Inspection-sticker arbitrage

By adamg on Tue, 09/11/2007 - 11:16am

Eeka figures out how to save $29 every 11 years on her annual car inspections.

Topics:

Driving

Free tagging:

RMV

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Comments

Alas, No More

By SwirlyGrrl
Tue, 09/11/2007 - 11:46am

I used to pull this trick, but I can't anymore. Starting this year, they actually have gotten all electronical about this. Your registration gets flagged and yanked if you don't do it on time, and you pay the fine when you finally get around to the inspection.

Thats not neccesarily true.

By Sarah
Tue, 09/11/2007 - 11:54am

Thats not neccesarily true. I had mine done a month late this year and didn't pay a fine.

But I DID get a ticket on Newbury Street for an expired sticker so I didn't escape entirely without punishment :-P

Didn't happen to me...

By eeka
Tue, 09/11/2007 - 12:01pm

(Hey this thing's finally letting me log in!)

They put my registration into the computer and everything, but only charged me $29 and gave me September instead of August. Perhaps it does it if you do it more than a month late or something?

http://1smootshort.blogspot.com

I'm not sure how they can do

By Anonymous
Tue, 09/11/2007 - 12:52pm

I'm not sure how they can do that. As far as I recall, the law bars operation of an uninspected motor vehicle. Merely letting the sticker lapse is not illegal. So the RMV would need to demonstrate that you drove it during the lapsed period; a practically impossible task.

Anyone want to look up the actual law (it's in chapter 90 somewhere) and see if my memory is accurate?

Champeen Auto-Procrastinator

By Gareth
Wed, 09/12/2007 - 9:42am

I usually don't get around to reinspection until six months or so after my old one expires.

But at least they put the inspection sticker on themselves, because I'd never get around to it. This weekend my wife finally broke down and put the new registration sticker on my plate - and noticed that I never put the previous one on at all.

Does that make me the Champeen Auto-Procrastinator? I've never gotten a fine or a ticket for either lapse.

eeka is talking about

By lizb
Tue, 09/11/2007 - 12:12pm

eeka is talking about inspections - which are different than your registration

Duh!

By SwirlyGrrl
Tue, 09/11/2007 - 2:03pm

Um, yeah, like I don't get that? Duh. LTFR!

Registrations and inspections are different, but they can be electronically LINKED as you have to, you know, present one to get the other?

Perhaps somebody encouraged the state to back off on the scheme, but as of May, 2006 the plan was to flag registrations for revocation and fine you when you went in late.

I was handed an official state notice to that effect when I was 4 months late to get my old car inspected.

Get inspection first...

By not Lizb...
Tue, 09/11/2007 - 3:09pm

"Your registration gets flagged and yanked"
I read your comment the same way as Lizb did (but know Swilly Girl is quite often "jump down your throat girl".)

I think Liz did "FR" and was trying to help clarify. Eeka said 'inspection'; you said 'registration'.

I do believe there is a grace period though of a few weeks. Four months would/should get some sort of fine.

wtf is a ltfr?

By bostnkid
Tue, 09/11/2007 - 3:56pm

swilly girl is jump down your throat girllllll.lol.but i seriously dont know what LTFR means.
on registrations.last year i was a good boy and renewed online.they sent me my new registration and the little sticker for my plate.my registration ran out at the end of july so on august 1 i left my house at 5:30am( i know, i should have gone to college) and i find a ticket on my car for an expired registration! they wrote the ticket at 1:30am! i think they might still be watching me.
p.s. i won the appeal