Can I do anything about missed deadlines on a fix it ticket?

[karmicdogmom]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

Got a fix-it ticket for late registration while working in Los Angeles on an incredibly hectic project. Took care of the registration, but never sent in the corrected info to the court and they were sending reminders to my house in Northern California, but I never saw them. Long story short - the roommate up there moved out to Colorado, the new roommate was supposed to check the mail but sent my stuff to Colorado instead and the ex-roomie never looked at it. This weekend she dropped in on me and dropped the "oh by the way here's some of your old mail" bomb. Turns out my license is suspended and I now owe the court $835.00 for a registration fix-it ticket. I know this is past the deadlines but can I contest this somehow - and how?

[I_Got_Banned]

Originally Posted by karmicdogmom

Took care of the registration, but never sent in the corrected info to the court

So you failed to show proof of correction on or before the date stated on your citation which the date when you promised you will appear in court.

Originally Posted by karmicdogmom

they were sending reminders to my house in Northern California, but I never saw them.

So you were properly notified of your failure to appear and also given a few days to correct the problem after you appearance date... You just never read the notices.

Originally Posted by karmicdogmom

Long story short - the roommate up there moved out to Colorado, the new roommate was supposed to check the mail but sent my stuff to Colorado instead and the ex-roomie never looked at it. This weekend she dropped in on me and dropped the "oh by the way here's some of your old mail" bomb.

Irrelevant!

Originally Posted by karmicdogmom

Turns out my license is suspended and I now owe the court $835.00 for a registration fix-it ticket.

$500+ of it is for failing to appear, the rest cover the fine for driving on an expired registration. All that compared to a $25 administrative fee to the court!

Originally Posted by karmicdogmom

I know this is past the deadlines but can I contest this somehow - and how?

They did send you the notices... You did fail to appear... My roomie never mailed them to me or never told me they were there will not fly with the court. And even though you can in fact prove that you did obtain the registration renewal prior to the court date, you failed to fulfill your promise to appear by the due date. Considering the fact that the due date was on the citation versus anything the your roomie didn't tell you about, means you can't even use the "I was not at home which is where my mail was going" excuse!

So in answer to your question:

Originally Posted by karmicdogmom

Can I do anything about missed deadlines on a fix it ticket?

Actually yes... Pay the fine, request an abstract from the court. Head over to the closest DMV office, pay them $50 to have your driver's license reinstated (and I think you might have to take the written test, but don't quote me on that).

Oh, and by the way, don't get caught driving on a suspended license. That is a misdemeanor and it carries a heftier fine than what you have been "billed for"... and worse yet, the penalty can include some jail time!

[karmicdogmom]

If anyone has any suggestions that are actually helpful, they would be much appreciated.

"I Got Banned" is clearly just restating the obvious. I might have missed a deadline unintentionally, but I'm not an idiot. I'm looking for an alternative that would help me to NOT pay $835.00.

[Zigner]

Originally Posted by karmicdogmom

If anyone has any suggestions that are actually helpful, they would be much appreciated.

"I Got Banned" is clearly just restating the obvious. I might have missed a deadline unintentionally, but I'm not an idiot. I'm looking for an alternative that would help me to NOT pay $835.00.

You already HAD that alternative. You couldn't be bothered to deal with it during your incredibly hectic schedule.

[racer72]

Originally Posted by karmicdogmom

If anyone has any suggestions that are actually helpful, they would be much appreciated.

"I Got Banned" is clearly just restating the obvious. I might have missed a deadline unintentionally, but I'm not an idiot. I'm looking for an alternative that would help me to NOT pay $835.00.

You received an answer from one of the best on these forums when it comes to California citations. Sorry you don't like the answer.

[I_Got_Banned]

Originally Posted by karmicdogmom

If anyone has any suggestions that are actually helpful, they would be much appreciated.

"I Got Banned" is clearly just restating the obvious. I might have missed a deadline unintentionally, but I'm not an idiot. I'm looking for an alternative that would help me to NOT pay $835.00.

I restated the "obvious"? You obviously had a clue as to what was so obvious before I obviously made it as obvious as I obviously did!!!

None of the notices say if you missed the deadline "unintentionally" then you're forgiven, do they?

Nope... They say "you failed to appear so you must pay"... How could that be not so OBVIOUS?

[I_Got_Banned]

Originally Posted by racer72

You received an answer from one of the best on these forums when it comes to California citations. Sorry you don't like the answer.

I agree with racer... Zigner does indeed do a great job here!!

Thanks

[Zigner]

Originally Posted by I_Got_Banned

I agree with racer... Zigner does indeed do a great job here!!

Thanks

Ahhh, shucks. You da man on this one.

[karmicdogmom]

"You couldn't be bothered to deal with it during your incredibly hectic schedule" is not what I said.

I did have an incredibly hectic schedule and I FORGOT something. Like you all haven't forgotten something once in your life. Granted, this turned out to be an important thing and yes - if I had received the notices, I would have actually done something about it long ago. If I had received the registration notice - this never would have happened. But it snuck up and bit me on the A** and an $835.00 bite on the A** hurts!

I didn't intentionally disregard the notices, I didn't ever see them and when the ex-roomie put them in my hand yesterday, I was shocked. My hectic issues are probably beyond the scope of what many of you have actually experienced on a day-to-day basis: starting with arranging for a 180 person film crew arriving from India in the midst of terrorist attacks in Mumbia and security issues changing by the hour, followed by getting snowed out of locations that resulted in major changes in our whole filming schedule, changing permits, hotel arrangements and the risk of losing tens of thousands of production dollars per day with each delay. All of which was urgent and changing on a minute-to-minute basis - for about 3 months. So yes, I forgot something of my own and no, I wasn't dealing with my own money on all of the above, which would make $835.00 a little easier to swallow. I'm just a poor working gal who made a mistake and trusted that her roommate was sending the mail down south.

So yes, when I was casually handed a notice that my license was suspended by my former roommate - I was a little in shock, but I can read. I understand I was properly notified, etc., etc., etc.

If there's nothing to be done - which it seems like all of you are in agreement on that opinion, then there is nothing to be done. I turned to you all for help in the hopes that there was an alternative and if so, for direction on how I should approach it. I was hoping you might turn your brilliant legal minds in the direction of achieving a more positive outcome on my behalf.

Thanks anyway.

[Zigner]

Originally Posted by karmicdogmom

"You couldn't be bothered to deal with it during your incredibly hectic schedule" is not what I said.

No, what you SAID was:

Originally Posted by karmicdogmom

Got a fix-it ticket for late registration while working in Los Angeles on an incredibly hectic project. Took care of the registration, but never sent in the corrected info to the court...

Your lack of attention to THIS aspect of your life has caused this problem. Pay what you owe. And, make sure you're not driving around on the suspended license still!

[karmicdogmom]

Went to court last week on the issue above. I walked out paying barely over $200, so it can be done. At least in Los Angeles. They dropped all the FTA charges.

I saved $600+, which in my book was worth the savings and the effort of 2 fairly quick and painless trips to the courthouse. My advice - push it when you can!

[I_Got_Banned]

Originally Posted by karmicdogmom

Went to court last week on the issue above. I walked out paying barely over $200, so it can be done. At least in Los Angeles. They dropped all the FTA charges.

I saved $600+, which in my book was worth the savings and the effort of 2 fairly quick and painless trips to the courthouse. My advice - push it when you can!

Good for you...

Have you visited your nearest DMV office yet? Just because your court case was closed does not automatically get your license reinstated. The DMV wants their share of that $600+ that you saved...

Signed

Master of the Obvious