No Front License Plate on Out of State Vehicle (CA) - Collection Agency Notice

[albert_424]

I moved to San Francisco from another state almost two years ago, but waited to have my car shipped here until a few months ago. A couple days after it arrived, I had it parked on the street and received a ticket for not having a front license plate, something which isn't required in my home state. I never paid the ticket and didn't think twice about it. I got my CA registration and plates a few weeks later with no issues.

Earlier this week, I received a notice from a collection agency called LDC. They're asking for $237 to cover the original fine plus a $46 collection fee. I'm wondering what my options are.

 

[HighwayMan]

Your options?

You already failed to answer the ticket so now you don't have much choice. PAY IT.

And don't think twice about it.

 

[FlyingRon]

Yep at this point, you've not got any options. You're lucky you weren't hit with an FTA. If you had brought proof of correction prior to your appearance date, you could have had the thing dismissed for $25. Now you have little choice but to pay it all.

Don't forget to also pay to have the case abstracted to the DMV as your license is almost certainly also suspended.

 

[davew128]

The time to fight it was at the time, not two years later.

 

[Zigner]

...You're lucky you weren't hit with an FTA. ...

Don't forget to also pay to have the case abstracted to the DMV as your license is almost certainly also suspended.

For a parking ticket?

 

[albert_424]

Yep at this point, you've not got any options. You're lucky you weren't hit with an FTA. If you had brought proof of correction prior to your appearance date, you could have had the thing dismissed for $25. Now you have little choice but to pay it all.

Don't forget to also pay to have the case abstracted to the DMV as your license is almost certainly also suspended.

It was more or less a glorified parking ticket, not a moving violation. There was no appearance date for me to miss and there was no way for them to connect the vehicle to my CA license.

 

[Zigner]

...there was no way for them to connect the vehicle to my CA license.

On THAT point you are wrong.

 

[CdwJava]

Parking cites in CA are connected to the vehicle, NOT to the driver. A failure to pay the fine gets attached as a lien to the vehicle's registration and never appears on the owner's DL.

But, the time to contest the parking cite has apparently long passed. About all you can do is call the issuing agency and ask if you can still have a hearing. They likely should not have issued the cite unless the issuing officer could affirm that your state also requires the display of both license plates.

 

[davew128]

Parking cites in CA are connected to the vehicle, NOT to the driver. A failure to pay the fine gets attached as a lien to the vehicle's registration and never appears on the owner's DL.

But, the time to contest the parking cite has apparently long passed. About all you can do is call the issuing agency and ask if you can still have a hearing. They likely should not have issued the cite unless the issuing officer could affirm that your state also requires the display of both license plates.

Agreed. 10char