Non-payment of rego; getting out of the fine

[whitelion65]

Hi,
as the title suggests, I have a mate who has recently copped a fine for non-payment of rego.
He was picked up by number plate recognition. A long story, but it turns out that he had only paid for his green slip, forgetting to pay the actual rego.

Has anyone had experience with applying for leniency in these cases. A copy of the letter used would be great.
Cheers
Steve

[b0son]

Originally Posted by whitelion65

Hi,
as the title suggests, I have a mate who has recently copped a fine for non-payment of rego.
He was picked up by number plate recognition. A long story, but it turns out that he had only paid for his green slip, forgetting to pay the actual rego.

Has anyone had experience with applying for leniency in these cases. A copy of the letter used would be great.
Cheers
Steve

A letter is worthwhile, along with evidence of the paid green slip (if your intent was to drive without rego, why would you get a green slip). If he has no history of fines non-payment, it's certainly worth a shot.

[JC]

What state? A mate of mine did a similar thing in NSW, and he was told too bad - pay the fine (which is much more than the cost of the rego). Good luck with that one....

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by JC

What state? and he was told too bad - pay the fine (which is much more than the cost of the rego).

Yep, it's usually 2 fines. No rego and no 3rd party. (as the 3rd party insurance isn't valid if the car isn't registered)

[whitelion65]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

Yep, it's usually 2 fines. No rego and no 3rd party. (as the 3rd party insurance isn't valid if the car isn't registered)

I think it's actually three, with two of them discretionary (which were waived at the time of infringement).
Yes it is NSW.

Another piece of "supporting evidence" he has, is an automated reminder, which he received AFTER the fine.

The fine, as mentioned, IS more than the rego. Around $600, so worth fighting.

I have left my old rego labels on the car, to serve as a reminder. His car has never had a label.

[Stefan]

Not sure the reminder will help, I always got 2 or 3 text message reminders and a letter in the mail before rego and I know they send a text after it is due if you have not paid. So if you mate got a reminder after he got the fine he most certainly had a few before too.

[ebv8]

last weekend i was cought out, i thought my rego expired on the 28th, i had the pink slip and was going to pay the greenslip when i got back to work
anyway on the 26th i was 2 hours from home and i got an email saying my rego was due today, i rang to get a greenslip but couldn't due to the public holidays so i had to drive home unregistered, i didn't get pulled up but i was freaking out, i would have plead my case to the cop but its their decision if they book me or not.

[You Yangs]

No Excuse, you're Captain of the ship and you should know when things are due

[Express]

I don't know how successful he'll be but it never hurts to ask.

I got followed into my driveway a few years back driving an out of rego car simply because I forgot.

The kind Police Officer told me not to drive it again until the rego was paid and left it at that.

Sometimes the Car God's do smile on you.

[DoreSlamR]

Originally Posted by You Yangs

No Excuse, you're Captain of the ship and you should know when things are due

I doubt Captain Kirk bothered himself with when the Rego was due on the Enterprise..

[Itsme]

It sux, the system has been rigged with the onus on the owner, just another way govco extracting more money out of the public.

[xxx000]

Originally Posted by trublu

It sux, the system has been rigged with the onus on the owner, just another way govco extracting more money out of the public.

you receive a rego renewal notice prior plus a green slip renewal notice from your insurer too

it's hardly rigged and unfair

[Patty]

Last September I received a work car (Not my responsibility to pay rego as our accounts department do that) and VICroads don't send out rego stickers anymore so I didn't know when the rego was due.
In December I go to fill up with petrol at a new BP station (equipped with numberplate reading tech) and the BP guy turned my pump off and announced over the PA system for me to come to the counter. I did so and he told me that my car was scanned and I'm not registered. He told me he wouldn't call the cops (although company policy is that he should) and let me prepay $20 of fuel. I left the station, turned into a service lane, went online to VICROADS, paid $30 or whatever it was to get a 24hr temp registration (which allows you to only drive to vicroads, a mechanic or home) and then drove back to work. I blasted our accounts department as they let it lapse for over 3 months!!! If I had a crash, not only would the damage not be covered, but any injuries to my family or others wouldn't be covered either. You have to be so careful with this stuff.

In terms of your mates issue, I feel bad for him, but the right thing to do would be suck it up and pay. He is responsible and can't blame anyone else (I know he is not). I can't see the courts being lenient on this one. They would hear that excuse all the time.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Patty

Last September I received a work car (Not my responsibility to pay rego as our accounts department do that) and VICroads don't send out rego stickers anymore so I didn't know when the rego was due.
In December I go to fill up with petrol at a new BP station (equipped with numberplate reading tech) and the BP guy turned my pump off and announced over the PA system for me to come to the counter. I did so and he told me that my car was scanned and I'm not registered. He told me he wouldn't call the cops (although company policy is that he should) and let me prepay $20 of fuel. I left the station, turned into a service lane, went online to VICROADS, paid $30 or whatever it was to get a 24hr temp registration (which allows you to only drive to vicroads, a mechanic or home) and then drove back to work. I blasted our accounts department as they let it lapse for over 3 months!!! If I had a crash, not only would the damage not be covered, but any injuries to my family or others wouldn't be covered either. You have to be so careful with this stuff.

Whilst I feel for your inconvenience, since when did the RMS/Police outsource their job to console operators.

I'd also be concerned what other information they have access too.

[Patty]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

Whilst I feel for your inconvenience, since when did the RMS/Police outsource their job to console operators.

I'd also be concerned what other information they have access too.

All they do is link your number plate to the VICROADS website. SO there are no privacy breaches. They are doing it to ensure they don't get people coming through with stolen plates.

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Originally Posted by trublu

It sux, the system has been rigged with the onus on the owner, just another way govco extracting more money out of the public.

