CA Vehicle Owners Beware! Registration Penalties Have Changed

[Zeke]

New legislation enacted May 4th of this year, eliminates the advance mailing of your registration renewal 60 days prior to the due date after July 1st, 2011. Our notice was dated as mailed on the 5th, arrived yesterday on the 7th and is DUE today the 8th.

If we don't get it postmarked today, it goes up 17%! 10 more days and it's 25%.

I'm sure tens of 1000's will miss this change as we have always had time to get this in. What's more, is that if you have to have a smog test, you might have only one day to do that (although the DMV has always accepted the test results post payment, they just don't mail out your tags until the results of passing are transferred electronically to the DMV).

Now this is just bull*-*- !!!! That's no way to balance a budget, cheating people.

Anyway, CA residents, beware and check your notices.

BTW, this is not posted in the hopes that you jerks that would will take it to PARF. Let it be so that the thread does its job to alert people in CA.

Take your PARF comments to PARF, I'll start a thread for just that.

[mikester]

I received mine yesterday and it is due today. I paid online last night so I'm good, I do still need to get the smog. Something that saved me is simple intelligence. I have the bill in my reminder schedule - I was expecting it a month ago. When I received it yesterday I opened it which normally I might not have...

I cannot believe this SCAM is legit. This is plain and simple a SCAM to set people up for failure so that they are forced to pay the higher rates. I want to know if my representative voted for this because if so - he will likely never get my vote again.

It's a SCAM.

[crustychief]

I just went out and recorded the sticker dates on my cars and bikes, setting up reminders now. Thanks for the heads up Milt.
I think a lot of people are going to be screwed on this deal.

[romad]

but its always sunny and warm

[Rick Lee]

I hope people stage some kind of protest and just refuse to pay. This is BS. Aren't local news stations all over this scheme? They should be camping out in front of the house of whomever cooked this one up.

[patssle]

Originally Posted by romad

but its always sunny and warm

Too bad they're in their garage trying to get their car to pass a smog test.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by mikester

I received mine yesterday and it is due today. I paid online last night so I'm good, I do still need to get the smog. Something that saved me is simple intelligence. I have the bill in my reminder schedule - I was expecting it a month ago. When I received it yesterday I opened it which normally I might not have...

I cannot believe this SCAM is legit. This is plain and simple a SCAM to set people up for failure so that they are forced to pay the higher rates. I want to know if my representative voted for this because if so - he will likely never get my vote again.

It's a SCAM.

What are the chances of 2 Pelicans getting their notices mailed the 2nd business day of the month just after implementation and then you seeing this post immediately?

Anyway, thanks for validating. I really thought I had read something wrong.

Here's another rub: say you've got a '76> 911 and were thinking of rebuilding the motor because it's tired. If it didn't pass smog, you could pay the nominal "planned non-operation" fee and go to work. Now, you've got one day to figure out your plans.

There are so many things not thought out here that it's beyond comprehension.

Wait, I'll copy that to PARF.

Stay on track boys and girls.

Rick Lee to PARF.

[mikester]

I've got other folks I know who also received theirs in this manner. It's not just us Milt.

[mikester]

Law delays DMV notices to buy time for higher fee renewal - San Jose Mercury News

[Zeke]

I know that's what the law states and the notice infers, but the schedule of fees says otherwise. Tomorrow, I pay 17% more. Now, if it's a mistake and I get a refund, it's still money they take and hold until the refund arrives.

Mike, can you look at your actual notice and see if from the 9th to the 18th you pay more?

POP, you know you have a couple cars registered in CA. At least that's what you posted beforehand.

[mikester]

oh yeah, it goes from $110 to $133.

[450knotOffice]

Milt, I cut and pasted this notice directly from the DMV website:

Registration renewal notices have been generated thru September 14, 2011.

NOTE: This information will be updated regularly. Please check back to determine when your renewal notice has been generated.

Customers will be given a 30-day grace period from the registration expiration date to pay fees.
Customers are encouraged to utilize the renewal by mail or online Internet renewal program to renew their registration. These alternative service delivery options will automatically waive late fees for first 30-days after expiration date. New registration cards and stickers will be issued as quickly as possible.
Field offices, auto clubs and business partners will also be able to process registration renewal transactions on the registration expiration date and/or the date the renewal notice has been generated, whichever comes first.
Law enforcement is aware and will not cite vehicles until the first day of the second month after the vehicle registration expires. For example: A vehicle with a registration expiration date of July 10th would not be cited for delinquent registration prior to September 1, 2011.

[Zeke]

Yeah, Scott, that's what the enclosed "informational" notice says too. But that's not the fee schedule printed on the notice itself. See Mike's post above.

So what would you do if you were one day late? Send in the amount due for non delinquent fees? They could hold up your tags if you did that.

All in all, it's very confusing. Not to mention that it may be intentionally so.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I have a couple of cars on PNO "just in case". One has since been registered elsewhere. The other is unregistered undergoing restoration.

"Just in case" is becoming more and more unlikely by the day.

They'll find a way to make this screw the subjects... er... "citizens" more by the time it's all over. Bet on it.

[mikester]

Milt - I did just notice that there is a 'special notice' included in the mailer which states that the first stage late fee does not apply regardless of what the actual notice states.

[techweenie]

The old policy was better for state cash flow. I assume many people paid when they got the bill -- a good 60 days before due. The timing change will have a short term negative impact on cash flow to the state. Would like to know who put this legislation through...

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by mikester

Milt - I did just notice that there is a 'special notice' included in the mailer which states that the first stage late fee does not apply regardless of what the actual notice states.

Yes, and since when are conflicting instructions helpful? I took the actual mail-in notice with the on-line pay code to be the "official" notice. And since there are 2 lines of penalty rates, one for 10 day and another for another short period before the last line of the "big" penalty, I can't see the thin paper informational notice being given that much thought.

Originally Posted by techweenie

The old policy was better for state cash flow. I assume many people paid when they got the bill -- a good 60 days before due. The timing change will have a short term negative impact on cash flow to the state. Would like to know who put this legislation through...

I never have paid closer to arrival date than to due date. Maybe I'm not the norm.

The new notice is certainly better for cash flow because it immediately eliminated a potential 60 day lag and will create a huge cash flow of unintended paid penalties due to lack of understanding.

Wait until you get your notice and then tell me.

BTW, I have the 3rd notice sitting here in front of me to pay my registration for the car I sold in Feb to a German buyer. That's CA DMV efficiency. I sent the other 2 in with redundant information about the sale that I reported online the very day I sold the car.

[techweenie]

We'll see the effect on revenue -- eventually when it gets reported.

State revenues are up about $2 billion this year because of the recovery. Still have some folks looking to increase auto registration fees, though. If they'd put that money directly into road maintenance, I'd feel better about the $160 or so I pay per year for the two vehicles.

[vash]

i send in my registration as soon as i get it anyways. for my newer non smog cars. for my 911, i break out into a sweat, procrastinate, sweat nervously some more..take it to smog..pass, then send in the $$.

i seriously need a New mexico address. land of enchantment! enchanting is not having to worry about smog.

[vash]

opps..i just realized. all my cars will need smogging this year. fuk!