Virginia goes after Out-of-State License Plates | Page 11 | FerrariChat

Virginia goes after Out-of-State License Plates

Discussion in 'Mid-Atlantic Region - USA (PA, DE, MD, DC, VA)' started by toggie, Aug 3, 2016.

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  1. Robin

    Robin F1 Rookie

    Nov 1, 2003
    2,931
    Arlington, VA
    FL is great for registering cars and not paying state income tax, but when I get my property tax and insurance bills every year I remember how badly I need to sell my places there... property tax on a car in VA doesn't seem so bad after the mailman drops off those bills.
     
  2. Ferrari.

    Ferrari. Rookie

    Aug 11, 2012
    3
    Maybe it would be a little less obvious if you would take off those "Ferrari of Washington" license plate frames and the VA state inspection sticker that is still on the front windshield and get a Montana drivers license.

    What do you even say to people when they see your plates and ask questions about what its like living in Montana?
     
  3. CornersWell

    CornersWell F1 Rookie

    Nov 24, 2004
    4,874
    Well, that's really not the issue. Doesn't matter if the car never puts a tire in that state. According to MT, that's fine with them. So, it's LEGALLY registered there. What's the reason why MT's registration isn't satisfactory for VA? Nothing more than VA wants its' pound of flesh.

    CW
     
  4. cheesey

    cheesey Formula 3

    Jun 23, 2011
    1,921
    get an international drivers license...issued on the other end, NOT by the US... if one travels seldom, the renewals become problematic, but it could be enjoyable until renewal time... allows to drive anywhere without attachment to any state and be captured as a resident The basic test for residency the state needs to show 180 days of continuous residence to be captured as a resident, otherwise one is a transient The 30 day residency requirement to turn in an out of state license is BS unless one has established a new permanent residence. The 30 day requirement has been successfully challenged many times over. One needs to be prepared to show a permanent residence.
     
  5. CornersWell

    CornersWell F1 Rookie

    Nov 24, 2004
    4,874
    That's good to know, because it's something that VA LEOs have used to try to intimidate drivers. I'm an out-of-stater now, but I still own property in VA. So, when I'm back, I get lectured about it. I've had the, "We have ways of finding out" threat, too. Utterly oppressive and, frankly, one of the reasons why I don't think the Commonwealth has its' head screwed on right.

    Sorry, but I'm not just going to go out and get a new license each and every time I'm in the Commonwealth for more than 30 days. That's absurd.

    CW
     
  6. jgoodman

    jgoodman F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 29, 2009
    3,201
    Central PA
    Full Name:
    Jay Goodman
    I think that state is terrible. There like 90% of the cars in the normal lanes moving at a snail's pace and 10% of the cars in the extortion ezpass express lanes. Meanwhile they are public roads. The public would be better served with everyone being able to use every lane. Just a horrible transition by that state in the name of revenue. Total loss of sense of what is for the public good.
     
  7. CornersWell

    CornersWell F1 Rookie

    Nov 24, 2004
    4,874
    The beltway EZPass lanes were built and are operated by a private company. The Commonwealth leased/gave the land underneath them to the company for an exclusive period (20 years?). At the end of the period, the lanes will all revert back to the Commonwealth, I believe, unless another lease is negotiated. So, technically, these are no longer public roads, and the tolls allow the builder/operator to generate a profit over time.

    I don't know, however, about the former HOV lanes on 395 and 95. They are also now toll lanes, but, I believe, HOV3 still applies. So, they may be a public/private partnership.

    CW
     
  8. CornersWell

    CornersWell F1 Rookie

    Nov 24, 2004
    4,874
  9. CornersWell

    CornersWell F1 Rookie

    Nov 24, 2004
    4,874
  10. 360gtracer

    360gtracer Formula 3

    May 18, 2004
    1,022
    Yes, HOV3 still applies, but there is now *NO* time when a non-HOV3 vehicle can use the lanes for free. You either have three or more people or you pay the toll, even during off hours.

    gp
     
  11. Robin

    Robin F1 Rookie

    Nov 1, 2003
    2,931
    Arlington, VA
    Anyone ever successfully disputed their car tax assessment? Got my bill the other night and while I knew it was going to be big, I didn't think it would be quite this bad. Apparently all they do is open up the NADA guide and pull the low retail from there, which probably works fine for your normal car where there are 100,000 examples to go by. Unfortunately there aren't enough of my car around to have an accurate number in the NADA book, so they think my car is worth way more than I paid for it over a year ago. When I called to ask about it they said there's nothing I can do about this year, but if I fill out some form I might be able to get it adjusted for next year.

    I don't mind paying my fair share and knew I'd get a big bill, but their assessment is about 35% higher than my car is actually worth and it apparently can't be challenged. Not cool man.
     
  12. CornersWell

    CornersWell F1 Rookie

    Nov 24, 2004
    4,874
  13. XS29L9B

    XS29L9B Karting

    Feb 23, 2008
    70
    ...in my garage

    80 YEARS!!!! The lease was made for Eighty Years. At least PW County called F/TU and VDOT to the mat over concerns:
    http://www.prtctransit.org/docs/commission/Nov2008/Item_12C_PRTC--Info_PWC_HOT_Lanes_Project_Res._No._08-1012.pdf

    I doubt Fairfax or Arlington Counties held much of a standard in their sellout.
     
