Is it too late to fight this?

[Tavia42]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Oregon
At the end of May, just when my unemployment was about to run out, I was parked in downtown Portland. I paid the meter and still had time left when I came back but had a parking ticket for my license plate being in the front window of my car. It had fallen off a few weeks prior on one side and I hadn't been able to get the right screw to put it back on. We can't find it to purchase locally or online, my car is 10 years old and it's apparently no longer available. I don't know what to do short of super glue. Oregon tickets tell you you have to pay the fine for a hearing and we just didn't have $80 to spare. We were adjusting to trying to get by on my husband's VA disability alone and we literally didn't have it. We have a young daughter as well so disposable income and savings don't exist.
I have been unemployed for two years and really have no hope of finding anything in the near future. I have less than $10 in my bank account - just to keep the account open for now - and the only item I have of any value is my car. Currently, with the government shutdown, we face the terrifying possibility that we won't have ANY income next month at all if veteran's benefits aren't paid. Today, I got a notice that the fee for this ticket had swelled to $365 and my license could be suspended. This is obviously very distressing.

I have looked up what I could find relating to the law and I don't see how I got the ticket in the first place. My license is completely visible from the front and can be seen when approaching from the front for a good distance. What's more, I see cars every day with a plate in the front window. I want to fight their distinction but since I couldn't PAY to fight it initially I didn't know what to do. I searched around online and found several stories about how lame Oregon is on following up on parking tickets and it lulled me into thinking one ticket wouldn't be a big deal. I have never had a parking ticket in my life and now I really feel like this situation is a raw deal getting worse. Is it reasonable to try to fight this? How badly can a single parking ticket mess up one's life?

 

[CdwJava]

What code section was cited on the parking tiocket?

I strongly suspect that OR law requires the plate to be properly affixed to the vehicle and NOT under the windshield. So, the fact it was legible is likely not the issue - it's lack of mounting, is.

The code section will provide some insight.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

Not to be Capt. Obvious but license plate screws are a universal size and have been for decades. They cost about $2 a set.

 

[Tavia42]

Unfortunately, those universal screws haven't fit. I've purchased a few and had to take them back because they didn't fit right and wouldn't hold. We can't find anything different online and the local dealerships are no help. It is some stupid, specialized screw that shouldn't be so hard to replace. If I truly have to just glue the d*&% thing back on, I will.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

If someone changed it, go to a hardware store. They sell every kind imaginable.

 

[HighwayMan]

Unfortunately, those universal screws haven't fit. I've purchased a few and had to take them back because they didn't fit right and wouldn't hold. We can't find anything different online and the local dealerships are no help. It is some stupid, specialized screw that shouldn't be so hard to replace. If I truly have to just glue the d*&% thing back on, I will.

Then do it or you will get more tickets for having your plate improperly displayed.

If I was you I'd try using wire to attach the plate.

 

[Zigner]

It's not all that specialized - it's simply metric. I've had the same problem with my car - none of the "universal" screws fit. I got some metric stainless steel screws from a machine shop and...voila!

 

[disneykid52]

Gorilla glue

 

[Tavia42]

The main issue is the front bumper. It's full of styrofoam and can't be accessed from behind. The screw is more like an expandable plug and the hardware stores and auto parts stores I have gone to don't carry the one that fits my car. Gorilla glue may work.

 

[Tavia42]

The bigger problem is not being able to pay the ticket. It's looking more and more likely that we won't have any income next month and will have to put food and car insurance on credit cards. I worked very hard to eliminate my cc debt while I was still getting something from unemployment but my husband had to use his for uninsured medical expenses and the balance is quite high. I don't know how we're going to pay those bills next month, much less this BS ticket. I had researched the things that could get a license suspended when this first happened and found nothing that indicated a single parking ticket could do it. I could see it happening to someone who had more than a few but one? It just seems so draconian and so frustrating. Especially considering that I have a spotless driving record.

