$746 for no proof of insurance?

ckissick · 10-11-2007, 07:18 PM

My wife got pulled over recently for rolling through a stop sign, and she was very nice to the cop (San Mateo County sheriff). He appreciated her manners and did not give her a moving violoation.

Instead, he gave her what he called a fix-it ticket for not having proof of insurance. She couldn't find the insurance card in her wallett, but it was there. He said it would be 10 bucks.

Anyway, she got a bill for the infraction for $746!

What's up with that? And can she get it dismissed or reduced somehow?

craigster59 · craigster59's Garage

Show proof and it should be $10 and a "nominal" court fee.

Dantilla · 10-11-2007, 07:59 PM

In Washington, if you show proof that insurance was in force at the time of the infraction, the penalty goes away.

the · 10-11-2007, 08:12 PM

yeah, that must be wrong. I could see $700 fine for driving around uninsured, but that big of a fine for an insured driver who simply could not locate the card at the time of the stop seems unlikely.

Dueller · 10-11-2007, 09:02 PM

In my jurisdiction the fine is $1000 for no insurance; $100 if you get insurance after the fact but before the court date; and $0 if you present proof of insurance after the fact (i.e., you had insurance at the time of the stop but just didn't have the card with you at the time of the stop).

island911 · 10-11-2007, 09:27 PM

Well the insurance co.'s need men with guns to insure their product is purchased. . . .and those men with guns need there cut too.

Seriously, I remember a time before LE worked for the insurance co.'s, and then you bought "uninsured motorist" coverage for just a few bucks. ...so few drove w/o insurance, that it made that part of the policy really cheap. What have the new laws done for us? --red tape, hassles, and now I hear that in the state of WA, the police can impound your car if you don't have that piece of paper.

money money money. . .

trekkor · 10-11-2007, 09:55 PM

My car number is 746.

The Golden Gate bridge is 746 feet tall.

How weird is that?

KT

MRM · 10-12-2007, 04:43 AM

Read the citation closer. It will almost certainly say that if she appears and provides proof of valid insurance for the day of the infraction the no insurance charge will be dismissed. It probably gives you ten days or something like that to do it.

The law has to require proof of insurance in your possession upon demand by law enforcement to be workable. If you didn't have to have proof of insurance on you, every uninsured person would just say they forgot their card at home.

It's a serious offense. In Minnesota the fine is about the same and it revokes your drivers license. That is revoke- not suspend. You have to wait out the revocation and retest to get your license back. It's not a charge to mess around with. Go down to the violations bureau and talk to a hearing officer. Go as early as you can in the morning or you'll spend all day in line.

ckissick · 10-12-2007, 05:52 AM

All it says is to pay the money. I guess they're hoping people will just pay the large amount and not research it further. I have Pelican on my side, though.

on-ramp · 10-12-2007, 06:08 AM

guilty until proven innocent..

Shawn 357 · 10-12-2007, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by island911

Well the insurance co.'s need men with guns to insure their product is purchased. . . .and those men with guns need there cut too.

Seriously, I remember a time before LE worked for the insurance co.'s, and then you bought "uninsured motorist" coverage for just a few bucks. ...so few drove w/o insurance, that it made that part of the policy really cheap. What have the new laws done for us? --red tape, hassles, and now I hear that in the state of WA, the police can impound your car if you don't have that piece of paper.

money money money. . .

Island,
You can't be serious?

island911 · 10-12-2007, 11:50 PM

about what? ..impounding your car?

svandamme · svandamme's Garage

didn't the trooper give her a paper of sorts on the spot ,
something that said " fix this or that, and come show proof here or there, before this or that date" ?

And did your wife, follow up on that little paper, if she got one?

cause that's how a fixit ticket works over here, and i would think it's the same in the US
you get a fixit ticket, you fixit,and then you go over to the police station to show you fixed it
if not, they send you a real heavy ticket...

your wife didn't by any chance , like ... forgot about that initial ticket, stuck in teh bottom of her purse, or in the car's glove compartiment, forgot to mention it to you , forgot to go show the cops the insurance paper?

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by trekkor

My car number is 746.

The Golden Gate bridge is 746 feet tall.

How weird is that?

KT

curiouser and curiouser

back to the subject at hand, many jurisdictions will let you mail it to them, call the phone number on it.

Danny_Ocean · 10-13-2007, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svandamme

And did your wife, follow up on that little paper, if she got one?

cause that's how a fixit ticket works over here, and i would think it's the same in the US
you get a fixit ticket, you fixit,and then you go over to the police station to show you fixed it
if not, they send you a real heavy ticket...

your wife didn't by any chance , like ... forgot about that initial ticket, stuck in teh bottom of her purse, or in the car's glove compartiment, forgot to mention it to you , forgot to go show the cops the insurance paper?

This is what I'm guessing. The initial ticket has charges/deadlines/instructions on it. If you ignore that, you get the "bill" in the mail at a later date.

Check the bottom of the purse...

P.S. - Please post pics of the Syncro Doka, please!

ckissick · 10-13-2007, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danny_Ocean

P.S. - Please post pics of the Syncro Doka, please!

Here's a link.

Finally! My Tristar is here!

There's no other paper work on the ticket. But I think we can get it down to $10. We'll figure it out on monday. Thanks, all, for the help.

Shawn 357 · 10-14-2007, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by island911

about what? ..impounding your car?

I was asking if your comments on LE working for the insurance companies were serious. Yes LE gives out tickets for people not having insurance (fix it tickets kind of) but I would think that you would agree this is a good thing because nobody wants there cars in a wreck where the person at fault doesn't have the money to fix the damage or insurance to pay for the damage. Maybe I read your post wrong?