  14. Robin

    Robin F1 Rookie

    Nov 1, 2003
    2,931
    Arlington, VA
    Yea I'd never do that. I don't mind paying my fair share, but when they value my car 35% higher than it's actually worth, the "fair" part becomes key.
     
  15. Gh21631

    Gh21631 F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 24, 2011
    8,325
    East
    What does "fair share" mean? You likely pay a higher sales tax, more income tax as as well as real property tax.

    Someone else who has use of the same roads, schools, etc that drives a Camry is not subject to these fees so perhaps they are not paying their "fair share"?

    My neighbor who does very well drives older, less expensive cars so his property tax is much lower. He and his family have access to everything we do - HOW DOES THIS MAKE ANY SENSE AT ANY LEVEL?

    Fair share is BS but we are all glad you want to pay more tax for nothing more.
     
    Buckwest likes this.
  16. 308steve

    308steve Formula Junior

    Sep 5, 2010
    300
    I wonder why the State Police are writing tickets and patrolling the EZ pass lanes. Shouldn't the company who built it and are charging a fee to use it be responsible for the expense of policing it? Why are my tax dollars being used to police this privately owned toll road?
     
  17. freedomgli

    freedomgli Karting

    Sep 20, 2005
    119
    Washington, DC
    Police powers have never been limited to public highways. Plus there's too much money to be made catching speeders.
     
  18. Robin

    Robin F1 Rookie

    Nov 1, 2003
    2,931
    Arlington, VA
    The law in the state is something like 5% property tax on all vehicles based on their assessed value. I chose to live here, I knew the rules before I bought the car I did, so I was aware of what I would owe in taxes. That is fair. If you complain about something you knew about beforehand, you're just a whiner. It's like the people with the No Taxation Without Representation license plates in DC. If you're so upset about it, move a mile to the north or south. It's not like they didn't know about the rules before they moved to DC. Same thing with the car tax in VA.

    The fairness part comes in when the tax is based on the assessed value, but their assessment is a third higher than what the asset is actually worth with no ability to dispute it. If everyone in the state who had a Camry had to pay tax on $30,000 assessed value for a car worth $20k, I'm sure they'd be annoyed too.
     
  19. CornersWell

    CornersWell F1 Rookie

    Nov 24, 2004
    4,874
    I think people object to what they consider to be unfair taxation. Regardless of the form it comes in. Of course, that is a subjective determination. I don't, however, think that if I buy a multi-hundred thousand dollar car and only use it for, say, 1,000 miles a year that it's "fair" to pay a huge tax, when someone is using (and, therefore, wearing out) the roads more than I am (but not paying as much).

    Many can't necessarily choose where they live, which is dictated by their job's location. While it's possible to live in DC (or MD) and work in NoVA, it's not a panacea, either. There are pros and cons of each. That said, expect people to object when they don't like the situation.

    CW
     
  20. Gh21631

    Gh21631 F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 24, 2011
    8,325
    East
    You cant pick and choose what you believe is fair - it doesn't work that way. You get taxed as they see fit. That's the way it works my friend. The tax in general is egregious and how it is imposed makes it worse.

    Don't forget that you also pay sales tax over and over on the same money as well in VA. Many other states only tax you on the net difference from the trade.

    I am sure you, me and many others have paid more than our "fair share".

    I recall a few years back when my county increased the value on my Escalade.
     
  21. CornersWell

    CornersWell F1 Rookie

    Nov 24, 2004
    4,874
    Without digging up my old window stickers, we're taxed sales and gas guzzler taxes at the time of purchase. Then, you're taxed on gas purchases. Then, you're taxed on your personal property. Depending on what roads you drive on, you might be charged for that privilege (and taxed, too?). Then there are also annual safety and emissions inspections. Depending on where you park it, you may be taxed on that, too. And, if you sell it, you may have taxable income. What am I leaving out?

    It's all of this, combined, that put Schwarzenegger in the Governor's mansion in CA. Maybe Clinton-Flunkie McAuliffe should remember that?

    CW
     
  22. Gh21631

    Gh21631 F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 24, 2011
    8,325
    East
    Sales tax keeps climbing. At one time the prop tax was offset by lower sales tax but that is not the case either.

    Tax on the sale of a car, presently 3 percent, will rise to 4 percent (July 1, 2013), then to 4.1 percent (July 1, 2014), then to 4.2 percent (July 1, 2015), then to 4.3 percent (July 1, 2016). The minimum tax is raised from $35 to $75. Raises the statewide $50 license tax for electric vehicles to $100.Feb 25, 2013
     
  23. Robin

    Robin F1 Rookie

    Nov 1, 2003
    2,931
    Arlington, VA
    Well the tax is what it is, what's unfair is the method by which the assessments are made. They simply pull the number from NADA, which works fine for something like a Honda Civic where they have hundreds of thousands of data points, but not so well on a car where only a few hundred exist. That doesn't make any sense, especially given that it can't be disputed. It's like making you pay income tax on $100k if you only made $65k. No one would be cool witih that. I'm out of here in a couple of years anyway so whatever :D
     
  24. CornersWell

    CornersWell F1 Rookie

    Nov 24, 2004
    4,874
    IF you can pay less by registering it in MT, then why pay more in VA? Because VA says so? Well, if that's not a conflict of interest, I don't know what is.

    CW
     

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