Florida Legal help

[Mrs.Walker 0]

The other day I was driving in Florida and i pulled into a parking lot, I park my car and was on my way out when this police officer came up behind me. " I have been trying to catch up to you he said but a car got between us" he then asked me for paperwork He asked me why i had not changed my plates from California to Florida, i told him I just go my car from California and that I just changed my insurance on the 2/13/09 and that I was need to get my title sent to me. I could not find my insurance. so i looked until i found it. He then asked me to sign a sheet of paper, I asked him for what, he said he is charging me with a mister minor criminal violation for being a Florida resident and driving with out of state plate. So now i have to go to court. I don't even know what to do. Can someone help me??

[Sylvia_n_Joseph 3]

When is your court date ? If you can rush your title and get plates by then so you can so you are incompliance by that date. You many want to ask the DMV what you can do. I know a lot of people from where I grew up ( upstate NY ) spent the winter months in Florida and many of them owned houses there so they were residents. I am sure they didn't go changing their car titles every few months. Maybe you can pay the fees ahead of time.

[Mrs.Walker 0]

When is your court date ? If you can rush your title and get plates by then so you can so you are incompliance by that date. You many want to ask the DMV what you can do. I know a lot of people from where I grew up ( upstate NY ) spent the winter months in Florida and many of them owned houses there so they were residents. I am sure they didn't go changing their car titles every few months. Maybe you can pay the fees ahead of time.

My date is 3/11/09 and I am in NY right now until th tenth and my title is supposed to be in the mail.

[LIFE'SJOURNEY 970]

Please explain what made him think you are actually living in Fla, right now. Did you change your driver license to a Fla address?

[Black Velvet 4]

The other day I was driving in Florida and i pulled into a parking lot, I park my car and was on my way out when this police officer came up behind me. " I have been trying to catch up to you he said but a car got between us" he then asked me for paperwork He asked me why i had not changed my plates from California to Florida, i told him I just go my car from California and that I just changed my insurance on the 2/13/09 and that I was need to get my title sent to me. I could not find my insurance. so i looked until i found it. He then asked me to sign a sheet of paper, I asked him for what, he said he is charging me with a mister minor criminal violation for being a Florida resident and driving with out of state plate. So now i have to go to court. I don't even know what to do. Can someone help me??

Mrs. Walker,

Most states require that new residents obtain a driver's license & license plates within 30 days. Here is the link from the Florida DMV-

http://www.flhsmv.gov/dhsmv/newflres.html

My suggestion is to contact the court, and request to change the court date. By that time, you should get all of your paper work in order. I'm not sure why you were charged with a misdemeanor. If that's not an option, just keep the original court date. Bring the document to show that you are a Florida resident (e.g. lease, utility bills, etc). The fact that you changed your insurance is proof that you are not trying to pull a fast one. I think you will be just fine. The main thing is that you just show up. Otherwise, you could face other legal issues. The judge may require that you pay the court costs. I wish you all the best.

Mrs. Scott

[Mrs.Walker 0]

Please explain what made him think you are actually living in Fla, right now. Did you change your driver license to a Fla address?

Yes I changed my driver's license in may but I just got my car to florida.

[LIFE'SJOURNEY 970]

Is there any way you can prove that you just recieved your car in florida? If so, that would be the way to go... By the way just showing that you just changed your insurance doesn't prove that the car was not physical in Fla.

If your car was driven fromCal to Fla, do you have receipts to show your car had been in Cal or some place else during the time you changed your drivers license?

[Mrs.Walker 0]

Is there any way you can prove that you just recieved your car in florida? If so, that would be the way to go... By the way just showing that you just changed your insurance doesn't prove that the car was not physical in Fla.

If your car was driven fromCal to Fla, do you have receipts to show your car had been in Cal or some place else during the time you changed your drivers license?

yes

[LIFE'SJOURNEY 970]

Is there any way you can prove that you just recieved your car in florida? If so, that would be the way to go... By the way just showing that you just changed your insurance doesn't prove that the car was not physical in Fla.

If your car was driven fromCal to Fla, do you have receipts to show your car had been in Cal or some place else during the time you changed your drivers license?

yes

Mrs. Walker you will need to show proof that your car was not in the State of Fla, from the time you changed your lic,( last May) up until now. Also you must have the tags changed over by the time you appear in court. So if you can show this proof then the judge will probably accept this, and lety you go with a warning, but to go there without any proof and a long story, that the judge has probably heard from many people will not sit well. So good luck, and gather your evidence that the car was still in Cal until recently.