So I got the below document in the mail yesterday. It was not forwarded from my former address on Belvidere Street in El Paso seeing as I haven't lived there in 18 months and I think they only forward your mail for six. It was sent to my address in Arlington, Virginia - an incredible community where Joyce Wilson was once a deputy city manager and apparently grew up - FYI.
Here's the document:
Looks like I have an unpaid red light traffic violation and that my ability to register my vehicle in Texas has been suspended until I pay them $100. But there's a little more to it than that - the infraction took place on October 9, 2008 - during the Bush Administration. Wow.... it's been five years since I (or my wife, but she never does anything wrong so it couldn't be her) ran a red light in El Paso and I'm just now hearing about it for the first time.
I went through all my records and we had red light violations after that date (paid them on time), speeding tickets (paid them - defensive driving is more expensive than paying them and your insurance still goes up) and we registered our vehicle in 2009, 2010 and 2011 without a a problem. How is this now a problem? Obviously if I hadn't paid the ticket by October 9, 2009, I would have been 12 months late and not able to register my vehicle. Ditto for 2010 and 2011 when it should have gone to collections by then. And I was notified in 2012 by the State of Texas that I needed to pay my bad driver tax in order to keep my license and register my car - they mentioned nothing of the four-year-old unpaid red light infraction in El Paso. (note: I sent them a letter saying "you may all go to hell, I'm going to Virginia" which cleared up the matter.)
So what gives? Is the red light camera system five years behind? Or is there something more sinister going on? Does a certain police union official who hates me and my mother have a way of making these things appear?
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UPDATE:
So, I talked to the very nice lady at the Red Light office in El Paso. She told me that I'm getting notice now because there was a measure passed by the county called the "Scofflaw" something or other in 2012 allowing them to put a hold on a person's vehicle registration until they paid the fine.
Well - that explains the punishment, but it doesn't explain why I never received any notice of this before and how I was able to do business with the city, serve on boards and commissions and have a debt owed to the city. Some of you may know that you can't do certain things with the city if you owe them money. They checked me out in 2009, 2010, and 2011 - NOTHING.
What's weird is that the lady said the ticket was issued when I lived at an address on Espada Street. Thinking back - the date coincides with the time we were about to move into our new house on Belvidere. My mail was forwarded and I knew the owners of the old house, so any notification of a violation would have gotten to me unless in some miracle coincidence of mathematics and paranormal activity I got all of my mail except the notice of this red light ticket. Hmm... maybe this was all my fault. I got every single issue of the 20 or so magazines I'm signed up for, Christmas cards, Easter cards, investment and banking statements, but I didn't get any of the notices that I ran a red light. That's totally feasible, right? For six months after moving from Espada I had not a single issue getting all of my mail except for this one notice of a violation. So weird...
Then I noticed the letter is addressed to my Belvidere address. However, the envelope I got last night in the mail was my correct Virginia address. The lady told me that because they didn't know my address after I moved from Espada, that's why I never received notice. But wait - they do know my Belvidere address. They would have known it when I registered my vehicle in November of that year at my new house. At the least they'd know in 2009 or 2010. They never sent anything.
What gives? Five years after the fact I learn of a ticket?
My money is on the theory of busy work for bureaucrats - or they sold the unpaid tickets to a debt collection agency that is allowed to use the City Logo and this "scofflaw" law.
Posted by: Lslsls | January 30, 2013 at 02:12 PM
I don't think that they or anyone can prove that you were actually driving the vehicle. It could have been anyone. Isnt the burden of proof on them. By paying the fine you admit guit. By not paying the fine, I doubt that they could legally hold up the registration of your vehicle. I believe that to be unconstitutional. I also have received two of these notices and I write back and tell them that it was not me driving. Every year I also reregister my vehicle thru the mail. California just got rid of all red light cameras because people figured out that you really dont have to pay the fine....and so they didnt....Red light cameras are a joke. You wasted your money. Sorry.
Posted by: Damnit Norma! | January 30, 2013 at 04:59 PM
DK you funny conspiracy guy. Probably as lslsls said, may be collection agency they will pick up a debt going years back way after any SOL has run. Good piece on Obama - btw. Congrats. Just had a chance to check it out.
Posted by: M Morales | January 30, 2013 at 09:25 PM
David,
Before only the county was participating in the scofflaw verification program, but now the city is doing the same.
http://www.elpasotimes.com/opinion/ci_21615326
Posted by: Myself | January 31, 2013 at 06:12 AM
Considering the volume of data that is almost always wrong in their records, I'm always surprised at how much they get correct if they've been told they might not get paid next month.
Posted by: dot | January 31, 2013 at 09:41 AM
its not a conspiracy. its happening to everybody in exactly the same way. happened to me exactly the way it happened to you. they have to pay for the ballpark and new city hall someway.
Posted by: another redlight runner | January 31, 2013 at 12:23 PM
dot, you must take crab pills.
another red light runner,you lost. Get over it. Stop your crying. Get a pacifier!
Posted by: Josie | January 31, 2013 at 12:58 PM
There is no burden of proof on the city. The car went through the light and the owner is responsible unless they can prove another person was driving the vehicle.
Posted by: Wert | January 31, 2013 at 01:30 PM
Wert,
There is no reason to pay that ticket either.
Posted by: Damnit Norma! | January 31, 2013 at 10:28 PM