Yes definitely unfair that you should be responsible for registration of your own car, surly it must be someone else's responsibility to look after your affairs....

I don't call it extracting money, it's just a 'stupid' tax I guess...

[whitelion65]

I'd be guessing the petrol stations are trying to combat non-payers using stolen plates.
You're right 'though, what are the privacy implications of having third parties handling this data???

[olfella]

Originally Posted by whitelion65

I'd be guessing the petrol stations are trying to combat non-payers using stolen plates.
You're right 'though, what are the privacy implications of having third parties handling this data???

It really is not a concern as all they have is your Rego plate number and the make/model of vehicle. So if a car turns up they can tell if to let them fill up or not. Personally, I see nothing wrong with pre paying via card.

[XR Martin]

You can punch in a rego into any of the State's websites and it will tell you whether the car is rego'd or stolen.

So I imagine the service station is running software linked to the various road authorities.

[commodorenutt]

4 years in a row I had to chase the fleet company to ensure my rego was paid on time. One occasion I made them courier the label out on a same day courier, as I was going on holidays.

The last time it happened was 2014 (no labels in NSW by then). I checked the app, and it wasn't paid - it was due that day. I rang the fleet company & ripped them. Turns out they deliberately leave regos to only a day or 2 before they are due - for cashflow - but the girl who was doing them was off sick.....

A workmate was in a similar situation - same fleet. He was pulled over in Dubbo unreg'd on a Friday - 2 weeks overdue. The fleet company hadn't paid it, and to top it off, they'd all gone home for the weekend... He got the XPT back to Sydney & told them to get a tilt tray to pick it up.

He took it to court, and the judge upheld the fine, saying that he should have checked it himself.

[devilcv8]

Originally Posted by commodorenutt

He took it to court, and the judge upheld the fine, saying that he should have checked it himself.

Unfortunately that is the simple fact. it is up to the driver to know if the vehicle is registered, which is easily checked.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by devilcv8

Unfortunately that is the simple fact. it is up to the driver to know if the vehicle is registered, which is easily checked.

Yes, simple to check but unfair.

Perhaps a 5 digit fine to any company that allows its workers to unknowingly drive an unregistered car will reduce the 'cashflow' and 'was sick that day' excuses...

Or, enforce that company cars MUST retain their stickers (for a fee, of course).

They must be bloody raking it in now that the stickers are gone....

Save 50c per rego to not make the sticker, make thousands on the poor buggers that get fined when it lapses.

[b0son]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Save 50c per rego to not make the sticker, make thousands on the poor buggers that get fined when it lapses.

Considering the proliferation in HWP cars sitting on the side of the road doing nothing but running their number plate recognition systems, you're probably on the money.

[mike_nofx]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Save 50c per rego to not make the sticker, make thousands on the poor buggers that get fined when it lapses.

I don't agree with this. A sticker isn't needed to tell you when to pay your rego.

Do people need stickers on their light switches to remind them to pay an electricity bill?

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

I don't agree with this. A sticker isn't needed to tell you when to pay your rego.

Do people need stickers on their light switches to remind them to pay an electricity bill?

Chalk and bloody cheese. Really?

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

I don't agree with this. A sticker isn't needed to tell you when to pay your rego.

Do people need stickers on their light switches to remind them to pay an electricity bill?

I totally agree with Yellow Festiva re the50c sticker.You go to look and have a drive of a used car.The salesman says yeah got 7 months rego on this little beauty.Flashing lights your'e unreg old mate.Thats $800 thank you.You are the driver so it is your fine.

[b0son]

Originally Posted by commodorenutt

He took it to court, and the judge upheld the fine, saying that he should have checked it himself.

Yep. Don't go to court expecting anything approaching logic, common sense or fairness.

[commodorenutt]

Originally Posted by b0son

Yep. Don't go to court expecting anything approaching logic, common sense or fairness.

Exactly right.

Prior to going, he sought legal advice, and they suggested getting statements from other fleet drivers to say they had to chase the fleet company to remind them to rego their own cars. I gave him my history, and so did others, but he pulled out of that idea, realising the judge may see that as warning signs that he should have been more vigilant anyway.

He thought he may have a chance by pushing the point that a fully maintained fleet car should be just that. He even said in his opening address had it beeen his own car with rego papers sent to his home, and he'd simply forgotten to pay the rego, he'd wear it 100%, but being a fully maintained fleet car, he doesn't see the rego papers at all, so has no warning.

So I think if you're a private individual, and the car is in your name, you stand even less chance of leniency.

My brother in law got done in his work ute too. His wife forgot to pay it (she did the books for the company). It was a $560 or so fine - less than for an individual. Not sure why the difference though. Based on my workmates lack of luck, he didn't even bother going to court - he simply paid the fine (ironically he's now going through a divorce too!)

But having no labels is making things real hard when it comes to fleet cars, and even hiring rentals. We had a couple of cars transferred up to NSW from VIC over Xmas. I made sure I used the vicroads app to check the one I was going to use for a day. I would also check any rental I get interstate now, that doesn't have a label, just in case. You can never be too careful.

[b0son]

Originally Posted by commodorenutt

He thought he may have a chance by pushing the point that a fully maintained fleet car should be just that. He even said in his opening address had it beeen his own car with rego papers sent to his home, and he'd simply forgotten to pay the rego, he'd wear it 100%, but being a fully maintained fleet car, he doesn't see the rego papers at all, so has no warning.

In the judge's warped logic, he probably realizes your mate was wronged by the fleet company, but decided to apply the letter of the law and leave it your mate to pursue the fleet company for compensation. Only people working in the legal system think using the legal system is an efficient way to address a problem....

[Jastel]

Qld has an App as well...still a bit annoying but you can check mates car work car etc...