But somebody didn’t do his or her job—The new buyer didn’t register and transfer the title, or the state of Michigan didn’t remove the old information and update with the new information. The ticket lists my old vehicle license number that would have expired last November. I didn’t renew the plate. (Yes, I had removed it from the car.) 

No matter, now it’s a mess. I am left with a parking ticket that I will not pay. If the city of Chicago doesn’t rescind the ticket then they will issue a bench warrant for my arrest.

I contacted the buyer and he wrote back that he did register- transfer the title. He said he sold the car. He confirmed that I did take the license plate off the car. I put it into my garage. Sometime later my wife or I tossed the plate into the trash.  I can only surmise that somehow someone got hold of the license plate and used it. That plate although expired was still linked to me.

I contacted the city of Chicago this morning after going to the web site listed for tickets. You have the option of paying online or to contest the ticket by regular mail after proving you aren’t at fault. I told the woman in Chicago who took my call that it is a total scam. (She didn’t care.) She said I would have to contact the Michigan Secretary of State to get a written document that I no longer had this vehicle and the plate wasn’t valid.  So I contacted the Michigan SOS.

I found out that the plate, although expired due to not renewing; still was a license plate that someone could use (fraudulently of course) until the plate was destroyed and/or I requested the state of Michigan to document that I no longer used this plate. . Then if the plate were used again it would be on record that I didn’t own it and that it was stolen. It will cost me 7 dollars for the records and 4 more dollars to go to the SOS to get the license plate noted. It’s going to cost more when I get all the paperwork together to mail (certified) to Chicago. I have only to July 31.

Life’s lessons learned: Insure you get a notarized bill of sale or go with the buyer to the SOS to register/transfer the title. Also cancel the license plate or transfer to another vehicle. If you don’t cancel then cut the plate into pieces before discarding.

Jeff (weseye) Wesley

P.S. (I've been informed this is a scam. The government entities can access vehicle info via the web-- send out thousands of tickets to out of state residents. Most will ignore the summons, but enough will send in payment to avoid the hassle to make it profitable.)

2D & 3D Art for Business, Home or Office
http://www.absolutearts.com/portfolios/w/weseye/

I never go to the DMV but I do get a signed receipt. Either way it would still be a hassle if they did not transfer the title.

I hope things work out. Just amazing the garbage we have to deal with and look out for.

It still cost me $13.00. $8 for the copies of my records from the state of Michigan and $5.00 to send it registered mail.

But that's cheaper than the $65.00 fine of the ticket.

2D & 3D Art for Business, Home or Office
http://www.absolutearts.com/portfolios/w/weseye/

The camera must have taken a bad photo of another plate. How else could that happen? You know, we have so many different kinds of plates in Michigan it could have been another state and it looked like a Michigan plate?

Sometimes I think some of Michigan plates are from out of state.