When I received my insurance bill for my Cutlass. I thought it was due in July. I received it in May. Well when July rolled around I went to my agent and paid it.(problem was it was due in May) That same day I got a letter from the DOT. Stating that I had a 30 day lapse in insurance and that I had to send in my plate and registration for 3 months plus pay a $50 penalty. Now I could appeal this suspension. All I had to do was go to the court house and file the appeal. So I figured what the heck. I go in and find out that it costs $148 plus $12 to send it in. Also with the $50 fine. Even if I win I get back only the $50. Now it doesn't take a genius to figure out what to do. The suspension was to start Sept. 12. So I would be without my plate Oct.,Nov., And get it back in time for Christmas. Now the weather here isn't that great this time of year. So I sent in everything they needed plus a check for $50 dated 12/12/13 Lessen learned. Make sure you read your bill right.
Alb

 

They're skilled at making sure it's more expensive to stand up to them than to just do what they say. Several guys here at work got 'contestable' tickets .. but it would cost them more (lost work hours) to take it to court than to just eat the fine.

 

. Make sure you read your bill right.
Alb[/QUOTE]

Or just set it up to automatically come out of your account before the due date.

 

That works .. but I'm not a fan of giving someone else control of removing money from my acc'ts. All I need is for them to have a computer glitch that causes them to double hit and every other bill and cheque from that acc't is at risk of bouncing. Sure they'll 'apply the credit' to your next bill .. but getting them to put that money back, and pay the penalties incurred ... and no amount of effort on your part or theirs is going to rub out the missed payment credit black marks.

 

I like the idea of the State enforcing insurance laws and wish all states did this. I don't however understand the forfeiture penalty of 3 months. No fault and mandatory insurance came to Texas in the early 80's, up till then it was not a requirement. They said it would make it more affordable and ensure that all drivers would have car insurance, we know how that turned out.

 

That sounds like the state of Illinois the has that bs law.

 

My insurers (in the UK) always send me a reminder in good time, however it is always MY responsibility to ensure I have valid insurance. If for some reason I don't get a reminder it's up to me to remember when my insurance is due for renewal.
Make a note on your calendar, or I think you can set up your computer to remind you.
Driving without insurance over here carries stiff penalties, quite rightly imo. The sanctions are penalty points on your license and fines. We don't have to jump through hoops with the authorities like some of you though. If anyone is stopped by the police and found not to be insured the car is towed. All drivers and cars are on a national database, it only takes the traffic police a few seconds to check out a car. I'm all for this, I don't want to live in a Big Brother world, but neither do I want to share the road with uninsured drivers.

Roger.

 

I believe the figure of uninsured drivers in Texas today is 25%. Not sure of the ramifications of being stopped w/o insurance, seems I remember $200 1st time, $1000 2nd, THEN they impound the vehicle! iNSANE is the word. Juju's Miata, several years ago, totaled by a pick-'em-up-truck while she was at a stop light (rear ended), and a cop sitting there, and drove off. Illegal immigrant had no insurance, no driver's license, and stolen license plates, stolen in San Antonio. I'm all for a data base (in this case, only) that the police can read with these new-fangled radar guns that note some kind of window sticker that the vehicle is actively insured, or it is pulled over, towed off and auctioned to the highest bidder or scrapped.