Cop pulled me over

[bigalspratty]

Hey everyone. I had a wonderful start to my weekend yesterday when I bought a newer car for myself. It was my first car with a manual transmission, and I wont deny it has been a challenge learning to drive it.

Now to the thick of it

I was driving home from an early morning meeting from work today, and I pulled up to a light on a hill. I proceeded to stall the car twice.... and I got a little frustrated. There was a cop car just behind me in another lane. She decided to pull in front of me, and as I passed, she put her lights on and pulled me over. She came up and immediately told me that my license plate was not registered, and that she needed to see my registration and insurance. I produced what I had, which was the bill of sale on the car, and my insurance from my old car, which is still active. This is where it gets foggy for me. She told me that the car was not registered OR insured, which I agreed with, because I hadnt had the chance yet to get new insurance. I was told that it wasnt a big issue by a friend of mine, so long as I had valid insurance. The cop decided rather than issuing me a $3000 fine and towing the car to issue me a ticket for failing to produce insurance.

She said its best I dont fight it because I got off pretty light..... I still feel like I got picked on a little due to the fact that she wouldnt have noticed me had I not stalled.

Do I fight or Do I surrender??? Help me CP!

[cKy]

$3,000 is going easy on you? Next time just try to run someone over - you would get less fines! I don't even know what the process is when you buy a car like that.

How long have you had the car?

[CaptainCrunch]

From my understanding your friend is wrong. You can transfer the license plate from your old car over, but you have to have insurance for your new car. The plate still has to be registered for your new car.

Whenever I've bought a new car, they've either had a register on site and let me call and get a fax temporary insurance card. Or they've arranged transportation to the nearest registrar.

But they've never let me leave the lot without the proper paperwork.

I'm no lawyer. But a bill of sale and the insurance card for your old car isn't enough.

The other question is how long have you had the new car?

Had you transferred your old plate to your new car?

[bigalspratty]

I have 15 days to register the new car, and I am doing that on Tuesday when I have a day off... Ive had the car for less than 24 hours TOTAL

[CaptainCrunch]

consult a lawyer.

From my understanding your old car license plate can validly be used, but you have to report that.

You have to have valid insurance to operate the vehicle, your other vehicle insurance won't cover it.

But I'm no expert, its just info I've gathered when I buy cars.

Asking CP for legal advice is like asking a pharmacy worker if you need to change your oil.

For a 3000 dollar fine, call a lawyer and ask what your options are.

[Sliver]

I think you're nuts not to have insured the car before driving it and I also don't understand why you wouldn't register it.

Sounds like the cop did go easy on you so maybe you should just be thankful.

[Sliver]

You guys he didn't say he got a $3k fine. He got a ticket for not producing insurance. It's probably like $50.

[OutOfTheCube]

You guys are missing that he DIDN'T get the $3000 fine that she could've given him. Instead a much lighter fine for failing to produce insurance.

I'd just pay up and get your car insured. You DID fail to produce insurance for it, and should've received a heavier fine for not even having it insured in the first place. What would you fight with?

[CMPunk]

She didn't issue him a $3000 fine...so that's a plus.

You looked suspicious because you kept stalling the car, so when she ran the plates and they came up wrong, she decided to pull you over. I doubt she did anything wrong, you might just be a victim of mis-information on your friends part.

When I bought my car, they required me to have insurance for it before I left the lot

[CaptainCrunch]

Wait, I misread she didn't tow your car and fine you the 3k?

Dude if she's right and I'm right she went incredibly light on you. Pay the fine, wipe the sweat off of your face, and punch your friend in the face for misleading you.

[Dan02]

you got lucky dude,

[Pinner]

I can't see it being legal without your insurance company being notified.

If you have insurance for a POS and buy an expensive car or have a serious accident with a car the insurance company has not insured, well that's not their problem.

[bigalspratty]

Ticket was for $172

[CaptainCrunch]

Pay it

[Pinner]

And get some chick to teach you how to drive a standard

[Antithesis]

You've gotten some good advice here ... Lucky you got pulled over by someone in a good mood.

[getbak]

http://www.transportation.alberta.ca/1951.htm - You can drive for 14 days with the old plate on the new vehicle before you have to transfer the registration, but you shouldn't be driving the vehicle at all without valid insurance.

As others have said, if you buy from a dealership, they shouldn't give you the keys without seeing proof of insurance (I think my insurance company faxed the temporary pink slip directly to the dealership when I bought my current vehicle). If it was a private sale, the other guy isn't going to care what you do with it once he has his money.


Like you said, she probably wouldn't have noticed you if hadn't been struggling, but suspicious behaviour is what makes the cops suspicious.

At least you didn't run from the cops (not that you could have if you kept stalling) like that guy the other day who plowed into the house and died in a fiery wreck, just because the cops happened to run the plates and noticed that the vehicle was registered to an older woman (his mother) but was occupied by 2 younger men at 1:30 in the morning.

[Raekwon]

Yeah this happened to me 10 years ago, My car died and I had a second so I transferred the plate and went on my way. I get pulled over a block from my house and they weren't so nice to me. Towed my car and gave me the $3000 fine.

I was lucky that I had a broker that back dated a pink slip for me to fight the ticket. In the end the $3000 fine was dropped but it still cost me a bunch in fines and impound/tow fees.

Pay the fine and leave it at that

[Starfishy]

Wow, you got a $172 fine and you want to fight it? You were driving without insurance. When she said not to fight it because she let you off easy she was correct. She did you a favor and asked you not to fight it... can't you just honor that.

[flamingreen]

Have your friend pay the fine and never listen to him again.