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Somebody else has my same license plate in the same state

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You know, I was surprised at how lax WA is about turning personalized plates back in. I decided to not carry over my personalized plates from my old P85 to the new P85D. I emailed the licensing agency to ask how I was supposed to register that I wasn't going to use them any more. The response back was "let the registration expire and then surrender them to a local licensing agency." When I went in to turn in the plates the people at the licensing agency looked at me like I was from Mars - no one ever brings the plates in. "Uh, sure... we can recycle those for you..." I asked them "Ok, thanks. And this is where you register in your system that I've returned them, right?" Nope. They don't do a thing.

I could have just tossed them in the recycle bin at home, hung them on the wall, or, as is in this case, kept driving around on them. Heck, if you had renewal stickers for another plate you could slap them on the personalized plate and keep driving around with what appeared to be a perfectly valid plate.
 
Could be that the owner has passed on to the Great Supercharger in the Sky, and the car is waiting for his estate to dispose of it. I had a similar situation happen with the vanity plates (actually amateur radio plates) on one of my cars. The previous holder had passed away about 5 years earlier and his car hadn't been re-registered in a while.
 
I've got a quick update:

The WA Department of Licensing just told me that they hope to have this resolved...in a few weeks, but then they admitted they don't know how to get the other person to take my plates off of their car. Regardless of that, they had to swap the toll account to my name and address since I legally have that license plate, so now I will be getting charged every time that other driver goes across the bridge. That has already occurred twice since yesterday, which means I will be getting billed $3.80 whenever the freeloader crosses the toll bridge. SH*T.
 
I've got a quick update:

The WA Department of Licensing just told me that they hope to have this resolved...in a few weeks, but then they admitted they don't know how to get the other person to take my plates off of their car. Regardless of that, they had to swap the toll account to my name and address since I legally have that license plate, so now I will be getting charged every time that other driver goes across the bridge. That has already occurred twice since yesterday, which means I will be getting billed $3.80 whenever the freeloader crosses the toll bridge. SH*T.

Wow. That sucks.

Is there any pattern to their bridge crossing? (Or does the bill even reveal the time?) Maybe it's worth a stake-out if you can narrow down the time enough.
 
Wow, that sux. This is what I would do, since you are now getting billed his tolls, you should know the exact times he crosses. Find his pattern, set up shop at the other end of the Bridge, wait until he comes over, follow him, then:

1) when he parks, call the cops and have them remove the "stolen plate" or,
2) take his plates off the car, he'll get cited with no plates, problem solved.

Of course they will know who did it, but I don't think you could be charged with stealing something that is yours?

i personally would do #1, it's possible this guy is just too busy to even notice his reg lapse...

mark and I think alike!
 
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Wow, that sux. This is what I would do, since you are now getting billed his tolls, you should know the exact times he crosses. Find his pattern, set up shop at the other end of the Bridge, wait until he comes over, follow him, then:

1) when he parks, call the cops and have them remove the "stolen plate" or,
2) take his plates off the car, he'll get cited with no plates, problem solved.

Of course they will know who did it, but I don't think you could be charged with stealing something that is yours?

i personally would do #1, it's possible this guy is just too busy to even notice his reg lapse...

mark and I think alike!

I kinda like idea #2. Very effective! :)

Maybe rpo can get some other local forumites to help out with the stake-out.
 
2) take his plates off the car, he'll get cited with no plates, problem solved.

Of course they will know who did it, but I don't think you could be charged with stealing something that is yours?

Plates actually belong to the state, they aren't "yours". Taking plates off of someone else's car is a pretty serious offense. I know this was in jest, but...
 
The Agency or State should assign this to a field unit to perhaps visit the last listed address(es) and attempt to locate car or drivers. If that fails then assign this case to law enforcement to apprehend vehicle. I assume 'privacy' prevents you from learning their address.
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There are overpasses at each end of the bridge you could use to scan the road for them. There are also exits off of 520 before each of these. What are the chances they're getting off into the Arboretum or into Medina every time? I would say 50/50. They could live close to those exits on either end, but they are likely going beyond on one side or the other.

Either way, it could be worth a stake out.
 
I would think that a local TV station . . . like "Get Jesse" or similar . . . would have a field day with this. A chance to tweak the DOT over their tolling anomalies (to put it kindly) and to be a hero for one of their viewers. Mr. Rudd, Seattle Times, eats this kind of fustercluck up as well.