D
dcsnuggler
Guest
Can I get some advice?????
This is a legal question regarding my driving record. If you cannot help me, can you direct me to someone who can? I can't remember exactly how the situation unfolded because it was so long ago and I've thrown out much of the correspondence.
In March of 1997 I rear-ended someone when a red light turned green. I had anticipated the person in front of me to go, they did not, consequently I rear-ended them. I was not driving my own car I did not own a car at that point in time - the car I was driving did not have insurance.
I offered to pay the man for the damage I had caused his car (though I could see no damage physically with my eyes) and he agreed. At this point we decided there was no need to get the police involved and I certainly did not think there would be damage above $500.
When I received an estimate for approximately $1200 -$1300 I decided to go and get my own estimate. I wrote the man a letter saying I would be happy to replace his bumper, but I was not going to pay out a bunch of money when I couldn't even see any damage to his car! I felt he was trying to take advantage of the situation. I paid him an amount of $304.59 for the replacement and installation of a brand new bumper. (his car was a 1986 Cutlass with 128,000 miles on it - visually worn)
Not too long after that I received notification from the DMV regarding this incident. The man had gone to the DMV afterwards and retroactively reported the accident. I had the option of either having a suspended license for driving without insurance or appealing that decision and have an over-the-phone DMV court hearing. I chose the latter. I was found guilty for not having insurance in an auto accident resulting in damages more than $500. My license was suspended for one year.
Last year I moved to Vermont, went to the DMV to obtain my license and found it was suspended by the state of CA because I didn't have a SR-22 on file with the DMV. The judgment says I have to keep an SR-22 on file through March of 2002! Can this really be true? I have never had any accidents (other than this), I've had one speeding ticket (which I went to traffic school for, so it's not reported to the DMV), I've never had a DUI or any other sort of legal traffic problem. Now I'm trying to obtain auto insurance and I'm considered high-risk because I have an SR-22 on file. This is just too crazy...is there anything I can do? I'm not even living in CA anymore and this happened more than 3 years ago! I'm 32 years old.
If you can offer any advice I would appreciate it. I've tried talking to the people at the DMV department of financial responsibility and they are very short with me. I feel like I'm being treated like a criminal!
Thanking you in advance,
Candice Youngman
This is a legal question regarding my driving record. If you cannot help me, can you direct me to someone who can? I can't remember exactly how the situation unfolded because it was so long ago and I've thrown out much of the correspondence.
In March of 1997 I rear-ended someone when a red light turned green. I had anticipated the person in front of me to go, they did not, consequently I rear-ended them. I was not driving my own car I did not own a car at that point in time - the car I was driving did not have insurance.
I offered to pay the man for the damage I had caused his car (though I could see no damage physically with my eyes) and he agreed. At this point we decided there was no need to get the police involved and I certainly did not think there would be damage above $500.
When I received an estimate for approximately $1200 -$1300 I decided to go and get my own estimate. I wrote the man a letter saying I would be happy to replace his bumper, but I was not going to pay out a bunch of money when I couldn't even see any damage to his car! I felt he was trying to take advantage of the situation. I paid him an amount of $304.59 for the replacement and installation of a brand new bumper. (his car was a 1986 Cutlass with 128,000 miles on it - visually worn)
Not too long after that I received notification from the DMV regarding this incident. The man had gone to the DMV afterwards and retroactively reported the accident. I had the option of either having a suspended license for driving without insurance or appealing that decision and have an over-the-phone DMV court hearing. I chose the latter. I was found guilty for not having insurance in an auto accident resulting in damages more than $500. My license was suspended for one year.
Last year I moved to Vermont, went to the DMV to obtain my license and found it was suspended by the state of CA because I didn't have a SR-22 on file with the DMV. The judgment says I have to keep an SR-22 on file through March of 2002! Can this really be true? I have never had any accidents (other than this), I've had one speeding ticket (which I went to traffic school for, so it's not reported to the DMV), I've never had a DUI or any other sort of legal traffic problem. Now I'm trying to obtain auto insurance and I'm considered high-risk because I have an SR-22 on file. This is just too crazy...is there anything I can do? I'm not even living in CA anymore and this happened more than 3 years ago! I'm 32 years old.
If you can offer any advice I would appreciate it. I've tried talking to the people at the DMV department of financial responsibility and they are very short with me. I feel like I'm being treated like a criminal!
Thanking you in advance,
Candice Youngman