caboblanco

i got pulled over by a police officer yesterday..apparently I forgot to pay my last insurance bill and my plan had expired. I trying to figure out what to do right now. My car got towed and i can't get it back until i have insurance. I

don't know what my penalty is going to be in court. This is the first time this happened to me. It was an honest mistake. A stupid one I admit..just trying to calm down but im going a little crazy...if anybody has any tips it would be appreciated

jdooner

I would consult a lawyer that has ties to the court you will have to go to. My experience is a good lawyer, while they may seem expensive can save you more in the long run in these situations.

Are they charging you with driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle or did just you insurance lapse?

caboblanco

i got pulled over...driving without insurance

jdooner

Is it civil or criminal on the ticket?

KateL

Make sure they realize it was a mistake and perhaps they will go easy on you. xxxxx

jdooner

I just looked it up and it seems rather tame a $100-$200 ticket, as CA is lenient on your first offense. I would not worry too much, sounds like you are simply going to get hit with a fine and pay for the impound of your car.

Hired a lawyer and my guess is the charge gets dropped - prob a wash for costs though.

Mountainmanbob

It's water under the bridge at this point
I hope you have the money
so as to buy insurance and get you car out
then for first time offenders
a small fine to be paid in court
Mountainman

caboblanco

i see things online that talk about 1 year suspension but of course those are lawyer websites....the sad thing is my dad was a lawyer

caboblanco

I don't know why this would be criminal..i hope not

jdooner

Cabo - I just Googled it quickly: Penalties for Driving Without Car Insurance in California

If you can afford it I recommend a lawyer and a friend of your dad's maybe - not sure of your relationship. It sounds like a first offense is fairly benign and my guess is the situation is worse in your head right now than in reality, unless there is other stuff your not letting us in on.

Take some deep breaths man, write out a plan on paper that works within your budget, make a few phone calls to some local lawyers, call your insurance and get reinstated and get the car out.

The impound bill will prob be th most expensive, they gaff you and are in bed with most local authorities so try to get the car out ASAP to minimize that bill.

Don't get caught up in civil vs criminal - I think its civil but look on the ticket it will say - should be a box checked on the back.

caboblanco

i just don't want to get suspended and im in nj

Longpasttime

While i would never advise NOT to get a lawyer for a legal matter, I do encourage you to research it first. For my dui, i got the mandatory minimums (no prior arrests, good driving record) and having a lawyer made zero difference and cost a lot. He was very good, not his fault i didnt really need him. Of course if i was wrongly accused or thought there was an issue with the case it would have been different. There are some good sites like Avvo (if that is against forum rules, i apologize) where you can get some general info and decide if a lawyer is necessary. States can be very different so make sure you are checking on your area. Take it one step at a time and make the best and most informed decision you can for each step. Best of luck!!!!!!!!

doggonecarl

And you were SOBER!!!! Imagine if it was a DUI instead of a minor violation.

ImperfectlyMe

If this was a case of over site in payment of insurance, with a small time frame of lapse in coverage, then likely you'll just face a few fines and an insurance surcharge. Where I am from they usually tack on a minimal surcharge each year through the DMV for a period of 3 years. I dont believe it's a moving violation with points accrued, but I may be wrong.

RobbyRobot

You can hopefully defend against the state requirement that you must have knowledge that your insurance was going to be cancelled. If you (your lawyer) can create a defence of not "officially" knowing, then the cancellation can be considered unlawful. The impound fees are whatever and payable no matter what legal outcome. Like JD is already saying, get that car out ASAP. And the faster you get your insurance paid up to get your car out the better it looks as an oversight and so on for the lawyer to work with.

Mountainmanbob

lucky it was only a ticket for no insurance in NJ

let's be very grateful that you were not in an accident




Did You Know

Any individual found guilty of N.J.S.A. 39:6B-2 - driving without insurance - in Old Bridge, New Jersey, for example, who is also involved in an accident, is prohibited from filing a personal injury claim regardless whether he is at fault for the accident or not.

caboblanco

i had no insurance for 4 months..the reason is i thought the 6 moth payment was a yearly payment and I never got a warning letter or god forbid a call.. I got my car back today.i got a new insurance plan..it's funny i just got into some extra cash recently..and here comes to man in blue to take it all away...o well..that is life

ScottFromWI

It could have been much, much worse cabo, glad you got your vehicle back. A good reminder to keep on top of things too, i've been trying ( and enjoying ) keeping much closer tabs on my finances and expenses since I got sober.

FeenixxRising

Take a deep breath caboblanco, you will be alright as long as you have a few hundred dollars to spend. It's not a criminal offense so there's no need to worry about that.

The only thing required to resolve the problem is money. You will probably have to pay for the following: the tow, the impound lot daily fee, the citation for driving without insurance and of course, you will have to pay to get your insurance up to date.

*****

Edit: I see that you have resolved the situation, that's good. unfortunately, traffic, registration and insurance citations can cost a fair amount of money.

caboblanco

I'm not out of the woods..I still have a court date..who knows what the lapse in insurance will cost me