Expired License Plate Sticker

[UmroAyyar]

I am venting, a rather peculiar encounter with the police.

err..... Got followed by a police car in downtown streets (I live there). Rainy day + tinted windows + proximity to the 'hood made them pull a u-turn and follow my wife and I. Went through 3 stop signs (I always stop).

I park the car on the street and the officers get out of the car, look around my car, trying to look in the back seat. Windows are tinted 35 in the front, 20% in the back. (Raining quite a bit).

Then they knock on the front passenger window (my wife's sitting there) as we watch them in amusement as he asks my wife if she has any ID. The other officer looks at the license plates for quite a bit and then knocks on my window and asks for my license and registration and tells me that the validation sticker has expired (It did this Friday, I am gonna renew tomorrow, renewal package from MTO never arrived in mail.)

My wife doesn't have any ID on her, we just came back from buying a lens for her Nikon. They go to the cruiser, spend about 20 minutes and ask my wife, "do you have a driver's license? we can't find anything about you, she tells him her full name, then he goes back". In about two minutes the cruiser's trunk pops open, they take out something and sit in the cruiser again. They write two tickets, expired validation sticker and wrong address on the license (I told him we recently moved in the same building to a different unit).

The officer hands me the tickets and explains, get your papers renewed and show up in court, they toss out 99% of these anyway and off they go.

Conspiracy theories are welcome.....

I'll do as the officer told me, renew my permit and get these tickets tossed out in court. Anybody has any advice how to approach this in court?

[tenpenny]

If she was not the driver, they have no business asking for ID.  They can ask her name, but this asking for ID or a driver's license for a passenger is ridiculous.

Show us your papers please!

[vdk]

That's a big WTF moment. I say the tints got you pulled over this time. I've been asked for ID too even though I was a passenger - it really depends on the cop and how good of a day he had before you met with him.

Did they ask you if you're wanted by the police?

[articsteve]

The officer hands me the tickets and explains, get your papers renewed and show up in court, they toss out 99% of these anyway and off they go.

Never hear of that.  Those tickets are usually indefensible. 

[UmroAyyar]

The officer hands me the tickets and explains, get your papers renewed and show up in court, they toss out 99% of these anyway and off they go.

Never hear of that.  Those tickets are usually indefensible. 

What am I looking at here? (Plea guilty with explanation, ask for leniency etc?)

Do these particular tickets affect insurance rates?

Any advice appreciated.

[Careener]

Renew it quickly and have an excuse and the prosecutor will drop it.

[UmroAyyar]

Renew it quickly and have an excuse and the prosecutor will drop it.

Already renewed, 9am this morning, the offices close at 5pm daily, 6pm on thursdays, can't make it there after work. Couldn't take time off work, just started a new job.

[dr_spock]

Were you aware that under the HTA you're required to notify the MTO of any address changes within 6 days and your sticker expires on your birthday?   Sticker renewals and address changes can also be done at any 7/24 Ontario license kiosk.  I believe you can also do address update over the Internet.  Check the MTO website.

They are not moving violations so I don't think they'll affect your insurance.  Get them fix and ask the Crown before the trial if the Crown is willing drop the charges as you've corrected the violations.

[UmroAyyar]

Were you aware that under the HTA you're required to notify the MTO of any address changes within 6 days and your sticker expires on your birthday?   Sticker renewals and address changes can also be done at any 7/24 Ontario license kiosk.  I believe you can also do address update over the Internet.  Check the MTO website.

They are not moving violations so I don't think they'll affect your insurance.  Get them fix and ask the Crown before the trial if the Crown is willing drop the charges as you've corrected the violations.

As I said earlier, I was going to go 'today' couldn't get time off work to renew it and never got the renewal package in mail this time, it arrives every year. Everything is renewed, I'll pay them a visit Tuesday.

[articsteve]

The officer hands me the tickets and explains, get your papers renewed and show up in court, they toss out 99% of these anyway and off they go.

Never hear of that.  Those tickets are usually indefensible. 

What am I looking at here? (Plea guilty with explanation, ask for leniency etc?)

Do these particular tickets affect insurance rates?

Any advice appreciated.

What am I looking at here? (Plea guilty with explanation, ask for leniency etc?)

That is your only recourse.  You might get it down, but I highly doubt it.  The City is 325 million in the hole and the Province is 24 BILLION.

Do these particular tickets affect insurance rates?

NO

Congrats on the new job. 

 

[Careener]

You have a god enough excuse. It will be dropped by the prosecutor.

