davewill
Active Member
In your shoes, I'd just give up the plate and pick something else. Nothing good is going to come of trying to hang onto it.
EarlyAdopter
Active Member
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.
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.
Jaff
Active Member
fluxemag
Member
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 know the car is being driven daily on the toll bridge, so the owner is likely still alive....or a family member is driving it but hasn't re-registered the car. The latter seems unlikely.
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.
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.
Kickin
Member
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!
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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I kinda like idea #2. Very effective!
Maybe rpo can get some other local forumites to help out with the stake-out.
I don't believe there is any place on that bridge where you could see the car drive by and also get on the highway to follow them....especially at rush hour which is when the other driver is supposedly using the bridge every day.
Kickin
Member
The term "toll bridge" is used but there is more than one toll bridge in Washington. Is it the Tacoma Narrows toll bridge between Tacoma and Gig Harbor or the now tolled floating bridge between Seattle and Bellevue?
520 is the floating bridge. That's the one the other driver is apparently using all the time.
BerTX
Supporting Member
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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goneskiian
Active Member
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.
Either way, it could be worth a stake out.
ferdboyce
Member
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.
goneskiian
Active Member
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