The Driver Responsibility Act Fee(AKA extortion )

[Black Dynamite]

http://www.michigan.gov/driverresponsibility

Public Act 165 of 2003, known as the Driver Responsibility Law, took effect October 1, 2003. This law was amended by Public Act 52 of 2004.

Its purpose is to encourage traffic safety by deterring potentially dangerous driving behavior. Other states, including New Jersey and Texas, have implemented similar laws. Michigan's Driver Responsibility Law calls for a monetary assessment for drivers who:

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Are convicted of specific qualifying offenses, or
*

Accumulate seven or more qualifying points on their driving records

Revenues collected from Driver Responsibility Fees go to the state's General Fund, with collections in excess of $65 million (up to $3.5 million) being directed to a newly created Fire Protection Fund. The State of Michigan has begun notifying affected individuals of their payment obligations for violations of the Driver Responsibility Law, through correspondence from the Michigan Department of Treasury.

So I get two tickets like 7 years ago(no insurance I think and not stopping completely at a stop sign). Paid them off 5 years ago. Last week a state cop pulls up on the side and explains to me my license is suspended because of a 300 dollar responsibility act fee add on. I never got any documents about this and was stuck paying 425 dollars to get my license back. In the process I met George Clinton, but thats another story.

My point is how is this a legit charge for the state to throw at people? And of all the things to blast this garbage fee on, why that bs in bold print above?!!!

Also no one could see that my license was suspended except the state trooper and secretary of state after I told them. I got cleared for driver background check related jobs, pulled over, got registration and insurance, and even renewed my license.

[Zip Goshboots]

Was this some sort of "retroactive thing"? You paid the fines off five years ago, and the law took effect in 2003!

[Uncle Mxy]

As part of my misspent youth, I had my license suspended over a bullshit parking ticket. I'd met up this hot (and vacuous and bitchy) MSU chick for a first (and last) date. During that time, I got a parking ticket (she couldn't tell me where to park even though she was a junior). I never saw any parking ticket on my wiper blades or anything like that, never got any notice from the state, and only found out when pulled over by a state trooper on M-59 right by the Silverdome nearly three months later.

[Zip Goshboots]

As part of my misspent youth, I had my license suspended over a bullshit parking ticket. I'd met up this hot (and vacuous and bitchy) MSU chick for a first (and last) date. During that time, I got a parking ticket (she couldn't tell me where to park even though she was a junior). I never saw any parking ticket on my wiper blades or anything like that, never got any notice from the state, and only found out when pulled over by a state trooper on M-59 right by the Silverdome nearly three months later.

Moxie: Why did you end the story there, on M-59, just as it got good? Were you arrested? Did the state trooper find the drugs, or The body in the trunk? Did you have to kill him to avoid the $25 parking ticket fee? Have you spent the last decade hiding in the jungles of (someplace where they have a jungle)?
Did you bone the bitch?

[Uncle Mxy]

Moxie: Why did you end the story there, on M-59, just as it got good? Were you arrested? Did the state trooper find the drugs, or The body in the trunk? Did you have to kill him to avoid the $25 parking ticket fee? Have you spent the last decade hiding in the jungles of (someplace where they have a jungle)?
Did you bone the bitch?

It was fairly anti-climactic from there.

I wasn't arrested. I was hauled off in the back seat of the squad car to the Auburn Hills police station by Oakland U. because I wasn't permitted to drive and that's where he was off to for some other reason. From there, it took me awhile to get ahold of two friends, one to pick me up and another to drive my car off of the expressway. Note that this was before the age of cell phones.

The blonde was months beforehand. I never even got to first base with her, and until that point, she was a faded memory. Actually, the hard part was finding out how much I owed. I was told what I owed on the ticket + fees, then paid it, then I was told I owed more fees, after I paid money to get my license unsuspended and that seemingly worked.

Let's just say I feel for anyone who's had to get pulled over to find out their license was suspended. The driver responsibility laws are just more nebulous fee bullshit. Of course, this just makes the state the the latest to cash in on speed traps along with the cities and towns.

[Big Swami]

Of course this is completely unjust and insane. This is just another way to raise money for the state without collecting taxes from the rich, who would just have another of their pissy-pants temper tantrums until they got their way.

Politicians have wondered for many years: How do I raise money for the state coffers without raising taxes on the people who put money into my campaign fund? Well, this is how.

[Black Dynamite]

Was this some sort of "retroactive thing"? You paid the fines off five years ago, and the law took effect in 2003!

maybe it was 4, i just know they tacked it on and suspended my license w/o sending me documentation.

[Uncle Mxy]

There's no free way for you to check on the status of your own license of your own initiative, and no communication about your driving record even as part of renewal. Obviously, if you go to a cop and request "check my driving record" and they find something, they'll be obliged to bust you. The structure of these driver's responsibility fees, with multi-year fees tacked to a separate billing process tacks on confusion to a hard-to-police compliance mess.

At one point, I lived at the same apartment for several years and didn't get registration renewal stuff in mail one year. Why? I have no idea. I had a locked drop box, so only the mailman could put stuff in. That cost me an hour of time at a SoS office. I'd have printed out my registration form, if I could have...

Oh, having watched this happen to a friend of mine, if some jerk of similar build and gender gives the cop your driver's license # at a traffic stop "because they must have left their driver's license at home" (and don't want the points on their record), it takes years to clear up.

[Fool]

Just got pulled over on a bullshit "rolling a stop sign" charge. Fucking cops. Tax collectors on wheels. Little bitches every one. Go "protect and serve" you bastard. Its 10:30pm on a Tuesday. Even if I didn't come to a complete stop I endangered no one you fucking cunt.

[robertlsun]

This law needs to be removed! Those that voted for this law need to be removed from office!