Hal...
Can you get a e-mail address for the commissioner and any other people
you would like to have a letter sent?
Bob Evans
Anaheim, California
Carter, Harold B. wrote:
>
> All,
>
> I'm glad this issue came up. I have to apologize for this being so long,
> but I'm sure others have experienced the same problem, I would like to pass
> on my experience with this issue.
>
> The Virginia Statutes says that the vehicle owner must pay a fee of $400 if
> he wants to have a car registered without insurance. Over the winter
> months, or when I've got a prolonged restoration ongoing (on my second now),
> I cancel insurance to save a couple hundred dollars, and to comply with the
> statute I cancel registration. My personalized plate would automatically
> cancel after 90 days. So, to keep my personalized plate, I call into DMV
> every 3 months and get an extension for another 90 days.
>
> To try to avoid the above hassle, I talked to the local DMV manager and she
> agreed to signed a statement letter that said that I could retain my
> registration and cancel insurance while my vehicle was in storage over the
> winter months and not be charged the $400. Within the statement which I
> signed also, I certified that I would not operate the vehicle during this
> period. I had this statement to cover myself (so I thought) for each of 5
> years. It may have been valid, but I was lucky that the DMV office at the
> State level, never checked. To try and make this a more permanent situation
> I wrote the State.
>
> My letter to the Commissioner at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
> explained the situation and I asked for a change to the statute to enable
> ALL antique car owners to cancel their insurance and retain their plates and
> registration, without being charged the $400, while their vehicle is stored
> during the winter months. In their first brush off, they told me to refer
> to the Virginia Codes that talked about this. Of course, all they had to do
> was read my letter where I quoted the codes in my argument and they would
> have know that I knew the codes. In my second letter where I presented my
> argument in a manner that an 8th grader would understand. I got another
> brush off.
>
> I contacted my local delegate and sent letters to my state congressmen
> asking assistance. My local delegate was the only one interested in helping
> and he wrote a memo to the DMV Commissioner on my behalf. You wouldn't
> believe the letter he got in reply. It was a sales pitch on how well the
> DMV was on providing customer service. Example: "Enclosed is a copy of the
> day's agenda. As you can see, it was a full day featuring top-level
> executives from national and local companies known for excellence in quality
> customer service......" It went on and on about how customer service is "a
> pervasive thread woven throughout the service provided by Virginia's state
> agencies." What a bunch of B.S.
>
> Needless to say my local delegate was astonished and sent the Commissioner
> another letter. To make this shorter, I'll just say, that the Commissioner
> avoided the subject and said he was working priority subjects.
>
> It was also clear in the response that the Commissioner would not concern
> himself with an issue that did not affect a lot of people and I was asked to
> actually show how many people I was representing on this issue. Of course
> to do this, I would have to contact every owner of an antique car in VA -
> an impossible task. So I dropped the action.
>
> So, if anyone wants to go forth with an action to change the statutes as
> described above, highly recommend you get the support from your club, and
> go state wide.
>
> Hal Carter
> BJ8
>
> ______________________
> > ----------
> > From: Steve Byers[SMTP:byers@cconnect.net]
> > Reply To: Steve Byers
> > Sent: Monday, April 13, 1998 5:08 PM
> > To: William M. Schickling
> > Cc: healeys; spridgets
> > Subject: Re: Insurance
> >
> >
> > Hi, Bill. Your statement made me curious about whether things had changed
> > with State Farm, so I went to see my agent today. She confirmed that in
> > North Carolina, the "Friend to Insurance" state, you either have liability
> > coverage on your car or you turn in your license plate. And if you don't
> > turn in your plate within some specified limit (24 or 48 hours, I forget
> > which) after dropping insurance, the DMV will hit you with a hefty fine.
> > State Farm does not have a reduced premium coverage in North Carolina like
> > you do. The good news is that she suggested an alternative: transferring
> > plates. I can drop the coverage on the Healey for as long as it is out of
> > action, and transfer the plate to another car (turning in the plates on
> > that car, of course). The fee is only $10, but it's a whole lot better
> > than the liability premium. So.....thanks for inspiring me to check it
> > out.
> >
> > Steve Byers
> > Havelock, NC USA
> > '73 Midget GAN5UD126009G "OO NINE"
> > '66 BJ8 HBJ8L/36666 "TARHEELY"
> > '63 BJ7 HBJ7L/20111 "HEALEYUM"
> > "It is better to remain silent, and be thought a fool
> > than to speak, and remove all doubt" -- Mark Twain
> >
> >
> > ----------
> > > From: William M. Schickling <bugeye@dreamscape.com>
> > > To: byers@cconnect.net
> > > Subject: Re: Insurance
> > > Date: Monday, April 13, 1998 9:04 AM
> > >
> > > Steve,
> > >
> > > Originally You wrote.
> > >
> > > >>> >What burns me is that in N.C., in order to keep the personalized
> > plate
> > > >on
> > > >> >the car I have to maintain insurance on it. I haven't driven the
> > car
> > > >> >since September due to an engine rebuild, and am not likely to until
> > > >next
> > > >> >September. If I drive my cars one day a month, and they stay in the
> > > >garage
> > > >> >the other 29 days, I still have to pay the full amount as if it was
> > a
> > > >daily
> > > > >driver.
> > >
> > > Maybe in NY it's different.
> > >
> > > What State farm allows anyone to do is go in and say I am not going to
> > drive
> > > my car for x period of time. They will reduce the the cost for that
> > period
> > > of time but keep the insurance at a level to allow you to keep the
> > plates.
> > >
> > > I pay the $ 46.00 (that's two cars for six months) just so I don't have
> > to
> > > turn in my plates.
> > > Of course the liability is very low, but there, so the DMV doesn't come
> > > after me. If I want to drive the car all I have to do is call my State
> > Farm
> > > agent and tell them. The car goes back to full coverage that day.
> > Otherwise
> > > it would be $ 24.00 to keep comprehensive on the cars to cover theft or
> > > damage that my home owners would not cover.
> > >
> > > Bill
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Steve Byers <byers@cconnect.net>
> > > To: William M. Schickling <bugeye@dreamscape.com>; Lancer7676
> > > <Lancer7676@aol.com>; spridgets@autox.team.net
> > <spridgets@autox.team.net>
> > > Date: Sunday, April 12, 1998 21:13
> > > Subject: Re: Insurance
> > >
> > >
> > > >Hello, Bill. What part of what I said is not true? Sounds like you
> > put
> > > >your cars to bed for the winter. I drive mine year round, and it is my
> > > >primary transportation. So State Farm charges you "only" $46 to insure
> > a
> > > >car that is not being driven? Are you talking comprehensive or
> > liability
> > > >here? Liability is what I have to maintain in order to keep plates on
> > my
> > > >car, and I don't see where the liability risk is to the insurance
> > company
> > > >on a car that isn't mobile.
> > > >
> > > >Steve Byers
> > >
> >
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