[tenpenny]

In NB, they have stopped sending out renewal notices; it's up to the car owner to remember when the stickers need to be renewed.  And since the date is simply the anniversary of whenever you registered the car, it will be interesting to see how well that works out.

While the 'official' gov't explanation is that it's to save money, the more likely one is that the rates for renewals went up, and people who had received their notices were ticked off that the renewal notice had one price on it, but when they went in to renew, they were charged the new price.

[safristi]

..who forgets their BIRTHDAY................man Up and pay both the sticker and the FINE..........U GOOFED......now people here are  advising U to spend more deficit monies in court time for a frivolity of your own causation and  to argue your failure to comply with something U well know.........................bloody hell................next time U forget your Mortgage /Rent or Visa payments TRY THAT ON...............

[UmroAyyar]

..who forgets their BIRTHDAY................man Up and pay both the sticker and the FINE..........U GOOFED......now people here are  advising U to spend more deficit monies in court time for a frivolity of your own causation and  to argue your failure to comply with something U well know.........................bloody hell................next time U forget your Mortgage /Rent or Visa payments TRY THAT ON...............

Read again sir, after spending half an hour trying to find something, the police officer told me to go to court and get it tossed out. Fire the police officer then?

[safristi]

No make a simple decision that U messed Up and leave the cop out of your tortured logic.............U were caught with yer proverbial PANTS DOWN and U want society to pull them UP and give U a Walk on your "error" .."crime"   "forgetfullness" whatever....as had been said U can re License from a KIOSK in many a mall near U.............enjoy your new job............but don't try that attitude till you are past "probation"........positive..attitude and honesty is everything......blaming OTHERS for your failure is weak...........

[UmroAyyar]

No make a simple decision that U messed Up and leave the cop out of your tortured logic.............U were caught with yer proverbial PANTS DOWN and U want society to pull them UP and give U a Walk on your "error" .."crime"   "forgetfullness" whatever....as had been said U can re License from a KIOSK in many a mall near U.............enjoy your new job............but don't try that attitude till you are past "probation"........positive..attitude and honesty is everything......blaming OTHERS for your failure is weak...........

Nope, I didn't blame anyone. I have been given a recourse as part of the just process, which is everyone's right.

The good officer told me to use that. So, I will.

Btw, thanks

[airbalancer]

I think you were probably pick on since your an IT guy, and everyone just wants to get back at them
You can tell IT guys by there shift eyes 
Really they should make the plate good for the whole month

[UmroAyyar]

I think you were probably pick on since your an IT guy, and everyone just wants to get back at them
You can tell IT guys by there shift eyes 
Really they should make the plate good for the whole month

Shifty eyes? hahahahah

Anyhow, lesson learned, I gotta check my calendar more.

[dr_spock]

Here are some info from the MTO website if you did not get your renewal notice or lost it:

Vehicles In Ontario

Licence plates are validated by obtaining and affixing a validation sticker to the upper right hand corner of your plate. For your convenience, a renewal application will be mailed to you approximately 60 days prior to the sticker expiry (usually your birthdate). If you do not receive a renewal application or have lost it, a new one can be printed, and your plates renewed while you wait, at any ServiceOntario Driver and  Vehicle Licence Issuing Office.

Take the following documents to any ServiceOntario Driver and Vehicle Licence Issuing Office or ServiceOntario Kiosk:

    * the renewal application;
    * your vehicle permit;
    * proof of insurance;
    * fee shown on application;
    * a vehicle emissions pass report or a conditional pass report may also be required;
    * odometer information for passenger vehicles, light commercial vehicles (3000kg registered gross weight or less and for personal and business use only) and buses (non prorate. Heavy commercial vehicles, motorcycles, trailers, off-road vehicles, motorized snow vehicles (snowmobiles) and motor assisted bicycles (mopeds) are exempt from the odometer information requirement.

You may also renew your plates online at ServiceOntario Driver and Vehicle Online Services.


***

It depends on what kind of IT guy are you.  Some are well liked and others are not so.  I think it is all attitude and how you treat those who are less technically inclined.  Not sure about the shifty eyes.  I haven't encountered those yet in interviews yet.  I'll keep an eye out for them. 

[UmroAyyar]

Its been exactly 1 year.

I have not received anything from the court. I thought something got lost in mail.

But I renewed my license plates few days ago. No hurdles. They didn't even see the emission test report they were supposed to look at.

What to do?

Did they forget or its still in the system?