suspnd license for not returning plates!

[IntlStudent]

What is the name of your state? Virginia
So heres the deal. I went to DMV y'day to get my license renewed since i just turned 25 about 4 days ago. I go there, with all my documents and was in for a rude shock to realize that my license had been suspended since december 2002.
In december 2002, a friend of mine was helping me sell my vehicle and apparently didnt return the license plates. And i was out of the country till january 2004. So i must have missed the mail from dmv or something.
in any case, i have been driving since 2004 january, and luckily have never been pulled over, or it could have been worse.
now, what i would like to know is, is there any way i can get out of this? will this be on my permanent record?
can they suspend a license for not turning in license plates? is it excusable? any suggestions will be greatly appreiciated! I'm in the process of looking for a job and moving out of state, so this is the last thing i would need!
the dmv tells me the only option i have is to pay the 500$ reinstatement fee. and i just dont have that kind of money now. PLZ HELP!!!

 

[seniorjudge]

Q: is there any way i can get out of this?

A: Pay the fine and costs.


Q: will this be on my permanent record?

A: Yes.


Q: can they suspend a license for not turning in license plates?

A: Yes.


Q: is it excusable?

A: No.

 

[IntlStudent]

"will this be on my permanent record"
yes


is there any way i can get it expunged? i mean, can i prove it that it was'nt totally my fault. I wasnt even in the country when i got my license suspended...

 

[seniorjudge]

Expungement/pardon

There are several thousand questions on this forum similar to yours. Thus, I have prepared a standard answer.

Standard answer: Expungement is generally granted for illegal arrests or unlawful convictions. Generally, pardons mean you are forgiven for the crime but it remains on your record.

Check with the governor or attorney general of your state to see how you can go about either of these procedures. Check with the Attorney General or the President for federal expungement or pardon.

You must remember that there may be private background check companies that have past offenses on their databases; those reports will never be expunged.


https://forum.freeadvice.com/showthread.php?p=848776#post848776



Stand by...others may offer more advice.

 

[IntlStudent]

Well, clearly in my case there is no need for expungement.
As there was no illegal arrest or conviction of any sort.
Just that my license was suspended, and i wasnt even aware of it for 2 years.
And the reason it was suspended was that i did not turn in the license plates when i sold my vehicle which was sold then.

 

[higgz67]

hmmmm?

how much are the fines???
a similar thing happened to a friend of mine when he got into a accident and the car was taken away and junked... (plates on it)... when he found out at the dmv he had fines he talked to them explaining he had no contact with the car after the accident... it also worked when he found out he owed excise tax on the car for 2 years (even though he didnt have it)

but i do live in mass and laws and rules esp. at dmv across the nation vary... i always thought mass were *******s about everything... but if gave them a glimmer of hope.

 

[IntlStudent]

the fine is 500$ flat out to get my licese re-instated.
the dmv person wouldnt hear me out or offer me any other option. i dont know if it was just bad timing, since they were open still past the closing hours and she just wanted to get out.

in any case, the info given by higgz67 offer some hope. I'm looking for some such deal where i can make with them, and explain my case.

then again, i've heard stories about VA laws being are notoriously strict, so i dont know.

 

[higgz67]

even though she didnt tell you im sure there is some type of appeals process you can go through... are you sure they actually sent out the notification?? the mass dmv is notorious for not notifying people of things like that, i would call talk to a higher up (not the pre-menapausal window lady having a hot flash) explain the situation... im sure it would be similar to appealing a ticket.. then again im not a lawyer and im not from virginia... but if you dont get any feedback from the dmv contact your insurance agent and talk to them, they should know if there is any way around it..

goodluck... stupid dmv

 

[IntlStudent]

so i called DMV, and after a 20 mins hold got to talk to someone. now this is what the lady says, the actual reason for the suspension isnt even about the license plates.
But due to the Insurance Monitoring scheme that DMV has, i did not hav insurance on that particular day.
so unless, i can prove that i had insurance on that day, i have to pay the statuatory fee of 500$ to get my license reinstated.

is there anything else i can do? do reduce the amount?

i assked the lady about appeal, and she said there is a request for a hearing, but i will have to provide insurance papers proving that i had insurance then.
so am i cornered now or what?

HELP!