Michigan Drivers Responsibility Law, An Unfair Act During Hard Times
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In Michigan, since October 2003, there’s been a diabolical little law in place called the, Michigan Driver’s Responsibility Law. This devious program was put into effect to supposedly tax unsafe drivers for negligent or dangerous driving conduct. Sounds like a good idea in theory, but I’m seeing it more as a grab for cash in a state that really can’t afford it. I’m currently struggling through bureaucracy and red tape to get my license reinstated due to this, “what I consider”, unfair law.
My Story
In early 2006 I was stopped for running a red light. I would like to argue, but my bad and I took the ticket. This was a problem for someone like me at the time. I was barely making enough money to exist. I had been laid off from my job as a web designer and had been on unemployment for the better part of 4 months when this happened.
As luck would have it my insurance lapsed by 1 sorry week when I was popped. Luckily about a month later I landed a new job and was able to catch up on bills. Well since my insurance lapsed I was hit with the Driver’s Responsibility Law. I was charged $200 which I paid and figured I had made up for my negligence.
I should have read the fine print. The act states that the offender will be charged $200 for 2 years = $400 owed. I’ve since moved about 4 blocks from where I used to live when I was ticketed. I put in a change of address form and had no problems getting bills from my insurance company, for my car payment, for utilities and income tax documents, yet I never once received a letter from the Department of Treasury or Secretary of State stating I owed any more money or that my license was even suspended. By the way I didn’t even know who I owed this money to until I went into the Secretary of State.
The Secretary Of State Doesn’t Have to Tell You When Your License is Suspended
My license was suspended for the better part of 2007. I had no idea and wasn’t contacted by anyone, including the Secretary of State saying my license was suspended. To my knowledge, and I’ve looked, there’s no place online to find this out and no one but the cops will tell you when, and if you are in violation.
I Was Supposed to Be Arrested
On February 21, 2008 I was pulled over again for running a red light. I know I’m a dumb ass. I was lost and not paying enough attention to the traffic lights. Again my bad, but imagine my surprise when the officer came up to my car window and told me my license was suspended and that they should by all rights take me into jail. I asked why and how long it was suspended and they didn’t have any info to provide me.
I’m Not the Only One Effected by This
When I went to court there were at least 8 other people that were there for a pre-trial for the same offense as me. We were all processed and given arraignment dates. When I went to the lobby I asked the clerk if there was any temporary license I could get as I have to drive to work everyday. She told me I had to be tried before anything like that would be issued.
When I came back a month later I was the last person called up as I didn’t have an attorney. All they wanted was my money so I figured why spend more. In retrospect I wish I would have at least gotten a phone consultation as an attorney would have told me I could pay my fine at any time. Imagine my frustration when i found this out. Grrrr.
About the Last Trip I Took to the Secretary Of State
I went in last week to pay to have my license reinstated. The Ogor behind the counter told me I couldn’t pay the reinstatement fee until I paid the Department of Treasury. She gave me a sheet of paper that had 3 offices I could visit to pay for Michigan Driver’s Responsibility farce. The closest one being in Detroit. Mind you I am now 2 days in the hole at work for fixing this ticket. That’s 2 days of vacation time I had to take off in order to get right with the state. She also told me it would take up to 5 weeks if I paid by phone not to come back until June 2 as the funds would not be cleared until then.
Name Me One Other Business That Works This Way
So I called the Treasury Department and paid by phone and was told that the funds would be cleared by the following Wedensday. Again I don’t know why all this takes so long to clear. I can pay any other bill by credit card and have it clear immediately, but for some reason I couldn’t pay the bill to have my license reinstated.
This stretches out the amount of time I need to drive with a suspended license. A license I didn’t know was suspended. A suspension that would get me arrested if I was pulled over. A fee I could have taken care of at any possible time over the past year had I’d known it were even on my record!
I have a job… I have the means..??
So Riddle Me This
These questions appear in no specific order, but are something to think about given our current state of affairs.
- Why would Michigan keep a law in place like this when our unemployment rate is 7.1% while the national average is around 5.2%?
- Why in a state where we’re contemplating extending the unemployment benefits by 6 weeks would anyone think this is a good idea to keep this on the books?
- In 2006 there were 750 homes that were foreclosed on in Michigan. This year alone the number has sky rocketed to over a staggering 7500 foreclosures. How many of these people could afford another hit to the wallet?
Why is our government trying to hit us when we’re down? WE’RE IN A RECESSION! People are lucky to be working. Why do I have to feel like a criminal when I get in my car to go by milk? I work…I pay taxes..I contribute to society.
Our founding forefathers are banging and clawing at the lining of their coffins as I type this.
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May 13th, 2008 at 3:34 am
How close are we to a revolt…for real? it is about time more of us begin to speak out about the crooks we (unfortunately, I did vote for Jennifer Granholm) voted in to protect our well being, not insure my misery and fear of my own state government. And I thought the federal government was a pain! UGGGH!
