DC Parking Shenanigans

So I come out of the Black Cat the other night and there is a ticket looking thing on my car - which was parked in a legal spot.  It turns out not to be a ticket but a Warning Notice for Determination of Proper License Registration.  It says:

"Your vehicle has been observed for the second time within a 180 day period parking without DC tags.  After fifteen days you become eligible for issuance of a ticket and/or impoundment for failure to secure DC tags unless…"

It goes on to tell me that I have to supply the DC DMV with a copy of my mortgage and a recent utility bill to prove that I don't really live in DC.  All because I have parked in the city twice in a six month period.

Is this shit for real?   

Yeah, we're tightening up our borders to you foreigners.

Makes people not want to visit DC and spend money there.  I have gotten bogus tickets in fron of the 930 club and outside black cat.  Ones where they dont' even put the ticket on my vehicle and instead send me a late notice.  I refused to pay and they put it on credit report.  I sent letters to all 3 credit bureaus and they removed them. 

Here is an idea.  Instead of wasting all your money on building a billion dollar stadium for billionaires how about using that money for running your city instead of trying to steal it from out of state visitors.

I could see that being a valid thing if it were like Dallas where out of state is quite a trip, but DC where 30 seconds and you are out.  That is insane.

the District is hungry for money…

early this year, I got a ticket from one of those red light cameras installed at NY Avenue…it took a picture of my tags WHILE I WAS TURNING RIGHT ON A RED….of course I had to dispute it. Haven't heard from them…

So if you enter DC more than once every six months you have to register it with them?

???

not really related but i had a coworker that had moved from california….after working at the job for a few months he flew back to california to visit family and parked his car at the airport.  when he returned, he found out that his car got impounded.  apparently they troll the airport parking lots looking for out of state plates…..it got even crazier, i dont remember the exact story, but something like they wanted him to pay maryland taxes on his car…even though he had purchased it in california

Frank wrote:
So if you enter DC more than once every six months you have to register it with them?

???

Yes.

And you must renew this privilege every six months.

-If you are a recurring visitor (frequent short term visits) report to a DMV service location and prove non-residency by presenting an original lease, deed or mortgage statement or a utility bill no more than 60-days old. The documents must be in the name of the registered owner of the vehicle. You must also provide a copy of your out-of-state license and vehicle registration. You will then be exempted for a 180-day period.

What happens after the 180-day exemption period?

If you receive another warning notice, you may repeat the exemption process above.

It's pretty much to make sure people who have moved into the city aren't skipping out on paying for a residential parking permit. 

When I first moved to DC it took forever to get a residential parking permit because to get it, you need your car registered in the district, which needs a dc driver's license, which needs proof of residency, which if one doesn't have a lease and you aren't on any of the utility bills, is a little tough.  For those two months I was at work in Maryland most of the day, and so could legally parking all night starting at 6:01pm.  Eventually they gave me a ticket for always being parked in the neighborhood but not having any DC plates or parking permit. 

I could see how frequenting the 9:30 club a lot (and hence having one's car in the area often at night) might make parking enforcement think you're a registration dodger.

you do have to pay maryland taxes to get it tagged in maryland based the book value of the car…if i had known that, i would have kept my california tags …

atomicfront wrote:
Makes people not want to visit DC and spend money there.  I have gotten bogus tickets in fron of the 930 club and outside black cat.  Ones where they dont' even put the ticket on my vehicle and instead send me a late notice.  I refused to pay and they put it on credit report.  I sent letters to all 3 credit bureaus and they removed them. 

Here is an idea.  Instead of wasting all your money on building a billion dollar stadium for billionaires how about using that money for running your city instead of trying to steal it from out of state visitors.

I'm not sure why exacting a price for you availing yourself of a valuable commodity is "stealing."

One would think Virginia and Maryland plates would be exempt…

I can't imagine the DC DMV being any more efficient or cost saving with having to deal with all of those VA/MD folks getting rubber stamped every 6 months at the cost of DC taxpayers.

Vas wrote:
the District is hungry for money…

early this year, I got a ticket from one of those red light cameras installed at NY Avenue…it took a picture of my tags WHILE I WAS TURNING RIGHT ON A RED….of course I had to dispute it. Haven't heard from them…

you do know that's not allowed at many intersections, right?

vansmack wrote:
One would think Virginia and Maryland plates would be exempt…

VA and MD residents are probably the worst violators among people who move into DC and don't change their registration. 

there was no sign on NY avenue that says you can't make a turn on a red.

Herr wrote:

Vas wrote:
the District is hungry for money…

early this year, I got a ticket from one of those red light cameras installed at NY Avenue…it took a picture of my tags WHILE I WAS TURNING RIGHT ON A RED….of course I had to dispute it. Haven't heard from them…

you do know that's not allowed at many intersections, right?

don't get me started!

Herr wrote:VA and MD residents are probably the worst violators among people who move into DC and don't change their registration.  

Enough to justify the costs of those from VA/Md that only visit the district twice in 6 months should have to get rubber stamped by DC DMV every six months?  I somehow doubt that…

I have absolutely no problem with the city trying to track down the many people who live in the city and keep their cars registered elsewhere. But to say that the owner of any car that parks for any amount of time more than one time in a six month period must come and prove that he/she lives elsewhere is beyond ridiculous.

^ I absolutely agree!

Guess they don't want our business then. Bunch of idiots! Just feel sorry for the business owners who depend on a little bit broader area of clientele then just the immediate area. That kind of over policing would sure keep me out of town just on principle.

i only park in parking garages.  plus i like pizza by the slice places that are right there when you walk out of the parking garage.  yum.