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I grew up in the state of Illinois and had a driver's license there until approx. 1987 when I moved out. I didn't have any accidents, DUI's or other serious violations, but I drifted around for several years and wound up in Seattle Washington in 1992, where I sought a new driver's license. My memory fogs up, but I recall paying a fine to the state of Georgia for a brake-light violation and to Illinois in order to get my WA license. That was 22 years ago. It was 27 years ago that I last had my IL license.
Fast forward to 2014 and it was once again time to renew my WA license. I had renewed it 4 or 5 times over the years without a problem, but now Illinois was demanding a $70 payment for suspended license back in 1987. Plus a $2.44 'processing fee.'
I called them and asked if there was not some statue of limitations on the fine, and the clerk responded no. I thought about fighting it, but for $72.44 it wasn't worth it, so I went on their site and paid.
Having grown up in Illinois, and lived in Chicago for many years, I suppose it should not come as a surprise to me that the state engages in racketeering.
What does surprise me is the amount of $72.44. Illinois has sunk from big time swindles to $72.44. Pickpockets and shoplifters get more than that.
Many states do stuff like this. Cali sent a letter to my last known address of nearly 15 years ago on a old non moving violation. I haven't lived in Cali for 13 years. The auto drafted my checking account nearly $500 with no notice. No statute of limitations there either. They said they notified me at my last known address. I said they surely could have got it from my bank when they auto drafted it. Their response, "people will empty their accounts when they know we are coming!"
I grew up in the state of Illinois and had a driver's license there until approx. 1987 when I moved out. I didn't have any accidents, DUI's or other serious violations, but I drifted around for several years and wound up in Seattle Washington in 1992, where I sought a new driver's license. My memory fogs up, but I recall paying a fine to the state of Georgia for a brake-light violation and to Illinois in order to get my WA license. That was 22 years ago. It was 27 years ago that I last had my IL license.
Fast forward to 2014 and it was once again time to renew my WA license. I had renewed it 4 or 5 times over the years without a problem, but now Illinois was demanding a $70 payment for suspended license back in 1987. Plus a $2.44 'processing fee.'
I called them and asked if there was not some statue of limitations on the fine, and the clerk responded no. I thought about fighting it, but for $72.44 it wasn't worth it, so I went on their site and paid.
Having grown up in Illinois, and lived in Chicago for many years, I suppose it should not come as a surprise to me that the state engages in racketeering.
What does surprise me is the amount of $72.44. Illinois has sunk from big time swindles to $72.44. Pickpockets and shoplifters get more than that.
Was your license suspended in 1987? If not why would you pay the fine instead of getting it dismissed?
I guess I got lucky. When I Left Illinois no one ever bothered me. And I hope it stays that way.
Well they left me alone for 22 years (1992-2014), and then decided to cash in. I asked the clerk why the fine hadn't shown up upon any of my previous WA renewals, and she babbled something incoherent. I just said ok, thank you, and hung up.
Was your license suspended in 1987? If not why would you pay the fine instead of getting it dismissed?
I have no idea if my license was suspended, or why it would have been. I left the state and got a license in another state. AFAIK there was no reason that my IL license should have been suspended. They say it was. It seemed unlikely to me that a bureaucratic snaful such as this could be unraveled for less than $72.44 worth of time, and in the meantime my WA driver's license was in jeopardy if I did not pay.
The path of least resistance was to pay, which is what any protection racket counts on, and that is what I did.
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