

Accidents attributed to drivers posing as Pennsylvanians drive up premiums for everybody else in the state, he said.

Of the arrested, 17 live in New York and six in New Jersey. The 24th lives in Reading; her alleged crime is helping her brother, a New Yorker, obtain a false Pennsylvania address - hers.

Urban areas such as New York tend to have more accident claims and, consequently, higher rates than rural areas in nearby states.

For some, claiming a false Pennsylvania address saved $4,000 a year in premiums, said Corbett, who is seeking the Republican nomination in the 2010 governor's race.

Corbett said the arrested had provided false residency information to the state Department of Transportation to get a Pennsylvania license or vehicle registration. They then used that certification to get Pennsylvania policies, he said.

The charges resulted from a number of ongoing investigations, including one that resulted this year in the arrest of Morrisville's Michael Bozzi, operator of Bucks County Insurance. He was accused of running a scam that signed up hundreds of New York City drivers as Pennsylvanians between January 2005 and September 2006.

Each of the new defendants is charged with a felony count of insurance fraud, which is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine.

Each also has been charged with misdemeanor counts of insurance fraud and filing false applications for certificate of title or registration. Each of those counts carries a maximum prison sentence of five years and a $10,000 fine.

Contact staff writer Diane Mastrull at 215-854-2466 or [email protected].

[Cataholic]

Gotta go with catlady711 on this. No offense to police officers, but they are not the people writing the contract of insurance. Your parents are obligated to tell the insurance co of all licensed drivers in the house. Rates are written off of that. You are not a household member, BUT, you are the regular, if not only, driver of that car. I imagine the insurance co does not know that the car is garaged out of state.

Cars must be registered where they are principally garaged. There are some exceptions...college kid out of state, but that is a household member.

I would not want to find out after an accident that you are not insured.

Just sayin'!

[Lady's Human]

The only legal situation I'm aware of where you can have a license from one state and have a vehicle registered in another state is if you're an active duty military member or family member of an active duty military member.

For instance, I registered my truck when purchased in NY, though my driver's license was from MA at the time. All I had to do was give them my FT Drum address and there was no problem.

According to NY state law, if you're living in the state for more than 90 days, you have to transfer your license and plates to your NY address unless you are a servicemember or college student. If you're living in NY for more than that time period and you get pulled over or have an accident, you're on your own, because legally you're driving without a registration, valid insurance and license.