My car 2nd car has not been operational, parked on the curb next to my driveway

[holden j caufield]

registration was due, I paid it and the insurance been meaning to fix it up but haven't gotten around to it. Smog was due but I haven't driven it in 4 months and it is not operational. It has not been driven. Cop gave my car a ticket for no smog registration. It has not been moved and has maybe 40 miles in 2 years. Can I protest this? It's a $53 ticket.

 

[alevasseur14]

Can you protest it? Sure. Will anybody listen? Doubtful.

 

[zerocool84]

Did you register it non-operational??? If you didn't that's why you got the ticket.

 

[alevasseur14]

Did you register it non-operational??? If you didn't that's why you got the ticket.

That's interesting. I didn't know you could register a vehicle 'non-operational'. I know this is a pretty open ended question but do most states allow this?

 

[deadlyapp]

Also, depending on your local city laws, it may be illegal.

My car was towed from the curb in front of my house because it didn't have valid tabs and was registered as "Non-Operational"

Typically any car not fully registered can be ticketed and towed.

Edit: Alevasseur14 : I know california allows it, it's only like $14. Not sure about most other states.

 

[Tsaico]

Not to mention, he actually could have had it towed instead. If it is on the street and registered as non-operational (and at least in Riverside Ca, even it is registered normal, but doesn't move in 72 hours) it can be considered abandoned and they can tow it. I had a roommate who had a car that was non-operational and he had it in the street for about a year and someone called the cops and it was towed away and impounded.

If it were in a car park or a driveway, different story. I say count your blessings, sell the car for what you can and be done with it.

 

[Leros]

I don't think you can leave a non-operational vehicle in the street.

 

[zerocool84]

I don't think you can leave a non-operational vehicle in the street.

Of course you can't cus then it'd get towed.

 

[Tsaico]

That's interesting. I didn't know you could register a vehicle 'non-operational'. I know this is a pretty open ended question but do most states allow this?

I beleive so, but in Ca, non-operational is totally non-operational. If you are caught driving it, even to the DMV to get it registered again, it is imediately impounded and you are on the hook for all the normal registration fees plus the penalties. So example, if you non-op register your car for two years, then get busted in the third driving it around, you are now paying 160% of year one, 80% of year two, and up to 60% for the current year in penatly fees, plus the actual registration for each year.

You also cannot park it anywhere on public property, like streets, parking lots, etc. And some counties like Riverside County in Ca have an extra thing called "Blight". Meaning if I park my crusty beat up buck on my driveway for the whole neighborhood to see, they can complain if I do not try to make an effort to cover it. The city can then require me to move it, cover it, or require me to pay fines, $150 for 1st ticket, 300 for next and 600 for every ticket after that. The time between tickets has to be at least 7 days though.

 

[zerocool84]

I beleive so, but in Ca, non-operational is totally non-operational. If you are caught driving it, even to the DMV to get it registered again, it is imediately impounded and you are on the hook for all the normal registration fees plus the penalties. So example, if you non-op register your car for two years, then get busted in the third driving it around, you are now paying 160% of year one, 80% of year two, and up to 60% for the current year in penatly fees, plus the actual registration for each year.

You also cannot park it anywhere on public property, like streets, parking lots, etc. And some counties like Riverside County in Ca have an extra thing called "Blight". Meaning if I park my crusty beat up buck on my driveway for the whole neighborhood to see, they can complain if I do not try to make an effort to cover it. The city can then require me to move it, cover it, or require me to pay fines, $150 for 1st ticket, 300 for next and 600 for every ticket after that. The time between tickets has to be at least 7 days though.

Damn I'm glad I don't live in Riverside. I had 3 cars that I finally sold after 3 years of sitting in my driveway.

 

[Kipper717]

Pretty much every town in every state has their own rules on "sitting" cars. I had a car in my driveway covered w/ a tarp like you're supposed to but after a wind storm blew it off, a cop gave me a ticket. My wife was at home and came out to explain when she saw what he was doing but he said he had already written the ticket, too bad. The cost of the ticket was somewhere north of a $100.

 

[deadlyapp]

I beleive so, but in Ca, non-operational is totally non-operational. If you are caught driving it, even to the DMV to get it registered again, it is imediately impounded and you are on the hook for all the normal registration fees plus the penalties. So example, if you non-op register your car for two years, then get busted in the third driving it around, you are now paying 160% of year one, 80% of year two, and up to 60% for the current year in penatly fees, plus the actual registration for each year.

You also cannot park it anywhere on public property, like streets, parking lots, etc. And some counties like Riverside County in Ca have an extra thing called "Blight". Meaning if I park my crusty beat up buck on my driveway for the whole neighborhood to see, they can complain if I do not try to make an effort to cover it. The city can then require me to move it, cover it, or require me to pay fines, $150 for 1st ticket, 300 for next and 600 for every ticket after that. The time between tickets has to be at least 7 days though.

This is what happened to me. Ticketed once for sitting on the street non-op, paid the ticket, didn't register the car, moved it to drive way. Had to move it back to street at some point, the battery died, and I forgot about it. A year later, ticketed, and less than a week after the ticket coming in the mail, gone one morning. Had been towed. Had to re-register the car, pay a $200 tow fee, the ticket got dismissed (because I re-registered the car) and I was able to convince the DMV that I didn't owe back-registration on it because I hadn't been driving it.

Fuckin royal bitch and a half.

 

[DayLaPaul]

I beleive so, but in Ca, non-operational is totally non-operational. If you are caught driving it, even to the DMV to get it registered again, it is imediately impounded and you are on the hook for all the normal registration fees plus the penalties. So example, if you non-op register your car for two years, then get busted in the third driving it around, you are now paying 160% of year one, 80% of year two, and up to 60% for the current year in penatly fees, plus the actual registration for each year.

You also cannot park it anywhere on public property, like streets, parking lots, etc. And some counties like Riverside County in Ca have an extra thing called "Blight". Meaning if I park my crusty beat up buck on my driveway for the whole neighborhood to see, they can complain if I do not try to make an effort to cover it. The city can then require me to move it, cover it, or require me to pay fines, $150 for 1st ticket, 300 for next and 600 for every ticket after that. The time between tickets has to be at least 7 days though.

This. I would also like to add that you can get a 1 day moving permit for a non operational car by requesting one from the DMV. Common reasons are to move a car for storage, repairs or to smog the car.

 

[holden j caufield]

so if I push it to my driveway I can leave it there indefinitely? I can't see someone giving you a ticket on private property.

 

[zinfamous]

see, all you needed was a few cinder blocks and some lawn space, and this never would have happened.

 

[0roo0roo]

I hate those semi abandoned cars, it really should be towed. if you got a ticket..well bah
if you want to keep a scrap car, keep it on your driveway.

 

[deadlyapp]

so if I push it to my driveway I can leave it there indefinitely? I can't see someone giving you a ticket on private property.

Yes you can, as long as you don't violate any "beautification" laws that your city may have created.

I had a police officer dispatched to my home because someone complained about a bed frame that I was making in my driveway. I had stained it and needed to let it dry for a couple hours and in that time someone called the cops and they made me move it elsewhere.