May 13th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Who knows? I’m reaaaaaly getting sick of being treated like a criminal rather than a tax paying citizen.
May 15th, 2008 at 4:08 am
not sure if this will help but take a look at it
UNIFORM ACT FOR THE SIMPLIFICATION OF FIDUCIARY SECURITY TRANSFERS (EXCERPT)
Act 239 of 1959
441.107 Fiduciary security transfers; third persons, nonliability.
Sec. 7.
(a) No person who participates in the acquisition, disposition, assignment or transfer of a security by or to a fiduciary, including a person who guarantees the signature of the fiduciary, is liable for participation in any breach of fiduciary duty by reason of failure to inquire whether the transaction involves a breach unless it is shown that he acted with actual knowledge that the proceeds of the transaction were being or were to be used wrongfully for the individual benefit of the fiduciary or that the transaction was otherwise in breach of duty.
(b) If a corporation or transfer agent makes a transfer pursuant to an assignment by a fiduciary, a person who guaranteed the signature of the fiduciary is not liable on the guarantee to any person to whom the corporation or transfer agent by reason of this act incurs no liability.
(c) This section does not impose any liability upon the corporation or its transfer agent.
History: 1959, Act 239, Eff. Mar. 19, 1960
© 2007 Legislative Council, State of Michigan
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(2acutdrri4wi4w45setep355))/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=mcl-441-107
May 15th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
thats quite a post … i had a suspended license and got pulled over here in Utah but the officer was nice enough to let me go just with a warning
May 15th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Wow are you lucky! I’ve read posts about people who still got the fine that had insurance, but not the piece of paper. I don’t know how true these are, but it seems to make as much sense as the law itself.
May 17th, 2008 at 2:56 am
I went thru a similar Nightmare over Unpaid $20 Dollar Parking Tix* Finally dug myself out of $5,500 bucks in tix + stoopid fines cuz i didn’t have the little $75 Sticker - just a license to Steal* Fat Lazy Pigs + Gov’t Bureaucrats*
No point in fighting City Hall tho*
BillyWarhols last blog post..Remix resistance is futile you will be assimilated
May 19th, 2008 at 5:56 am
here what happend to me i was behind on child support because i had no job that’s why my drivers license was suspended and now i that have a job and i got busted for no drivers license i was just trying to get the child support paid up so i could get my drivers license back! now i owe $500.00 to the state of mi. for 2 years
May 19th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
I have to apologize in advance as this post finds me furious. I just got out of the Secretary of State who would not accept my money for a second time.
The Bullshit I’ve Put Up With Up Until now
This law is such a colossal cluster fuck. I’m going to have to continue to drive on a suspended license until June 2nd. Again the fucking Ogor at the Sec of State told me I could go to the Pontiac office to see who else I owed money to, but I really don’t have the time to take off another afternoon from work. So my license is suspended, but I don’t know what my next move is.
I’ve paid the treasury, I’ve paid my original ticket..who the hell else wants a fucking cut. This truly pisses me off as I have to go to court again tomorrow. Essentially the state is saying to me you have to drive suspended for another week or so because we can’t get our shit together. Another week mind you with, “Click it or Ticket ” in full effect.
I fucking can’t stand the bureaucracy in this bullshit waste of a state.
Money I’ve Spent Up Until now
$200.00 - Original Driver’s Responsibility Fee
$150.00 - Most current ticket
$200.00 - Last Driver’s Responsibility Fee
——–
$550.00
What else I owe
$150.00 - License reinstatement fee
??? - Court Costs
??? - Other reinstatement fees & hidden costs
Again what other business works like this? Who else can string you along like this other than the powers that be. I’m trying to do the right thing. I’m trying to clear this up. They wont let me in a timely fashion. I think they want me to drive around for as long as it takes them to catch me for some other chicken shit law and bust me again and really put the screws to my wallet.
How is this fair? How is this legal?
June 6th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
I say dont pay it, the law is not right and god wouldn’t want anyone to put their life in danger just for the sake of driving safe. I obey the lord before Jennifer Grandholm anyday of the week. The way I see it if no one paid it and over 5,000 people had it driving on a suspended license; they couldn’t jail’em all. If they tried it’d make it back to DC and the supreme court and then you’d see the end of this law.
June 11th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Well I finally got my lisense reinstated today. I no longer have to look over my shoulder for cops when I leave. Although I still will. I had the priveledge of going in and paying a $125.00 reinstatement fee. This was my 3rd trip to the Secretary of State. Bringing the grand total of what I spent on this whole fiasco that started in March $725.00.
I have 1 more court appointment next week brining it up to 4 times I’ve had to go stand in front of a judge. This mind you has me down 3 days of vacation time now dealing with this travesty.
This is an unfair an unjust law. Hard working people..tax payers can’t afford to pay such insane prices during these hard times. Do the right thing. REPEAL THIS LAW.
Here’s my piece of paper. You already have my money. Fuck you Grandholm. I hope you choke on it.
