Some of you may recall my daughter died March 9th. She was in a single-car accident, thrown from vehicle. It has been devastating.
She was driving a vehicle that we had sold to her boyfriend just a bit more than a month earlier. I *think* it was January 31 or maybe even Feb 1. Somewhere along that time. When we signed the title over, we stupidly did not make a scan copy of the signed title.
I told him 30 if not 100 times that he HAD to get that thing insured. Okay. So he told me he made an appointment w/ DMV, and that due to covid, his appointment wasn't for another 6 weeks or so. I have no reason to not believe this. We had had a similar long DMV wait for another matter several months earlier.
As for insurance.. well, he told me he got it insured, but I really just don't know. I have doubts. Let's just leave it at this: parents can't always choose their kids' boyfriends and girlfriends. M'kay?
My part in this cluster- I had simply forgotten to get on the DMV website to tell the DMV I'd sold the vehicle, after I'd sold it. Ugh. And I'm regretting that now.
So, my daughter wrecks the car on March 9. This was before the boyfriend's supposed appointment which as I understand was to have been a day or two or three later. He doesn't go to his appointment, and blows it off. I think at that time, the police still had the vehicle from wreck clean-up.
And after my daughter died, I was so pre-occupied, I totally forgot to notify the DMV of the vehicle sale. However, when speaking to police, we did tell them the vehicle was no longer ours and belonged to boyfriend.
So, last week, the DMV tells us that if we don't give them evidence that the vehicle was insured, that we are subject to fines, and/or suspended license status, SR-22, high-risk insured status etc etc etc. We tell the DMV that the vehicle wasn't ours. I go to the DMV website, and enter the date of sale. They tell us this doesn't matter because we only told them after the accident. I ask "How long does a seller of a vehicle have by VA law, before they have to tell you the vehicle has been sold?"
The DMV answers me "as soon as possible"
Me: "Yeah. Okay. How soon is that? What does the law/code say? How many days, specifically, to notify you am I given, as the seller of the vehicle?"
DMV: "the law doesn't say".
Me: "Nothing specific"?
DMV: "That's right."
Me: "then I'm not in violation."
The DMV isn't budging. They only (name, rank, serial number) say I've got to give them evidence of insurance. I tell them back again, "How can I do that? It isn't my vehicle, nor was it my vehicle on March 9th"
They don't care.
I'm facing a $600? $650? fine if I don't give them what they want. And I can't. And they're saying even if I do pay the $650, I'm going into SR-22 status. Don't pay the $650, and I'm on a suspended license.
Only after I pay am I allowed to appeal, but they're telling me even then, I don't get the $650 back.
WTF?
Someone help me.
Any legal eagles here?
Anyone been through anything like this?
PS- I do have a Mac. There's a box in my toolshed with a hole cut in it. I have been known to be a heavy drinker. So, those bases are all covered...
Thanks in advance, Lizards o' the Lounge.
|