Suspended license and a warrant on first offense?

[Tigermama]

Around 3 years ago, I was driving a friend home after he had surgery and we had to make a quick stop, so when we were pulling out of the parking lot and stopped at the stop sign just outside the lot, I reached over to pull on my seat belt, and as I was pulling it on, a cop came up to the car and asked me for my license. I gave him my (just expired a few days before) Michigan license, and he wrote me a ticket for a seat belt violation. Before I had a chance to pay the ticket, I got a letter in the mail (at my old place, luckily the new resident forwarded it) that my license was suspended because I didn't pay my ticket fast enough for Indiana's liking (I thought)... Well over 3 years later I finally found out the real reason. My Indiana driving record shows the reason as "Never had a valid license and failure to appear" Now it says my license is suspended indefinitely. When I had called the court that originally issued the seat belt violaton (Fulton County) they told me I had a pending warrant for my arrest because of not paying the ticket and to get it dropped I would have to pay a $2500 fine and hope that I don't get arrested on my way into the courthouse. If I didn't have the money to pay a $25 seat belt violation in the first place, how do they expect me to come up with that much? What can I do to get my license reinstated and get these charges dropped? I'm a full time college student and mom and I'm afraid to even leave my house because I don't want to end up in jail for not having the money to pay this outrageous fee for my first ticket ever.

 

[Zigner]

Your problem isn't that you didn't pay the fine, it's the fact that you ignored it.

 

[Silverplum]

Around 3 years ago, I was driving a friend home after he had surgery and we had to make a quick stop, so when we were pulling out of the parking lot and stopped at the stop sign just outside the lot, I reached over to pull on my seat belt, and as I was pulling it on, a cop came up to the car and asked me for my license. I gave him my (just expired a few days before) Michigan license, and he wrote me a ticket for a seat belt violation. Before I had a chance to pay the ticket, I got a letter in the mail (at my old place, luckily the new resident forwarded it) that my license was suspended because I didn't pay my ticket fast enough for Indiana's liking (I thought)... Well over 3 years later I finally found out the real reason. My Indiana driving record shows the reason as "Never had a valid license and failure to appear" Now it says my license is suspended indefinitely. When I had called the court that originally issued the seat belt violaton (Fulton County) they told me I had a pending warrant for my arrest because of not paying the ticket and to get it dropped I would have to pay a $2500 fine and hope that I don't get arrested on my way into the courthouse. If I didn't have the money to pay a $25 seat belt violation in the first place, how do they expect me to come up with that much? What can I do to get my license reinstated and get these charges dropped? I'm a full time college student and mom and I'm afraid to even leave my house because I don't want to end up in jail for not having the money to pay this outrageous fee for my first ticket ever.

Just FYI: being a student does not give you a legal excuse. Neither does parenthood.

Driving is a privilege and can be legally revoked.

 

[Isis1]

Around 3 years ago, I was driving a friend home after he had surgery and we had to make a quick stop, so when we were pulling out of the parking lot and stopped at the stop sign just outside the lot, I reached over to pull on my seat belt, and as I was pulling it on, a cop came up to the car and asked me for my license. I gave him my (just expired a few days before) Michigan license, and he wrote me a ticket for a seat belt violation. Before I had a chance to pay the ticket, I got a letter in the mail (at my old place, luckily the new resident forwarded it) that my license was suspended because I didn't pay my ticket fast enough for Indiana's liking (I thought)... Well over 3 years later I finally found out the real reason. My Indiana driving record shows the reason as "Never had a valid license and failure to appear" Now it says my license is suspended indefinitely. When I had called the court that originally issued the seat belt violaton (Fulton County) they told me I had a pending warrant for my arrest because of not paying the ticket and to get it dropped I would have to pay a $2500 fine and hope that I don't get arrested on my way into the courthouse. If I didn't have the money to pay a $25 seat belt violation in the first place, how do they expect me to come up with that much? What can I do to get my license reinstated and get these charges dropped? I'm a full time college student and mom and I'm afraid to even leave my house because I don't want to end up in jail for not having the money to pay this outrageous fee for my first ticket ever.

wow. three years, huh? that's a long time to let that go.

well, to be honest this isn't looking good. you might be able to work a payment plan but being as this went for so long....don't expect that to pan out. FTA can often be worse then the actual violation. as you've proven.

was your license actually valid at the time you were ticketed? that might lower your fines if you can prove you actually did have a valid license at the time of the ticket issuance.

as for the remaining fees, you can request a payment plan and a release on your license suspension.

 

[Zigner]

was your license actually valid at the time you were ticketed? that might lower your fines if you can prove you actually did have a valid license at the time of the ticket issuance.

Her MI license was expired. It's not clear if she was actually living in IN at the time, or if she just happened to be over the border helping a friend.

 

[Tigermama]

wow. three years, huh? that's a long time to let that go.

well, to be honest this isn't looking good. you might be able to work a payment plan but being as this went for so long....don't expect that to pan out. FTA can often be worse then the actual violation. as you've proven.

was your license actually valid at the time you were ticketed? that might lower your fines if you can prove you actually did have a valid license at the time of the ticket issuance.

as for the remaining fees, you can request a payment plan and a release on your license suspension.

My license was expired by a few days, but perfect driving record, not even a parking ticket.

 

[Silverplum]

My license was expired by a few days, but perfect driving record, not even a parking ticket.

Then you had an expired license.

 

[Zigner]

My license was expired by a few days, but perfect driving record, not even a parking ticket.

What state did you live in?

 

[Just Blue]

My license was expired by a few days, but perfect driving record, not even a parking ticket.

You were driving on an expired license for a few days. You never had the right to drive in IN. Stop commenting on that "perfect" record as it appears you just didn't get bagged before.

 

[Tigermama]

You were driving on an expired license for a few days. You never had the right to drive in IN. Stop commenting on that "perfect" record as it appears you just didn't get bagged before.

I was in the process of switching everything over to Indiana, but waiting on the official records to get to the local DMV
and btw I posted on this site for advice on how to fix the issue, not just so people can be jerks! If you don't have anything helpful to say please don't reply to my thread!

 

[TigerD]

If you don't have anything helpful to say please don't reply to my thread!

Well, that just deserved a meaningless and useless response.

DC

 

[Silverplum]

I was in the process of switching everything over to Indiana, but waiting on the official records to get to the local DMV
and btw I posted on this site for advice on how to fix the issue, not just so people can be jerks! If you don't have anything helpful to say please don't reply to my thread!

Pay the fines. Stop making excuses. Take the bus.

There you are.

 

[Zigner]

I was in the process of switching everything over to Indiana, but waiting on the official records to get to the local DMV
and btw I posted on this site for advice on how to fix the issue, not just so people can be jerks! If you don't have anything helpful to say please don't reply to my thread!

How long had you lived in Indiana before this occurred?

 

[HighwayMan]

I was in the process of switching everything over to Indiana, but waiting on the official records to get to the local DMV...

I've heard that one before. Just what "official records" are you speaking of?

 

[Indiana Filer]

I've heard that one before. Just what "official records" are you speaking of?

When I moved from Indiana to California, it was an easy process to get my license switched over. I went to the BMV, paid a fee, gave them my old license, and CA mailed me my new license.

When I moved back to Indiana, the same process worked. There was no additional "official paperwork" that I had to wait on before I could go to the BMV to get my IN license. Easy peasy!

OP, you're just making excuses for why you failed to follow the law. Now you have consequences. Yes, those consequences suck, but they are of your own doing. Your options at this point are to go to Court to deal with the warrant, and to pay the fines, as well as any additional fines for failing to appear in court, plus to serve any sentence the judge might impose.