June 16th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
This is quite a story. You have it well documented. I’m surprised some news agency hasn’t picked it up yet. I’m all for cracking down on irresponsible drivers, but the courts are made up of HUMANS for a reason. This robotic response to your human situation is egregious abuse by our system. I’m glad you got your license back.
Jacks last blog post..Smoke And Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
June 16th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Thanks Jack I’m just trying to spread the word. I have to go to court tomorrow for hopefully the last time over this case. It’s pretty bogus. One of the reasons they don’t want to get rid of this law is because it creates so much revenue for the state.
In my head that’s a really weak argument though. I’m supposed to believe it’s ok for the state to bully it’s citizens when times are tough? When they can’t afford to keep the lights on let alone provide car insurance. How is raping your citizens wallets an acceptable form of providing state funding? This one holds no water with me.
I’m not saying that I have an alternative, but again how is this helping anyone but the state right now? We need a different alternative. Screwing over Michigan residents is not a solid plan. The poor are getting poorer.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Well the madness is finally over….for now. I went to court this morning for the 4th time and had the DWLS dropped. Got the ticket February 21, 2008 finally resolved June 17, 2008. It doesn’t even really feel good. It’s nice to not have this over my head any more, but I do feel like I have been raped by our legal system. Watch out folks. Make sure you’re license isn’t suspended.If it is, make sure to pay it before you’re pulled over. It’s only a matter of time.
June 23rd, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Some more food for thought.
Michigan’s Jobless Rate Hit 8.5% In May
Get rid of this law. We obviously can’t afford it.
June 25th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
thanx for the postings. i know i’m an idiot, and made a few bad choices in regard to auto legalities, but tell me if the punishment fits the crime here. check this out… i get a ticket for a broken taillight. cop tells me fix taillight it’s all good. apparently i was supposed to get it approved (the repair) at a police station. never did. i moved to new home, never got any notices from state. get pulled over a year or so later, find out license is suspended. they impound truck, leave me sitting on highway in middle of workday on my way to deliver to customer (i’m a screenprinter). my tickets were dwsl, and no proof of insurance. my woman is pregnant at the time, we had just bought a house we could barely afford, and we were struggling with baby on the way. 3 weeks later, i get popped again driving to pick up supplies. this time, they impound truck, cut my license, write 2 more tickets, and arrest me. long story short, in less than one month, for an unpaid taillight ticket, it magnified into over $5,000 in fees, jail cost, tickets, vehicle impound fees, and driver responsibility fees. let’s not mention time missed from working. for a guy working 50+ hrs a week just to try to pay a mortgage and pay bills, starting a little screenprinting business because i couldn’t find enough construction work, this is out of the realm of possibility to pay. i HAD to move. i had NO choice. i couldn’t renew my plates. couldn’t get a license. couldn’t pay fees unless i gave up my house. i moved to new orleans, and have been away from my 2 daughters and woman for over 2 years now, which means pay mortgage back home, and pay new bills down here, plus travel costs back and forth to see my kids when i can. just now can i start to look into paying this bullshit off, and i am SOOO pissed at the state of michigan for doing this to my life. i can’t wait to see what surprises await during this process of paying it off to get my license back. any tips would be VERY appreciated. disconcerted in new orleans, mike
June 27th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Mike: Unfortunately I’ve been reading more and more of these horror stories and there is no end in sight. In fact the reason they don’t want to get rid of this law is because it generates so much money for the state of Michigan. Thanks, but I’d rather have a tax hike. And really how is that a viable option? These laws are set by our elected officials and they’re saying that they want to bully the cash out of us. And we just have to accept it. It’s just plain wrong.
So they have this law in New Orleans as well?
June 27th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
A few sad posts from the online petition. Please sign the online petition here.
Because of this Law I have lost my house and my car and am now HOMELESS, I did my time the for the offense, had to pay the fines assessed. Now the goverment of michigan has taken everything i OWNED. Is that enough for them????
My employment checks are being garneshed for the michigan drivers responsibility fees which is making my checks short of paying rent and other bills such as heat and electricity and I feel that the state doesn’t care about the well-being of my child/children and if I get evicted or my utilities are shut-off they will then try to get cps involved.
I owe 6,000 I cant even go to work anymore Its a huge financial hardship. You’re killing me!:(
The fines have caused me financial hardship. With the price of everyday living constantly increasing, life for some of us is rough. I am in the process of regaining my driving privilege. It’s $2500 later and I seem to still be paying “The State of Michigan”. Thanks, Terry Land… I voted for you. Gues What??? You won’t get my vote next time!!!
July 24th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
I know how everybody feels, and I agree. I cannot afford to pay their stupid fee. The treasurary just sent me a leter that they were going to issue a levy aginst my bank accounts and financial assets. I just pulled my name off my joint checking account with my wife. She is getting SSI. I live 20 miles from town. I lost my job and my business due to this blood sucking law.
I didn’t vote for Grandholm or Land. I do believe that they should be charged $2000.00 per day for the office that they use that all of own. Maybe that they would get the hint!