I think i got screwed??(LONG) Need help from EVERYONE

[berkes454]

the other night i was driving back from the gas station down the street and i pulled out and the town i live in has alot of street lights(seriously its like broad daylight) I didnt even think to turn on my headlights. anyway cop pulls me over and i get far enough to PARK THE CAR ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET NEXT TO MY HOUSE. he comes up and im real nice cause i know 98% of the time being co-operative and real nice cops will be easy. I tell him i have no licsense and the car has no insurance yet because i was still within my 30 day period for proof -just bought the car- he asks why im driving then, i told him i support 2 other family members off just my income and i have to drive to work (35 miles) he takes my name, and goes back to his car, my brother comes out side to get his cigarettes......i told him to wait and dont come near the car. another officer pulls up and im thinking im going to jail. Turns out a cop i know pretty well off-duty rolls up and asks me to step out, i do, and he runs A DAMN DRUG DOG THROUGH MY CAR!!! WTF?? I was clean, my fiance comes running from down the street to see whats going on. She gets all the info on whats going on and asks if she can use the car to drive me to work tonight. KEEP IN MIND THE CAR IS IN HER NAME AND INSURANCE IS ON THE WAY!! - SERIOUSLY- The cop tells her THEY ARE GOING TO IMPOUND THE CAR FOR NO PROOF OF INSURANCE??? WHAT NO INSURANCE??? HELLO 30 DAY PEIOD FOR PROOF?? What the hell happened to that?? Can they even do this?? Im in the process of getting ahold of a lawyer, kinda hard with having to find a ride to work all the time now. I am also going to contact Cheif of Police. I dunno if they can impound the car, it was in a parking space (i see cars parked on the street for weeks at a time without plates) in front of my house, there was a legal driver able to move the car or drive it at that point in time, and the car was within the 30 day period for liscense and all that. i do not have the funds to get it out of the impound. Ive talked to a couple of people and they say they had no reason to impound it and if i fight it i can get it out.

CAN THEY REALLY IMPOUND MY CAR??

[CanaMark]

You are pooched, to begin with why would you even drive with no insurance, no license etc. If I read it correctly, why did you even drive with no headlights on? I see that all the time, I just do not understand how people can do that. Dont you look at your dash? Dont you see the light on or off? Cant you see the headlights even with all that light. Seems like the pig is on antoher power trip. Your probably a teenager is why he ran the drug dog, if he stratched the paint, sue em.

[jyot soni]

as i read this i m surprised by your stupidity {no offence}. if u knw that u did not have a licsense then u should not have made a mistake of driving without headlights on. and to answer ur question i think that they probably can impound ur car but it also depends on in which state u live in.

[fredjacksonsan]

The impound does depend on your local laws, but driving:

1: w/o license
2: w/o insurance (although agree with 30 day)
3: w/o lights at night
4: in someone else's car

probably made some police brains light up with suspicion, which is why you're in trouble now.

[RandomTask]

A. Are you licensed to drive and just didn't have it on you? Or were you driving on a suspended/expired license?

B. There is NO 30 day 'grace period' for a car for insurance, its ILLEGAL TO DRIVE ANY VEHICLE WITHOUT AT LEAST LIABILITY INSURANCE for ANY amount of time. If you're driving a car on the road you either A. Have insurance, or B. Have payed the DMV $500 for not driving with insurance.

Yes, they can impound your car for either of those infractions. Expect to pay a large amount for impound fees, court costs, and DMV fee's. To get out of the 'driving without proof of insurance' you're going to have to go to court with a document from your insurance company stating that you had insurance at the time of that citation. Same goes for the license. Prove that you were licensed to drive at the time (provided that you were). Otherwise, its up to the judge what he wants to do.

[fredjacksonsan]

Originally Posted by RandomTask

B. There is NO 30 day 'grace period' for a car for insurance, its ILLEGAL TO DRIVE ANY VEHICLE WITHOUT AT LEAST LIABILITY INSURANCE for ANY amount of time. If you're driving a car on the road you either A. Have insurance, or B. Have payed the DMV $500 for not driving with insurance.

FYI, many insurance companies do have a 30-day period after you buy your car to register it with them. Coverage is automatically provided during that time, but by default you have the same coverage on the new set of wheels that you have on the policy for your other vehicles.

(So for example if you have an older car with no collision and buy a new car but don't call the ins co, guess what? No collision coverage on the new car.)

It's a bit of a gray area of course, but does let you drive the car home from where you bought it, or at least that's the intent.

[MioCLK]

No matter how well you see the road infront of you at night, or how bright those street lights are, you should always turn your lights on, it let other drivers know your location so they won't run in to the back of your car.

If your were in California and a situation like this happened, the cops can impound the car for up to 30 days.
Vehicle owners are NOT allowed to lend their vehicle to people without a driver license And when an unlicensed dirver is caught, the cops can impound it for up to 30 days, it doesn't matter whos car it is, the point is, someone was driving without head lights turn on and driver license.
Until a proof of insurance is provided, the car would be treated the same as not insured. When meeting with the judge, just show him the "evidence" the judge usually dismiss the charge (no insurance) , with a small processng fee. about $10 in CA.

[drunken monkey]

insurance.
you can either ask your previous provider to cover the new car during the 'cross-over' period,
or you arrange insurance prior to getting the car and asking the start date to begin on the day you are arranged to collect the car.

THERE IS NO REASON for you to be driving without insurance.

the period of proof is there in case you haven't yet received documents through the post.
this doesn't mean you have 30 days to get cover.

lights.
they are not only neccessary for you to see where you are going;
they are also so that other drivers can see you.
at night, a car without lights on can be almost 'invisible' against a night sky.
have you ever driven at dusk when cars seem to blend in with the background?
that's why we all have bright red lights behind us.

[fredjacksonsan]

Guess berkes454 is in jail, hasn't come back.....

[95cord]