 

[justalayman]

It's not all that specialized - it's simply metric. I've had the same problem with my car - none of the "universal" screws fit. I got some metric stainless steel screws from a machine shop and...voila!

the sell those at my local hardware store as well.


not much excuse anymore that one cannot find a proper screw. Heck, most of the recievers for said screws are plastic or clip nuts. A little force and you can make them accept just about anything.

if it is a hard steel receiver, a drill and tap would remedy the issue.

 

[Tavia42]

There is no receiver. I appreciate that it seems like something that the most stupid person could fix but I assure everyone, it has not been that simple. Not an excuse, merely a fact. An extremely annoying one. My husband went to multiple auto parts stores today with the plug we still have and they don't have it. They couldn't even find the right one in their computer. We are back to online searches at the manufacturer level. It's not even a fancy, expensive car. We're talking economy sedan Mitsubishi.

CdwJava - What they cite on the ticket is 16.20.120-R, which is listed as failure to display front or rear plate. Not technically correct in my view and then I found this on the Oregon gov website:


803.540¹
Failure to display plates
• exceptions
• penalty
(1) A person commits the offense of failure to display registration plates if the person operates, on the highways of this state, any vehicle or camper that has been assigned registration plates by this state and the registration plates assigned to the vehicle or camper are displayed in a manner that violates any of the following:
(a) The plate must be displayed on the rear of the vehicle, if only one plate is required.
(b) Plates must be displayed on the front and rear of the vehicle if two plates are required.
(c) The plates must be in plain view and so as to be read easily

It seems like the meaning of "on" is vague enough for me to argue the specifics but if that's going to be useless,...

Any suggestions about the ticket situation, given our income problem?

 

[justalayman]

Tavia42;3212859]There is no receiver

. you said this:

The screw is more like an expandable plug and the hardware stores and auto parts stores I have gone to don't carry the one that fits my car.

well heck, that makes it even easier.

what kind of Mitsu is it?

would these work:

http://www.streettunedmotorsports.com/parts/oem_evo_license_plate_nut_screw_mu435004_ms350014.htm


seriously, not being able to attach the plate is not an excuse.

803.540¹
Failure to display plates
• exceptions
• penalty
(1) A person commits the offense of failure to display registration plates if the person operates, on the highways of this state, any vehicle or camper that has been assigned registration plates by this state and the registration plates assigned to the vehicle or camper are displayed in a manner that violates any of the following:
(a) The plate must be displayed on the rear of the vehicle, if only one plate is required.
(b) Plates must be displayed on the front and rear of the vehicle if two plates are required.
(c) The plates must be in plain view and so as to be read easily

It seems like the meaning of "on" is vague enough for me to argue the specifics but if that's going to be useless,...

On the front; not merely viewable from the front. Putting it in the windshield is about 1/3 of the way towards the back of the car so it is not the front. As well, a plate behind a windshield is not read easily. It is often impossible to see it due to the reflection of the glass and it is impossible to see it at night.

 

[CdwJava]

A plate being under the windshield is not always going to be read easily. At night, or in a glare of the light, it would be entirely unreadable.

It's interesting to note that it appears OR does not have a section spelling out how the plate must be affixed to the vehicle thus leaving the argument subjective ... at least until an officer says he can't see it.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

OK for the not so intelligent auto owners in the country:

Google "license plate bracket". Buy one. Put up against front bumper cover in area backed by foam under cover. Insert long screws into foam under cover. Screw license plate into bracket mounts.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=install+license+plate+bracket&oq=install+license+plate+bracket&gs_l=youtube.1.0.0.1152.6613.0.8366.29.23.0.6.6.0.220.3019.2j19j2.23.0...0.0...1ac.1.11.youtube.lGLaJcy1JhU

How does someone not smart enough to attach a license plate pass the license test? How do they marry someone like themselves and not starve to death? What happens genetically to their offspring?